Getting Rid of Baby Gas

When my little sister was just a baby, she had colic. I remember it well because I was 12 and got the wonderful job of spelling my mother off on long nights! That kid could scream. We tried everything from rocking to pedaling her little legs. Nothing worked. She screamed. And screamed. And screamed some more.

Finally, Mom remembered a bottle of gripe water. This little bottle had come in a basket from the Welcome Wagon when they heard about the arrival of the new little one, but since she had never used gripe water before, Mom put it away and forgot about it.

That little bottle was a miracle in disguise. The ingredients were all natural, smelling of licorice (which I've since learned was from the anise seed) and slightly sweet. A few drops of that stuff turned a writhing, screeching infant into a calm, cooing baby girl who smiled and giggled at us.

My mother ran out and bought three more bottles, just in case.

So, if you have baby gas problems that just aren't going away, you ought to try gripe water. It really does help. (it's also good for teething problems, but that's another blog!)

Often, if a baby doesn`t burp up that air, it turns into bubbles of gas that travel through his little intestines, causing discomfort that can`t be alleviated by simply burping.

There are a few methods of moving the baby gas along and getting it to come out and ease the pain.

Massage is a good way to go, rub your baby`s belly gently with a circular motion. Running your hand gently down toward the pelvic region can also help relieve pain caused by baby gas.

Another way to get rid of baby gas in the intestines is to lay the infant on her back and take hold of both lower legs, then move them in a jogging movement. This helps to stimulate the movement and you`ll hear little farts pretty soon!

Encourage your little one to keep his bottom in the air . . . gas is light and tends to move toward the upper regions, so this can help get rid of gas.

Looking for some original ideas on how to burp your baby and get the gas out? Here´s a list I have put together:

Classics

The Shoulder Pat: Just like it sounds, put the baby with his head on your shoulder and pat. Very basic.

The Arm Burp: Hold the baby on one arm, with her head at your elbow, your hand between her legs and use the other hand to pat firmly.

The Lap Pat: Sit the baby in your lap, facing to one side and pat him on the back.

Semi-Advanced

The Knee Bounce: Sit your baby on your knee and bounce her up and down. Not too roughly, but with a little jar in each bounce to help bump that baby gas out.

The Lap Tap: Lay your little one face down on your lap and pat his back firmly. Watch out for spit up with this one!

Advanced

The Jiggle: Put the baby up on your shoulder, the same as for the Shoulder Pat. Then walk around the room, bouncing slightly on each step. This is good for burp-resistant babies!

What is baby gas? It`s basically just air that gets into that little tummy and the baby has a hard time getting back out. Often, the baby`s bottle can be the cause of this air getting in.

When babies gulp air along with their milk, they end up with gas. Certain bottle types are more likely than others to cause this problem, namely those that have straight, hard sides. If not held at just the right angle (usually rather difficult to do without wrist fatigue), air gathers in the nipple where the hungry infant sucks it down.

Instead, look for bottles that have flow control and a chamber where the milk is held before being released, angled bottles and those with plastic liners to help reduce the amount of air that your baby swallows.