Reducing Gassiness in Babiesby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 15 Apr 2009 04:00 AM Little babies (and big ones, too) often have a lot of gas in their systems. While many will happily pass gas anywhere at all, much to the embarrassment of a mom or a dad out in public, gas can also cause a lot of discomfort for the baby. Reducing the amount of gas that gets in to your baby's system or produced by it can really help a fussy baby feel better. Here are some ways to reduce gassiness in your baby. Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed, make sure that the baby is positioned correctly when feeding. This means that a breastfeeding baby's lips should form a good seal at the back of the areola of the breast (the dark part). for bottle fed babies, make sure that the lips avoid just the tip of the nipple and instead are positioned on the wide base. If you are breastfeeding, there are some foods that you are eating that may produce more gas than others. For my babies it was always cow's milk. Other culprits include chocolate, coffee, soda with caffeine, peanuts, garlic, broccoli, onions, green peppers, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels spouts. If you are formula feeding, use collapsable liners or formula bags to reduce the amount of air getting in to your baby. You can also tip the bottle at a fourty-five degree angle. This will allow air to go to the bottom of the bottle and away from your baby's mouth. Keeping your baby upright during and immediately after a feeding seems to also help with gas. if you baby falls asleep after feeding, try propping him or her up in a bouncy seat or car seat for the nap. Aim for at least 30 minutes of upright time after a feeding. Finally, you can try altering the feedings in order to eliminate a lot of gas. Small, more frequent feedings will produce less gas than will marathon feeding sessions, and this is easier on your baby's digestive system. of course, more frequent feedings can mean more work for you. Don't let your baby cry it out. While I think this is important for other reasons, you should know that extensive crying can produce gas. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right. Related Articles: Even More Ways to Get a Toddler to Eat Foods to Build Your Child's Immunity Early Solid Food Causes Allergies? Maybe, Maybe Not Loving Less Expensive (and Junky) Food The Real Mom's Guide to Feeding Your Baby Solids: The Quirks Rocking and Bouncing Can Affect Your Baby's Music Preference You Tube: How to Swaddle Your Baby What the Average 12-Month-Old Should be Doing Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantbaby tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags babies, bottle feeding, colic, gassy, gassiness Discuss this article
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