By Hannah Schenker
As adults, we know how uncomfortable it can get if you have wind trapped in your digestive system. Babies are no different, in fact, as they are still so new to this whole digesting thing, they can get super uncomfortable and in pain if they can’t pass that gas. A gassy baby is not a happy and relaxed baby. But you can help them with a simple technique.
According to Parents, it takes time for a baby’s digestive system to adjust to drinking milk. Their large intestines are working really hard to process all the goodies from your milk into fuel for their growth and development. They also get a lot of trapped wind from swallowing air through feeding and crying and also in the digestive process, with some caused by sensitivity to the foods YOU are eating! (Usual culprits are fibrous veges like broccoli and beans). There may be other causes for trapped wind in your baby, so be sure to read up on all the possibilities or see your Doctor if you are concerned.
You can take preventative actions that may help, such as feeding them before they begin crying for food (and therefore will gulp down that milk super quickly as they are hungry); managing your milk flow so that if it’s coming down fast, maybe unlatch your baby until the flow slows a bit; and burping halfway through at a natural pause in feeding.
Sometimes a gentle massage of the belly will help (not directly after feeding), moving in a circular clockwise motion following the digestive tract, though if your baby is feeling particularly tender then perhaps that will cause pain. You can also try the “gas hold” or “colic hold”, by holding your baby firmly over your arm, facedown (you might have seen that here in Raising Ziggy’s post).
But there is one more thing you can try:
Lie baby on their back. Hold their feet and windmill their legs for a bit, making sure to straighten their legs right out too, then press their legs up into their body until you meet resistance. Hopefully you will hear a nice little parp, so you know you’re on the right track. Carry on until no more gas seems to be passed and say hi to your happy little baby.
Did this work for your baby? If not, what have you found to be the best reliever of trapped wind in your baby? Leave us a comment below…
