Switching Formulas - McKinney,TX

Updated on April 25, 2008
C.C. asks from McKinney, TX
9 answers

I have a six week old who seems to be a very good eater, however I think he might be experiencing some pretty bad bouts of gasiness. He draws his little legs up to his chest and I can hear his tummy gurgling. He also seems to be in a bit of pain when he's having a BM. He's not a colicky baby, but he does get really fussy when he's 'gassy'. I'm using Similac Advanced formula and am thinking about switching to soemthing else to see if it helps...Any reccommendations?? I'm new at this so I don't know how to go about switching to something else! Should I consult our pediatrician first?? I'm nervous!! I just hate seeing the poor little guy in pain!! Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!!

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So What Happened?

I ended up switching him over to Enfamil with Lipil and he is a different baby! His BM's are more regular and although he is still a little gassy at times, he's in nowhere near the pain that he was in when he was taking the Similac. Thanks for the advice!

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J.H.

answers from Dallas on

I had the same problem with my daughter. We started on Similac and she seemed like she was in pain with each BM, and didn't seem to be very regular. My pediatrician said they aren't usually "regular" that young but if it was really bothering me then we could try another formula. So, we switched to NESTLE Good Start. We have been very happy with it. She has had regular BM's ever since and doesn't seem to be in pain. You can sign up on their website and they send great coupons! $8 off!!! Good Luck!

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Y.C.

answers from Dallas on

i had the same problem with my son. we took him to his pedi and found out he had extremely severe acid reflux and he was allergic to milk and soy so he got on a formula called neocate. i don't recommend changing anything without consulting his dr. you can never be sure what the problem is until a dr. tells you for sure. so i suggest you make an appt. asap! good luck!

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C.H.

answers from Dallas on

I had a very similar issue with mine - after a lot of doctor's visits, I ended up trying Good Start soy. I was half breastfeeding, so I eliminated all milk products from my diet. The combination of those things helped. He's now 7 months and finally able to be on the soy formula solely. He couldn't stomach any of the other soy brands - only Good Start. I would suggest you try this brand - either regular or soy - it's supposed to be more easily digestible. I know it worked for us in getting rid of the stomach pains/gas.

If you can, it wouldn't hurt to have an ultrasound done on his abdomen area to make sure everything is as it should be. Our doctor ordered that to make sure there were no knots or something else that might be causing pain. In our case, it was just that his little system was lactose intolerant until it matured. Good luck - hang in there, I know it's tough to watch your baby suffer and not be able to fix it!

One more thing, when he does have gas, try laying him down and "cycling" his legs gently, rub circles on his belly with slight pressure, hold his legs (knees towards chest) and pat his bottom - these will help him get the gas out and may also distract him to stop crying.

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J.C.

answers from Dallas on

i tried several formulas with my daughter and finally settled on NESTLE Good Start - she seemed to like it and tolerate it much better.

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K.N.

answers from Dallas on

You might try Gripe Water. It is a natural remedy for colic...BUT since the main ingredient is ginger extract, it works great on tummies that are upset or gassy, just as they suggest ginger ale for adults. My daughter had really bad gas and the same symptoms with the legs and bms and so forth, but since I breastfed it was very difficult to pinpoint exactly what was causing it. Someone suggested Gripe Water and it worked instantly. She passed gas with no pain, it even helped with her reflux!! You should be able to find it at any organic foods store. But..... If it turns into crying spells or he starts to spit up ALOT after every feeding, then I would call your pediatrician. Hopefully this helps!!

N.H.

answers from Dallas on

Hi C.,
Enfamil Gentlease works "great" for gas and fussiness. I know you said he's not colicky but that could be coming next. I think it hit my son around 8 weeks and lasted til about 10 weeks and that's because I switched him to the Gentlease and it really helped the colick and gas.
You shouldn't have to wait and ask your Pedi. Trying 1 can and seeing if it helps definitely isn't going to hurt him.
I've heard the Nutramigen is good for gas as well but it's alot more pricey. I would just try the Gentlease for now and see if it helps the little guy.
Good luck and congrats on your new baby.

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K.W.

answers from Dallas on

C.,
first of all congratulations on your new baby and making it thru the first 6 weeks. They are really tough on new parents.
Let me just tell you that all babies respond to gas and stools with crying, pulling up thier legs and even fists and generally acting like they are in severe pain. It is because they are learning to use the muscles to poop and don't understand the pressure of gas.
Gentlease is a great product, you can try.Also try swaddling with pressure on the tummy to help the gas and stools move thru without so much effort. Also remember colic is not caused by gas (although they all have gas) It is caused by an immature neurological system which means they don't have the skill to calm themselves effectively once they get upset, for about 3 months.
Try Dr Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block stuff.
I hope this helps, have a great time getting to know your little man.
K. @ The Nestingplace

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A.

answers from Dallas on

I just wanted to add that if you decide to change fromula, it might be easiest to transition slowly. Maybe for the first few bottles mix 1 oz of the new formula with 3 oz of the old (if he drinks 4 oz.) and then gradually change the ratio over the next several days. Sometimes changing formulas can be a little h*** o* their systems at first, so gradually may help him to adjust. Good luck with your new little one!! ~A.~

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V.M.

answers from Dallas on

Hi C.!

I would check with your pedi first. They might have some samples for you to use to find out what will work for your little one. We were told if you need to switch then you need to try it out for so many days to see the change just not with one or two bottles. Similac has a ton of options for all sorts of babies. Check out their website for more information. But check with your pedi first for samples.

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