After your little one is born the first typical pains they might experience is gas. Their little digestive systems are still developing and as it develops it can cause infants a lot of discomfort. Gas is very common and there are some things that you can do to keep your baby from having it at all. Also, if your newborn does have gas there are some things that you can do to ease the pain in their little immature tummy.
For babies like Conor, you should be able to tell if he has gas troubles. If he gets really upset and in the end passes some gas and noticeably feels better afterwards you know that’s the problem. His gas could start right after he’s born, or it could start just a few weeks after birth. Fortunately, for most babies this painful gas will stop when they reach 4-6 months. That’s about the time their little digestive systems are fully developed. Although, for some babies it can last longer. Conor could have gas for a few reasons. He could be swallowing air while he’s eating or he could have sensitivities to certain foods (if mom is breastfeeding) or to the formula. If Conor is being breastfed then his mom could make a note of what she is eating. If she notices him getting more fussy when she eats specific foods then she can cut it out of her diet to see if that helps.
Some signs and symptoms to look out for is if Conor cries for more than an hour on a daily basis. If he seems unhappy most of the time, he isn’t eating or sleeping well, gets red in the face when he cries or if he pulls his legs up to his chest and squirms a lot.
The best remedies for Conor’s gas is burping him multiple times during each feeding. Stop and give him a little pat on the back in the middle and at the end of each feeding. Try to control the air that Conor ingests by sitting him upright while breastfeeding and make sure he has a good latch. If you are feeding him from a bottle check to see if you are using an anti-gas nipple that helps control the amount of air that Conor ingests. Feed Conor before he gets fussy. If he is crying while he is trying to eat the more air he will ingest. You could try the colic carry by laying him on his tummy across your knees and gently rubbing his back. Gripe water or gas drops is another option (ask Conor’s pediatrician first though!). Try moving his legs in a bicycle motion, encourage tummy time and baby massage.
A lot of people think that gas and colic are the same thing, but it’s not. Colicky babies tend to have problems beyond an underdeveloped digestive system. You can tell if it’s colic if Conor is crying around the same time at least 3 times a week for at least 3 hours at a time. They typically have a hard time self-soothing and are normally inconsolable.
Gas is inevitable for some babies and all you can do is try whatever you can to help your little one get through it. Try your best to be patient and keep telling yourself that it will pass.
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