Top 3 Methods to Help Your Baby Naturally Relieve Gas
Summary
As parents, we do everything we can think of to make our babies comfortable and keep them happy, but sometimes we’ve fed them, changed them, cuddled them and entertained them and they are still acting cranky and uncomfortable. One of the biggest culprits of an angry baby may actually be gas. It’s important to understand that your baby can’t tell you what he’s feeling and so if he’s crying excessively, there may be an underlying issue.
When over the counter and prescription medications don’t work, there are 3 methods which can help your baby naturally relieve gas:
1. Burping is a natural thing we do as adults, but your baby hasn’t learned to do this yet and needs your help.
It’s very important that you burp your baby regularly. Bottle feeding your baby in an upright position is going to be better for both gas and spitting up. It works best if you’re sitting upright in a comfortable chair with arms. Sit your newborn in your lap and allow him to rest his back and head against your arm. Use the support of the chair arm to keep your arm anchored and strong. You can also use one hand to support your newborn’s neck and head (if they are small enough), while at the same time also supporting their back. Feeding your newborn this way will result in less gas and less spitting up.
You should be burping your newborn after he finishes 2 ounces of formula. You can also use feeding bottles (if you’re not breast feeding) that are meant to cut back on gas. These are often more expensive, but they can make a huge difference.
2. Using a heat pack will help relax your baby’s stomach muscles.
Using a heat pack to ease your baby’s gas used both heat and pressure to relieve the symptoms. To do this, take two hand towels and warm them, making sure not to make them too hot. You can throw them in the dryer for a few minutes, checking them when you pull them out to make sure they are not too hot. If they are, just let them sit and cool down before use. Fold one towel into a small pack-like bundle and place on your baby’s belly (you may choose to use a regular sized washcloth for the belly towel). Take the second towel and wrap it snuggly around your baby’s belly so that it holds the first towel in place and creates a slight pressure. Make sure the towels are not too hot and also that it’s not too tight.
3. Moving your baby’s legs in a bicycling-like movement can help work out gas bubbles.
You can do this by laying your baby on his back. Slowly push one leg up so that it is close to his chest. As you pull the first leg back (slowly), push the second leg slowly up close to his chest. This manner of movement is very similar to what we do when we ride a bicycle. It’s fun for baby and can be an excellent and gentle gas reliever.
Be careful not to do lay your infant on his back too soon after eating as this can promote spitting up and may make him more uncomfortable.
