Sudden Gas/stomach Issues with My 3 Month Old

Try giving the baby anise(licorce)water. you can find it at mexican food stores or maybe the health food store in Keystone. Boil water add 4-5 pieces off the flower. cool down give it to the baby. boil 1/2-1 gallon of water. the water will be alittle brown. Also,the book THE BEST BABY ON THE BLOCK everything written in it really works.

I had a very similar problem with my second baby. I had to cut out choc!!! Someone also told me about acidophollus (sp?) and I started taking that in a capsule form 2 times a day and it really helped...both of us. Hope it helped.

J.

E. B,

Carefully with what type of vegetable do you intake for example: brocolli, coliflor produce a intestinal gas.

Good Well..

Try cutting out all milk products from your diet. She may have lactose intollerance. My grandson had the same symptoms and when his mom stopped all milk it helped a great deal. It may take 3-4 weeks to see results as the milk solids stay in your system that long.

I had the same problem w/ my son right from the start(also breast fed). I didn't use the grip water either but we were able to figure it out doing a combination of things. On the advice of my Dr. I cut down on lactose products (milk,cheeses, etc), I also would do a lot of bicycle exercises w/ my son -moving his legs like he was peddling a bike, that would help him get the farting out. But the biggest thing I noticed(for us) was how I fed him. I realized that I angled him too much when nursing and he took alot more air in than I realized. I changed his position to a little more upright and it made a big difference.

Not sure if this would work for you but give a shot who knows.

Good Luck

N.

Hi Eric.Poor little thing.I hate when they get so upset...it breaks my heart because you feel helpless when you can't figure out whats wrong. Did you call your daughters ped. and ask about the water? I was always told you never give a newborn water, especially a breastfed one because it can cause alot of problems like over hydration because breastmilk contains alot of water. I would definately call and check about that.
Also..why don't you try nursing her for comfort, she could possibly be going threw a growth spurt and just wanting to nurse more.

You've got to use Milicon gas drops- if you give your baby Milicon right before you feed her it helps so much witht he gas problems and it's totally safe for infants. I swear by it.

hi E.
my son had very bad colic from 3 weeks to about 13 weeks. we used gripe water and just followed the directions on the bottle. because it is all natural they can't get hurt by anything in it, and it will only help the stomach if that is the problem. (no side effects) my father is a family doc and he was very comfortable w/ us using that. good luck, and congarts on the baby and breastfeeding! J. j

Sometimes the onset of teething will cause excess gasses to form in the intestional tract because the baby is making a lot more drool. This happened with my first child.
Also another thing that caused gas with one of my babies (can't remeber which!), was about at abouth 3 or 4 months the baby started sucking harder and more vigorously and therefore sucking more air. I had to start burping him more often after feeding and it seemed to help.
Also if your baby can roll from tummy to back, try putting her to sleep on her tummy. It's okay to do this IF she can roll over by herself and IF you make sure there aren't puffy pillows or blankets that she could get tangled up in. Putting her to sleep on her tummy will help her stomach beacuse of the pressure of laying on it. It will actually relieve some of the gassiness.
These are just some suggestions that have worked for me. Hope they help.

My son was gassy too. I tried everything before going to medicines and when they just didn't cure it I finally found...Walgreens "Infant's Gas Relief Drops" that work like magic and are just as good as Gas X and all the name brands. You just give them a little (bottle calls for .3ml but you could try giving less). It works within 15 minutes and you will see the relief on their face.

If you are like me and hesitate to do medications until you have explored all other options...Burp more often during feedings, try warm baths each evening before bed followed by a burping session, extra "tummy" time, a heating pad on LOW covered with a towel (Be VERY careful with this as you don't want to burn them) for just a few minutes at a time.

Hi E., I am sorry your baby has been uncomfortable. There is alot of misinformation about breastfeeding and diet issues, For example, eating vegetables like broccoli, which can be gas producing for us, does not cause babies to have gas because what we eat is broken down in our digestive system and nutrients are take from our bloodstream to make milk. In addition, breastfeed babies do not get lactose intolerant. It is true that they can react to dairy products, but this is to the protein in the dairy product not the lactose. Until about he age of 6 months, infants have an immature gut that allows foreign proteins to pass through,which can set up an allergic reaction. that is why waiting to introduce siolids until this time is recommended. dairy products are a common offender and it can take days for it to get out of our system. We are the only species that drinks milk past weaning age, and that is milk from a very different species. But I would not recommend an elimination diet right now unless you can determine wht the offending food is. They can be disruptive and are often not necessary.

