What makes breastfed babies gassy

Nemours Foundation. Breastfeeding FAQs: Your eating and drinking habits. Your guide to breastfeeding. Maternal nutrition and breastfeeding. Join now to personalize. Photo credit: Katie Rain for BabyCenter. Your breastfed baby or bottle-fed infant, for that matter will have gas regardless of what he's fed. Gas is simply a part of how the digestive process works, and everyone — babies, children, and adults — has it.

Babies are simply less polite about it than older people and tend to act as though it's no big deal. For the most part, when your baby passes gas it isn't something to be concerned about. And it doesn't mean you ate something you shouldn't have eaten. If your baby has excessive gas or is very uncomfortable with it, though, you might want to look at your diet or at the way you're nursing him. Chances are you can eat what you want when you want, without upsetting your baby's tummy.

Breastfeeding Awareness Month: How we support new mothers on their breastfeeding journey. Recent Comments. What's causing gas in my breastfed baby? What can I do to help my baby with gas?

Burp him throughout the feedings to help get rid of the gas. Try not to let your baby overfeed or feed too quickly. Keep track of when your baby is gassy and look back at your diet. Even if you pin the problems on a particular food, most babies are only temporarily intolerant of certain colic-causing foods. Therefore allowing you to eventually reintroduce your favorite foods.

Some babies are sensitive to drops or crumbs of an offending nutrient, others are only bothered by larger quantities.

Wheat products and citrus foods are examples of this. Too much may bother the baby, but a small amount may be tolerated. If you find yourself eating fewer foods, yet your baby is fussing more, consult a lactation consultant to be sure your breastfeeding technique is not the problem. You may also want to consider consulting with a nutritionist to be sure you are consuming a balanced diet. See our Fussy Baby Book Little, Brown, for tips on eliminating colic-causing foods and on comforting and coping with unhappy babies.

Often these intolerant babies also have serious problems with some or all formulas. For most breastfeeding pairs, what a mother eats does not upset her baby.

Sears, or Dr. Henry August 11, Save Pin FB More. Credit: Shannon Greer. Comments 7. Sort by: Newest. Newest Oldest. Read More. My one month old son has similar problems. Load More Comments. Close this dialog window Add a comment. Add your comment Cancel Submit. Close this dialog window Review for. Back to story Comment on this project. Tell us what you think