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Breastfed baby gassy foods


What You Can Do To Help Your Gassy Breastfed Baby

What You Can Do To Help Your Gassy Breastfed Baby | Medela

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  2. Breastfeeding Education, Tools, and Support
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  4. Signs and Solutions For Gassy Breastfed Babies

What are some common culprits behind your baby's gassiness? Learn the signs, foods that may cause gassiness in your baby, and how to soothe and relieve his or her symptoms. 

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As a new parent, it can be stressful and upsetting to see and hear your baby cry. That’s especially true if you've checked off all the usual suspects— dirty diaper, empty belly, discomfort, or over-tiredness —and you still can’t seem to soothe your little one.

Gas is something that many newborns experience, and it can be painful for them!  It isn't always the first thing that parents remember to consider, since it's not something easily visible.

Signs Your Breastfed Baby is Gassy

If you suspect excess gas could be the culprit causing your baby’s fussiness, there are several signs that may indicate you are correct:

  • Burping. It’s possible your baby has swallowed too much air while nursing or crying for a long period.
  • Spitting up. While spitting up is perfectly normal, gas that’s trapped in the stomach can push breast milk back up and cause your baby to spit up.
  • Bloated tummy. This could be a sign that gas has built up in your baby’s stomach.
  • Flatulence. Every baby toots, but if they’re doing so excessively, it could mean they have excess gas.
  • Arched back, legs drawn toward the tummy. The discomfort from gas pains will make a baby try to adjust to alleviate it.

Gassy Baby Causes

Gas in a breastfed baby is not uncommon and can be attributed to several factors:

  • Gulping while feeding. If your milk let-down reflex is strong, your baby may gulp your milk to keep up and swallow extra air in the process. If that’s the case, your little one may do better nursing in a more upright position, so he or she has better control over milk intake and flow.
  • Introducing a bottle. If your baby is used to the breast and you begin feeding with a bottle, it may take some getting used to at first. As a result, he or she may swallow too much air while eating.
  • Constipation. When your baby is constipated, they may have gas trapped in their tummies that they’re having a hard time releasing.
  • Crying. If your baby has been crying for a long time, they may be gulping in air in the process.
  • Mom’s diet. Food that you’ve eaten can make your baby gassy as well. Certain foods such as dairy, soy or wheat may contribute to gassiness in your little one. Keep a food journal of what you eat to see if you can pinpoint the culprit in your diet.

Foods That Make Breastfed Babies Gassy

Though a baby’s gas is not commonly linked to mom’s diet, there are certain gas-inducing foods that could give both a breastfeeding mom and her baby gas. These include:

  • Fiber. Foods like bran, beans, and whole grains.
  • Fruit. Citrus fruits, prunes, plums, peaches, or apricots.
  • Vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
  • Garlic. Garlic-seasoned foods like pasta dishes or garlic bread.
  • Dairy. Yogurt, ice cream, or milk products.
  • Carbonated beverages. If they make you burp, they could make your baby gassy too.

It’s not necessary to give up all your favorite foods when pregnant and/or breastfeeding. Health experts recommend only making dietary changes if you see a direct connection between something you’ve eaten and your baby's gassiness.

Additionally, if you’re still breastfeeding after your little one begins solids or finger foods, it’s easier to detect what food might be the culprit and then eliminate it.

Relieving Gassy Babies

There are several effective ways to help relieve your baby’s gas pains and soothe them. Try a combination of these to find what works best for your little one.

  • Burp twice. Try to coax two burps out of your baby instead of just one.
  • Sit upright. Hold your baby in an upright position while burping. This makes it easier to expel gas.
  • Tummy time. Laying your baby on their tummy will help to push gas out.
  • Bicycle exercises. Put your baby on his or her back and move their legs in a pedaling motion, similar to cycling on a bike. This helps with constipation as well.
  • Massage the tummy. A gentle massage can help move gas out.
  • Adjust baby’s latch. Make sure your baby is latching correctly to avoid swallowing too much air.

Don't worry, mama - Gas is typically a normal occurrence and most babies experience gassiness from time to time! With some minor adjustments, you can soothe your little one and help them get through the discomfort of gas.

What's causing gas in my breastfed baby?

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We’ve all heard the sayings, “breast milk is the best milk,” “it’s the ultimate baby food,” and “breast milk is liquid gold.” Experts agree; breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition. It provides your baby with the calories, fats and nutrients needed for growth, and also secures important immunities to protect from illness. No other infant feeding substitute can measure up to breast milk.

If breast milk is the “foundation of life” and so great for my baby, why is he so fussy and gassy? Is he allergic to my milk? Could he be allergic to my milk? What am I doing wrong?

These are common questions and fears amongst breastfeeding mothers. Some might even give up on breastfeeding out of fear that their milk is the cause of their baby’s tummy problems.

Let’s consider some reasoning behind your baby’s fussiness and gas. Gas is a normal part of the gastrointestinal (GI) system, and we all have gases in us from time to time. For breastfed babies, gas might be caused by eating too fast, swallowing too much air or digesting certain foods. Babies have immature GI systems and can frequently experience gas because of this. Pains from gas can make your baby fussy, but intestinal gas is not harmful.