The gassiness might not be related to your diet at all. do you pump and give expressed milk at work? Or frozen? Maybe some of this milk she has had recently is more foremilk than hindmilk, which is higher in lactose and can cause gassiness. Suggestions for positioning changes can help. Elevate her head more and see. I am sure you are a very busy mom: how long have you been back at work? make sure she finishes one breast before offering the other. If she is nursing frequently for brief periods, try offering the same breast for a couple of nursings in a row.

I would recommend trying some of the comfort measures like massage and watch for a couple days to see what happens. You can always call a la leche league leader if it continues to discuss the issue further.

Congratulations on nursing your baby and good luck!

J.

HI E.!

These are all great suggestions. My oldest was SUCH a gassy baby--she'd probably be so embarrassed to hear me say that now!! :) I exclusively breastfed her until she was 8 months old and continued until she was 18 months old. I tried every alteration to my diet that we could think of, but nothing seemed to help. When I was finally down to practically bread and water, we realized that nothing in my diet change was going to help (and that diet certainly wasn't healthy!)

The best things we found were the suggestions of really burping her after nursing because she was an aggressive nurser and we thought she probably was getting too much air while nursing. Also the tummy time during the day.

Another thing that really helped when she was getting fussy obviously from being gassy was to bicycle her legs. We'd lay her on her back and slowly push one bended knee up into her belly, then stretch it out, and then the other bended knee, sometimes simultaneously, etc. Nothing overly hard of course, but with a little pressure.

She would toot away and we'd all get to laughing!! Often times it really helped her get out the gas that was trying to work it's way out and she would feel so much better!!

Hope that made sense and it helps! :) Good luck and hang in there!

Kat

http://www.workathome-united.com
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Hi, my son is 10 mths now, and when he was younger he had really bad gas and it effected him sleeping. I also breastfeed. We used Infants' Mylicon, we gave it to him before he went to sleep and it helped a lot. Before using it though, please check with your pedi. Good Luck!

I was extremely reluctant to use anything with my 1st born(who is now 11) Breast fed, the works, very gassy. Was advised to give him a dropper of fennel seed tea. It took me two months to try it because I wasn't using any old wives tales on my precious baby, and his gas cleared up overnight when I finally brokedown out of desperation and tried it. Brew your own tea, (Iused a tea ball; that way I could control everything that went into it!) give her a 1/2 teaspoon before she nurses. works like a charm. Even works on adults,too!!

Try making sure she has alot of "tummy time" during the day. Also you could try propping her up for an hour after feeding her. You could put a pillow or two under her mattress where her head lays..so that she is at a slight angle. We used to recommend this alot when I worked for the peds office. Hope this helps! :)

Hey E.,
I am 44 years old and a mom of a preteen and a toddler and I have been where you are! I breast fed both my babies and they both had issues with gas. I recommend generic over the counter gas medicine which is safe and is not obsorbed into the body and you can give the recommended dosage to your baby every 2 hours safely. Along with that I used Humphries #3 a homeopathic medicine found in most drug stores that is safe. It is for teething, but it really relaxes your baby, it also relieves gas symptoms and helps your baby to sleep better. It is just little pellets that disolve in your babies mouth. If you are concerned with the little pellet possibly choking your baby, then crush it and just put a tiny amount of water on a spoon or a dropper and give it to your baby that way. This really got me through a lot of sleepless nights and able to get back to sleep. Another trick I learned from another mother is to take your fingers the pointer and the middle one and start at the base of your babies abdomen on the left side, going up with your movements over the belly button area and act like you are writing the Letters I, L, and U for I love you and say that to your baby as you do it. My little guy loved it and what it does is help to move the trapped gas from the intestinal tract and move it out. You can also rub your babies tummy in a counter clockwise circular motion with your hand and this also helps to relax your baby and get rid of trapped gas. I hope that helps! Really try and enjoy these short brief blessings in time with your baby, take it from me they speed by faster than you know and you look back and think were did that little bundle that I held in my arms go?
God Bless you,
Experienced Mom of 2

HI E.,

It depends on what is in the gripe water as to how much is okay to give. Some are good, some are not. Too much sodium bicarbonate can cause a rebound effect and make the colic worse.

Heather's suggestion of the peppermint is a great suggestion. Absolutely no side effects and peppermint oil is well known for helping colic. Make sure when you buy peppermint candy that it is simply peppermint and has no added chemicals. With all the stuff that is imported from China these days, you have to be careful.

Regards,

M.

