As a parent, it’s normal to worry about all the little things our babies endure – and I do mean all the little things. So, when something unpleasant, such as farting, becomes a regular occurrence, we can’t help but have questions.
The first question I has was, is my baby farting too much? And I’ll give you the same answer that I was told. Unless your baby is farting so much that you are concerned for their health, chances are they are okay. Babies are just gassy.
But you’re a concerned parent, and you want to know for sure that your baby doesn’t have any health issues. Trust me, I get that.
So, your next question might be why is my baby so gassy? For this, the answer is not as simple. Just like adults, there are many things that could cause a baby to be gassy. Here are the most common reasons:
Gaining Weight
Babies gain weight crazy fast; I’m talking five to seven ounces a week. On average, that works out to about five percent of their body weight. Now imagine gaining five percent of your own body weight a week.
Do you realize just how much food you would have to eat to do that? A lot. So it’s really not surprising that babies are gassy.
Overeating
I was often told that “breastfed babies can’t overeat” or that they just “won’t overeat themselves.” But let me make something clear… ANY baby can overeat. And chances are, at least at some point, most babies will.
When babies overeat, it affects their body’s gastrocolic reflex. This disturbs the baby’s digestive system and upsets their stomach – regardless of what they eat.
Overeating can also disrupt the body’s supply of essential digestive enzymes, which help break down food, proteins, starch, and fat. When the baby’s body stops processing nutrients and eliminating waste, is starts to form gas.
So, sometimes babies are gassy because they are just too full. This can be confusing for both yourself and baby. Often times when babies are gassy, they seem to want to eat more – but instead pop on and off the nipple and cry.
Why do they do this? Because they want to suck, but don’t necessarily want milk. What they’re looking for is non-nutritive sucking, which is usually a part of breastfeeding. However, for mothers who produce a lot of breast milk, their babies just might not have the chance.
Immature Digestive System
A newborn’s digestive system is immature, making it hard for them to digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. Unfortunately for us, all of those things are found in both our breast milk and any formula.
But that’s not all… The newborns muscles that are used in its digestive tract will have yet to develop a rhythm to properly move the food through its system. Because of this, food passes through the digestive tract too quickly.
So what does all of that mean? Simply put, their bodys can’t break down the food properly, which causes gas to get trapped in the intestines. But know that it’s just their body’s way of digesting their food, and farting is a normal and healthy part of their eating process.
As baby grows and matures, so does their digestive system. So feel free to look forward to days without a gassy baby, because they will come.
Bacterial Imbalance
Babies are born with a clean gut. Sure, that may sound nice, but it means that they don’t have any probiotics (beneficial bacterial flora).
For those of you that don’t know what probiotics are (I sure didn’t before researching to write this), they are basically the good bacteria that prevents bad bacteria, supplements digestive enzymes, and helps process the nutrients in their food.
This lack of probiotics means that they are unable to properly digest breast milk or formula. As you’ve probably already figured out, this leads to the formation of extra gas, which obviously causes them to fart.
Luckily for everyone, babies pick up this good bacteria through their food sources – whether it be breast milk, formula, or solids later on. What they’re fed will eventually give them the amount of probiotics necessary to aid in digestion and reduce excess gas.
Antibiotics
You or your baby may have to use antibiotics at some point in time to treat or prevent suffering from an infection. Although we can’t deny the benefits, like any medication, antibiotics come with side effects.
Antibiotics often destroy the beneficial microflora found in our baby’s’ intestines. When they lack these beneficial microflora, the results can range from baby being unsettled, to excess gas, to diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Regardless of which one of you is taking the antibiotics, it is important that you continue to breastfeed. Your breast milk contains probiotics and tons of other nutrients – all of which will help your little one’s gut heal and re-establish a healthy balance of gut flora.
Incorrect Breastfeeding Positions
A good latch can make all the difference. If your baby is latched poorly, they may end up swallowing a lot of excess air. That air could then go on to form bubbles in baby’s intestines, in which case there’s really only one way out… Yup, that little bum of theirs.
As you probably already know, you should be allowing your baby to continue eating during the let down. Nonetheless, this fast flow of milk causes babies to gulp quicker, which means they’re likely to swallow more air.
Gassy Mom, Gassy Baby
We know that if your baby is breastfed, whatever you eat, your baby gets small traces of. That means nutrients, vitamins, and probiotics. So it makes sense that you eating gas-producing foods would cause your baby to have lots of gas too.
Or, put simply, gassy mom = gassy baby.
Apparently this rule has yet to be proven medically – however, I’m positive that if you ask any breastfeeding mother, they will confirm.
