How to Combat Infant Gas Problem
Hearing your infant cry from gas pains can be like a knife in the heart to new mothers. We suffer along with our babies when they cry out in pain. Gas pain even can make a grown man double over in pain, so it is especially sad when our babies are enduring the discomfort. Fortunately, there are many methods you can use to calm your infant's tummy problems and prevent difficulties with gas.
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Instructions
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Identify the problem. Check for a wet or soiled diaper or discomfort from clothing. Your baby simply might be crying because it is cold, wet, hot, hungry or just needs some cuddling. Signs of gas pain are the baby drawing its knees up to the body or lying in a curled position trying in vain to soothe the pain.
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Burp your baby frequently while it is drinking from a bottle or breast-feeding. Some babies are more sensitive than others are to gas pain and need to be burped every few minutes.
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Change your baby's position. The football hold is effective in reducing gas pain. Hold your baby face down along your forearm, gently supporting its chin in your hand, with its legs hanging down at your elbow, this position puts light pressure on the abdominal area and might relief the gas pressure.
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Massage your baby gently in the stomach area and then a whole body massage. This will relax the baby and eventually help it to release the gas.
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Try over-the-counter medicines to relieve the gas symptoms such as simethicone. This should not be used as a crutch; the baby needs to be able to release the gas with help from mom and dad by burping the baby or after about 6 to 9 months of age on its own.
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Tips & Warnings
The baby does not need to be jostled or to indulge in active play after eating. A baby's system needs time to digest if it has recurrent problems with gas, so after feeding your baby have a quiet time for at least 20 minutes, according to the babiestoday.com website. You can cuddle the baby, read to it, listen to quiet, soothing music or sit it up in a reclining position so that it can just look around.
Cow's milk can cause gas in infants and should be avoided. If your baby has ongoing problems with gas, you should get advice from your physician. A physician will examine your baby for potential problems, or he may advise you to switch formulas.