E.,
I'm the mother of a 3yr old girl and a 1 year old boy. I breast fed both and they were both gassy babies. I tried the gas drops and the gripe water with both and nothing seemed to help. My daughter eventually outgrew the problem between 7-9 months and I learned with my son that if I would put him on his back and move his legs like a bicycle it would help him pass the gas a little faster. I don't believe it is your diet it's just that they haven't figured out how to pass it and yes....it's painful for them. Another trick I learned is to put them on their left side and pull the right knee towards their tummy. If that doesn't help try putting her across your legs on her belly and rub her back gently. My daughter hated that position but my son didn't seem to mind it and it did help. I know this is a hard time for you because you're tired and you hate seeing your baby in pain. The good news is this will pass so quickly....I promise. The first 3 months are the hardest, it gets easier 3-6 months and after 6 months you'll start feeling more confident, rested, and your baby's digestive system will be more mature and she will be farting all the time and the checkout lady at the grocery store will not believe you when you tell her it came from your sweet tiny baby!!!!!
I hope this helps!!!!1
A. C

It doesn't have to be a 'recurring theme' in your diet.
What you eat effects some babies worse than others. May I suggest eating food that is simply prepared right now. Extra spicy, salty or sweet seasonings make a difference. Also, making sure that you are in a relaxed atmosphere when you nurse or pump is vital.

hi, i didn't read all of the responses but i thought i'd let you in on my secret for when my little one was like that... i drank lactaid instead of milk... and like someone said, milicon!!!! it says to do it after nursing but do it before every other nursing (and sometimes i did it before everyone of them) it really worked!!!

Gripe water is totally safe. I, however, have never used it. I've always used Hyland's Colic tablets.. I had a colicky baby once and I use to give her 2 tabs every 15mins starting at 4pm. By 6pm (when the screaming usually ensued and didn't end until 10pm) the gas was gone. In two weeks, she was over it completely. Still.. it can be used for occassional gas as well. We give it to my granddaughter who doesn't have colic but it sure gets rid of the gas!

There is a homeopathic remedy called Lycopodium that is totally safe to give to baby/and yourself. (it's these tiny little beads that melt in your mouth or babies. I have always given it to my daughter and my family for that issue for many years. It could be what your eating isn't digesting right now; enzymes for you would also be helpful for breastmilk.

I deal with a health food store in Lake Helen called The Trading Center. Call them and ask them if they have any other helpful suggestions that hjas worked for their customers. ###-###-####

We had a similar problem with our daughters. We found that the secret was to give them the Mylicon drops BEFORE they ate (not after, like the directions say). It made all the difference in the world. As they got older, we've relied on peppermint tea.

Try Mylicon or Little Tummies. I use Little Tummies with my baby girl and it works wonders. Good luck!

Hi E.,
I've worked with countless moms with your concern. I'm a certified parent educator trained to teach you an effective gas relief technique with my infant massage instruction...either in private, semi-private, or small group class. Not only will you resolve that distress for your baby, you'll be able to give her the tenderness and focused attention that will strengthen your bond. Dad can learn some more about his nurturing touch in class too. Read my business profile and then Call me ###-###-####. Warm regards,Helen

MYLICON, MYLICON, MYLICON This stuff is a GODSEND!

Make sure you are getting no artificial sweeteners in your diet. Gum. Sodas. No splenda, nutra-sweet, sweet-n-low. These things can be very harmful to the digestive system. I reccommend the book, The Maker's Diet by Dr. Jordan Rubin

I had the same problem when my little one was about that age. It stopped as suddenly as it started. I made sure to give him some mylicon (spelling?) right before bed every night or if I got up to nurse him in the middle of the night and it REALLY helped.

Hi E.,
My daughter suffered from a lot of gas as an infant. But she differed from your baby in that the gas was a result of reflux and lasted for the 1st 3 months. In any case, gas is gas and pain is pain, so what helped us might help you. In addition to gripewater (I would give her about 2 dropper fulls that were 1/2 full at a time- I think the bottle says a table spoon, if I recall correctly) I also gave her Mylicon which really seemed to help her. You can buy it over the counter. Also, try laying her on her left side under your supervision, that might help relieve the gas. When babies lay on their back, the gas gets trapped and has difficulty passing. Lastly, you might want to hold her up right for 10 minutes or so after feeding so gas can escape and make sure you get a good burp out of her.
Hope that helps!

a little old fashion but it works, take a peppermint and put it in a bottle of warm water and let it melt down a little... Let her drink it.. It sooths the stomach. I used it on my 2 children (who are now 15 & 17 and my niece who is now 5). I always made sure I had a bottle of peppermint water ready to go.

Try Mylacon(sp) or the generic kind. It worked great for all three of my little ones.
Good luck!
L.