That being said, as long as you are eating healthy, there’s probably no reason you would have to change your diet. Provided, of course, your baby is continuing to gain weight at a healthy pace.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that food elimination isn’t necessary sometimes. In fact, mothers cutting certain foods out of their diets can be exactly what some babies need.
I just feel like diet changes are pushed on too many moms, especially during an already exhausting time. And to be frank, the list of gas-producing food is damn near endless, meaning that if a mom were to use is as a guideline, there would be more food that she couldn’t eat than foods that she could.
Nonetheless, if you are worried that what you’re eating is to blame, or your babe is especially uncomfortable due to gas, there are a few foods you should try to avoid.
Dairy products, citrusy foods, and caffeinated drinks are all said to cause both adults and babies to be gassy. (There’s also a crazy long list of foods that are said to make farts stink worse – but a farts a fart so I’m not even gonna bother with those)
Bottle Feeding
Bottle feeding has been determined to be a cause of gas in infants – and no, I’m not blaming the formula.
Many parents are quick to assume that it’s the food causing their baby to be gassy and rush to find a new formula. Often times, that is simply not necessary, as farting only means that baby is passing the gas that is in their tummy, which is a good thing.
That’s not to say that the type of formula you’re using is definitely not the culprit.. It’s just to say that there are a few other things you should try before throwing the formula you have now in the garbage.
If you feed baby through a bottle, it means that milk is coming out faster. So, while trying to keep up with the flow of milk, babies will often take in and swallow extra air.
If you’re breastfeeding, you don’t have to worry about the size of your nipple – mostly because you don’t really have a choice. When you’re bottle feeding, however, it’s much more important that you find a nipple that you baby is able to latch to properly. If the nipple is not the correct size, it will cause baby to swallow excess air.
Honestly, if your baby is having issues due to one of these things, it just comes down to playing Goldie Locks. Finding a nipple flow that is not too fast and not too slow. Finding a nipple size that is not too big and not too small. And finding a formula that is juuust right.
Lactose Intolerance / Transient Lactase Deficiency (TLD)
Here’s a statistic that was very surprising to me: studies have suggested that up to five percent of babies have some form of milk protein allergy.
That being said, any baby may react negatively to milk protein. Unlike our adult bodies, sometimes baby’s bodies are unable to produce the enough lactase to break down the small sugars in milk. This unbroken lactose travels through the tract to the large intestine where it ferments and is converted into gas. It is this underproduction of lactase is what causes babies to develop lactose intolerance.
But don’t let that worry you too much. Although for some babies lactose intolerance remains a lifelong problem, for most, it’s just a temporary condition that will eventually come to an end.
Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER)
The medical term for a baby spitting up after their feed is Gastroesophageal Reflux. GER affects nearly 70% of infants, breast-fed and bottle-fed babies alike.
A baby with GER will have stomach contents such as air, saliva, and stomach acid go back up through the esophagus. Sometimes it will also come out of their mouth, and they will vomit.
GER tends to peak at 4 months of age. Not to worry, babies gradually outgrow this condition during their 6-12 month period, as they begin eating solid foods in an upright position, and learn how to crawl.
Should I Be Concerned?
If your baby farts a lot, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are unwell. Often times, it just means that they’re gassy. Nonetheless, it is important that you know what to look for, in the case that it is something more.
As a rule, observe the way your baby acts. Their behavior will be a key indicator if something is off or if they don’t feel well.
If your baby is typically happy but fusses or cries a little only when they fart, this is normal and nothing to worry about. As such, you can ignore – or laugh at – the weird faces they make while passing gas. And same goes for if their face gets a little red while passing gas. I mean, who could blame them for not enjoying the experience?
However, if you notice that your baby is especially uncomfortable or cries incessantly while farting, and is difficult to comfort afterwards, they could be suffering from excessive gas.
If there is indeed excess air trapped in their stomach, here are a few signs that may appear:
- Fussing
- Bloated tummy
- Burping more than usual
- Excessive farting
- Hard tummy
- Tummy cramps (cries when you press on their tummy)
All of these are indicators of excessive gas, but chances are, there is still no need to worry. As your baby grows, their digestive system will grow stronger and mature, and they will have less gassy episodes. Meanwhile, you can try some at-home remedies to ease the gas out of baby’s body.
If babe’s gassiness is accompanied by more severe signs, such as:
- Incessant crying
- Less frequent solid diapers
- Fever
then there may be a reason for concern, and you should have your baby evaluated by a pediatrician. These signs don’t mean that there is definitely something wrong – but it’s always best to rule out the possibility of health-related issues.