All parents want their children to feel comfortable and safe in their embrace. Parents always feel frustrated when their kids get sick, no matter their age. The worst thing is to watch your cute baby crying and being unable to say where it hurts. As a rule, a gassy newborn cries until relief. New parents usually feel helpless, and mommies blame themselves for using the wrong baby formula or eating something terrible that affected their breast milk. So, what gassy foods to avoid while breastfeeding so as not to hurt a baby?
How to Find Out That You Have a Gassy Baby?
New parents must be attentive and knowledgeable to differentiate between gasses and other reasons for their baby’s crying. Five symptoms point to a gassy newborn.
- Meteorism. A baby toots too frequently or tries to do that but becomes red, tense, nervous, and cries because of pain.
- Bloating. The accumulation of gasses makes a baby’s tummy rounder, harder, and bigger than usual.
- Frequent belching. Babies examine the world with their mouths, taking too much air when eating, observing new objects, or crying. Burping relieves the excess air.
- Unusual tense position. When something hurts, a baby holds its legs close to its belly and arches its back to let the gasses out.
- Regurgitation. Such an after-feeding symptom is typical for newborns. But when it comes as a fountain, it shows the work of gasses that push the food in its reverse way.
You must find out why as soon as you learn that you have a gassy baby.
Possible Reasons for Having a Gassy Baby
As a rule, five factors result in such a painful condition for a baby.
- Long-period crying. When a baby can’t stop crying, it starts gulping too much air.
- Wrong feeding position. Sometimes the portion of milk comes too fast, and a baby has to gulp frequently to manage it. In this case, it is better to prefer a close-to-sitting position to let a baby control the milk flow. If you bottle feed, choose a bottle nipple with a smaller hole.
- Wrong mom’s eating preferences. Some food can affect the milk quality of a breastfeeding mother. So, she has to take care of what she eats. If a baby eats baby formula, artificial sweeteners, stabilizers, and chemicals can hurt a baby’s gastrointestinal tract, leading to the accumulation of gasses and their problematic release.
- Constipation. A hard stool doesn’t let a baby get rid of gasses.
- Replacement breastfeeding with bottle feeding. Babies who get used to breastfeeding usually swallow much air when dealing with a more straightforward eating process.
A Diet for a Breastfeeding Mother
Some pediatricians do not link a baby’s gasses to a breastfeeding mom’s diet. Others name several products that can negatively affect the milk’s quality. Among the gassy foods to avoid while breastfeeding, one can find:
- cabbage (Brussel sprouts, broccoli, green-leave cabbage)
- dairy (full-fat milk, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc.)
- raw garlic and onion
- fruit (apricots, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, and plums)
- fiber (pastry, whole grain food, bran)
- carbonated drinks like soda, champagne, and beer
If mothers don’t want to keep to diets, HiPP, Holle, or Kendamill baby formulas can replace breastfeeding and prevent gasses and other digestive problems.
How to Help a Baby Release Gasses?
Bicycle exercises, proper diet or baby formula, laying or sleeping on a tummy, gentle belly massage, and upright position during and after breast or bottle feeding can help your baby get rid of excessive gasses. Besides, one should consult a pediatrician to learn everything about correct breastfeeding rules or proper baby formula selection.