Many mothers become concerned about how their diet contributes to their baby’s gas and fussiness. There is limited scientific research proving that certain foods in a breastfeeding mother’s diet cause intestinal issues in their babies. Some babies might react to particular foods in mom’s diet, but this doesn’t mean there’s a special list of foods out there for moms to avoid while breastfeeding.

Most babies tolerate the food consumed by their mothers, but it’s important to keep a close eye on patterns. If you notice that each time you eat something your baby becomes fussy, try avoiding the food for a while and see what happens. Many mothers have reported foods such as kale, spinach, beans, onions, garlic, peppers or spicy foods cause infant gas, while many babies tolerate these foods just fine.  

While most foods won’t cause GI issues in breastfed babies, we do know that any foods containing cow milk protein are the most commonly reported food substance to cause gas and fussiness in infants. Some babies might experience a temporary intolerance to dairy from mom’s diet, but most will begin to tolerate cow milk proteins once they get older and move out of infancy.

If your baby has a true allergy to milk proteins, you might notice symptoms including dry/irritated skin, rashes, colic, persistent gas, fussiness and green stool with mucus or blood. If your breastfed baby is diagnosed with a true milk protein allergy, your healthcare provider might recommend a restricted diet while breastfeeding.

What can I do to help my baby with gas?
  • Make sure your baby has a good latch so he doesn’t swallow too much air.
  • Burp him throughout the feedings to help get rid of the gas.
  • Try not to let your baby overfeed or feed too quickly.
  • Keep track of when your baby is gassy and look back at your diet. Try to learn which foods work and don’t work for you and your baby, and remember, each baby is uniquely different.
  • If you have further concerns regarding your baby’s feeding, infant gas or increased fussiness, be sure to discuss these with your baby’s pediatrician and/or a lactation consultant.

Each year during the first week of August, over 120 countries across the globe come together to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. During this week, public health organizations work to publicly encourage breastfeeding in an effort to improve the health of babies around the world. This year’s theme is “BREASTFEEDING: Foundation of Life.”

To learn more about Texas Children’s Lactation Support Services, Milk Bank (Lab) Services or breastfeeding services offered at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, please follow the respective links.

Flatulence in children: help and treatment

Increased gas formation is a problem that accompanies almost all babies in the first weeks of life. This is due to the fact that the baby's body is just being formed. Adapting to life outside the mother's belly is not an easy task.

Dry initial milk formula adapted by Valio Baby 1 NutriValio for feeding children from birth to 6 months Read more

Intestinal flatulence is often confused with baby colic. From a medical point of view, there is no “equal” sign between these phenomena, from a practical point of view, they are, in general, one and the same. When a child is worried about flatulence, he becomes naughty, cries loudly, kicks his legs and refuses to eat. The baby is worried about sharp pains in the abdomen. Premature babies suffer from them more often than those born at term. Their digestive system is even more immature, and the musculature of the walls of the stomach and intestines is very poorly developed. Like colic, bloating begins to bother babies from birth, but significantly decreases (or completely disappears) by 3-4 months, when the child gets stronger.

Causes of flatulence in infants

Aerophagy. This is the name of the swallowing of air during feeding. The child may take the nipple or breast incorrectly, cry during feeding, rush, the mother may hold the bottle incorrectly. As a result, the baby “grabs” air, which enters the intestines and causes the formation of gases. Therefore, it is very important to establish the correct feeding process.

Immaturity of microflora. The baby is still very small, his body is just learning to work, the microbiocenosis (microflora) has not formed. Flatulence will pass with age. If the problem is tormenting an older baby, pay attention to the child's reaction to complementary foods or changing the mixture. If the baby is unwell, consult a doctor to alleviate his condition.

Diet of a nursing mother. Gas in the baby's intestines can be caused by foods that the mother ate. A nursing woman needs to be more careful about her diet. It is worth using dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, cabbage, yeast bread, pastries, nuts with caution. It is better to avoid carbonated drinks altogether.

Delayed bowel movements. Under such conditions, gases accumulate, this gives the baby more and more discomfort.

How to help a baby with flatulence?

Help the baby empty the intestines. Effective massage of the tummy (make circular movements around the navel clockwise), gymnastics (press the baby’s legs bent at the knees to his tummy, then straighten them), a warm bath will help (it’s good to add a decoction of chamomile or string). If mild methods don't work, you can use an enema or a gas tube. Remember that you need to act very carefully!

With flatulence, children's teas with medicinal herbs - fennel, chamomile, dill, anise and cumin help. You can buy dill water in the pharmacy in the drug production department (keep in mind that it is stored in the refrigerator and no more than 10 days).

To prevent gas formation, make sure that the baby eats in a calm environment, not distracted, not in a hurry. Before feeding the baby, it is useful to put it on the tummy for 5 minutes (this is a kind of massage). After the baby has eaten, hold it with a “column” so that excess air comes out with a burp.

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