Gas is a very common problem that nearly every mother faces with babies and infants. The biggest problem is that babies cannot speak and tell you that they have a case of gas but symptoms like unwillingness to eat, crying and whining, flatulence, cramping and hardening of the stomach or liquid stools are indications that the baby has problems with gas pain and digestive system.
When your baby starts crying at a set and specific time every day, this is a sign that the baby has colic. Crying in this case starts very suddenly and just when the crying episode is about to end, the baby passes out gas and gets relieved of the pain. You can gently massage to your baby’s stomach to soothe the pain that is caused due to the formation of gas and the inability of getting rid of it. You could also prepare some herbal tea and make your baby have it slowly during the day to avoid the formation of gas. Burps are also an effective way to control the formation of gas. You should make it a habit to burp your baby before the meal, during the meal, and even after the meal. Babies tend to swallow air uncontrollably when they eat and inducing burping is necessary to eliminate any swallowed air in the babies digestive system.
You can also consider giving your baby a hot bath or alternatively use a hot water bottle to warm the stomach and abdominal area of your baby. The warmth that this provides to the stomach helps relax the intestines and this tends to make the baby pass gas and get relieved of the pain and discomfort. In case the gas problems prevail for more than 2-3 days, consult a doctor, as the crying and pain could also be because of another reason. In addition to breast milk, you should try giving gripe water to your baby as it aids the process of digestion and prevents the formation of gas. Babies’ feeding bottles and feeding nipples are available in various shapes and sizes. You need to try various combinations to narrow down on the one that best suits your baby. Babies tend to swallow in air while they drink milk from bottles. The right fit of bottle and nipple reduces the air intake; thereby, reducing gas problems. While feeding your baby, make sure the baby is at a 45 degree angle.