How to Help a Gassy Baby: 7 Ways to Provide Relief

As any parent will tell you, there are 18 million reasons why a baby has difficulty sleeping. Everything from room temperature, to baby gas, to lighting/noise, to being overtired and undertired, to a full moon, one can drive oneself crazy trying to get to the bottom of it. And although there is truth to this, it doesn’t have to be that way!

Having a sleep consultant in your corner can help you figure out exactly what your baby needs in order to get great sleep. One of the things that I find is often the culprit to bad sleep in babies having difficulty sleeping is tummy troubles. It can be incredibly heartbreaking when your little one is experiencing pain. And unfortunately, due to babies having a very new and developing digestive system, gassiness is very common. 

But there are things you can do to cure, soothe, and relieve a gassy baby; you don’t have to suffer alone or in silence! I have many tried and true ways for you to get those burps and baby toots out of your little one, and have them (and you!) back to sleeping soundly.  

Here’s are 7 effective ways to help a gassy baby, fast!

1. Proper breastfeeding positions
2. Use the Correct Bottle for Gas & Reflux
3. Release the burps
4. Release the toots
5. Check for tongue and lip tie
6. Reevaluate your diet
7. Rule out reflux

1. Breastfeeding Position for Gassy Baby

It’s totally normal for babies to swallow air when they are feeding, however, for some babies, that air gets trapped and becomes more difficult for them to pass. Making sure your baby’s head is higher than their tummy when you are feeding them, can make a big difference.

There are fancy nursing pillows you can buy that position baby on an incline such as this one, or you can just rearrange regular pillows to get the position you want. If reflux is a potential problem (more on this later), you can hold your baby upright after their feed. This gives your baby some time to digest their food so that it doesn’t come right back up due to their underdeveloped esophageal sphincter. 

2. Use the Correct Bottle for Gas & Reflux 

There are just as many different bottles on the market, as there are reasons why your baby isn’t sleeping. It can be super annoying and overwhelming trying to figure out which bottle is the “best” one.

What I can tell you is that it’s worth it to get a bottle that is designed to reduce gas, (for example Dr. Brown’s Bottles) and use the correct flow of nipple for your baby, so they are not sucking in extra air.

Usually, erring on the side of a “slow flow” nipple is best here. 

3. Release the Burps 

Unless you have been living under a rock your whole life, you are aware that burping your baby means helping them get gas out of their belly by patting them on the back. However, you didn’t open this blog for your obvious run-of-the-mill advice. And I don’t disappoint.

I have several, what some may even call ‘magical’ burping positions that hit the spot like that glass of wine on a Friday night.

Here are some quick ideas for helping a gassy baby release burps:

• Try sitting with your legs bent and having your baby lying on their belly with their legs tucked underneath them, facing away from you, on your thighs. Rock your legs back and forth while patting them on their back.
• If this isn’t doing the trick, try sitting your baby upright, and gently pressing on their back while supporting their jaw/chin so that their trunk is straight and upright. Hold this for 30 seconds and let the magic (read: burp) happen. 

Also, check out this video below to see how I burp a gassy baby!

4. Release the Toots with Baby Bicycle Kicks

You may have heard of doing bicycle kicks with your baby, to help them pass gas. I can attest that it truly does work.

I find that adding a little wiggle in, as you move your baby’s legs in a “peddling a bike” motion, can really help. Make sure you are bending both legs and bringing them right up to their stomach.

You can also try bending their legs and moving them in a circular motion.  It’s amazing how such simple but purposeful movements can be so effective. If you have ever actually passed gas felt like you are going to pass gas when contorted in some serious yoga positions, then you know what I’m talking about. 

5. Check for Tongue and Lip Tie

Some babies have a tongue or a lip tie, and these can often go undiagnosed for more time than any of us would like.

Essentially, both of these “ties” can cause latch difficulty, which in turn causes baby to take in more air when feeding than usual. The great news is that this is often a quick and easy fix.

If you suspect a tongue/lip tie or your little one still has gas after trying several different solutions, I highly recommend going to see a specialist. 

6. Reevaluate Your Diet  – Sometimes a Cause of Newborn Gas

If you are breastfeeding, then what you eat could be affecting your little one. Dairy is the most common food intolerance that your baby may be reacting to, however it could essentially be any food.

The most common ones are the top allergens (dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, corn or food that other family members are allergic to) so you would likely want to start there. It’s not the easiest or most enjoyable experiment, as you will want to remove one thing at a time (be super strict about it) and wait a few weeks to see if there is any improvement. (Which is why this one is #6 and not #1). 

7. Reflux 

Spitting up is totally normal and common for babies as their lower esophageal sphincter is not yet fully developed, which means it is not doing a great job at keeping the contents of your baby’s stomach, in their stomach. For some babies this is a non-issue, but for others it is very painful.

For reflux, things like holding upright after a feed, looking at food intolerances, and homeopathic remedies can all potentially help. You can also talk to your doctor about exploring the option of medication.

My opinion is that we definitely do not want to be over-medicating our children, however if our babies are in pain and medication will help, then I am all for it. The great thing about reflux medication is that if reflux is really the problem, then medication will work right away. If you try it, and after a few days there are no improvements, then reflux is not the issue.

Trust your mom-gut and make sure you have a pediatrician that makes you feel seen and heard. 

Recap of Soothing a Gassy Baby

As always, if your baby is appearing to be in pain, I encourage you to speak to your pediatrician or seek out a specialist, as I am not a doctor. It is SO hard to see our little ones in a pain, and the sooner you can get to the root of the problem, the sooner everyone will be happy and getting a good night’s sleep.

Here’s a quick recap of 7 ways to help relieve a gassy baby:

1. Proper breastfeeding positions
2. Use the Correct Bottle for Gas & Reflux
3. Release the burps
4. Release the toots
5. Check for tongue and lip tie
6. Reevaluate your diet
7. Rule out reflux

For ALL my tips and tricks for working through gas, reflux and tummy troubles, check out my newborn packages and/or my 4-24 month packages.

These in-depth courses and guides help you optimize baby’s sleep, lenghten naps, and avoid early morning wakings! And giving your little one the gift of sleep is one of the most beneficial things you can ever do for them.

Good sleep helps your baby develop physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially.

Check out the newborn offerings here, and for babies 4-24 months head here!

xoxo,

Chrrisy

Happy Sleeping!