Gas Pain in 2 Month Old Infant

Updated on November 07, 2015
D.W. asks from Gardner, KS
30 answers

Ever since my 2 month old son was born he has had terrible gas and gas pain! I breastfeed and assumed the problem was with my milk so I asked a lactation consultant. She recommended that I cut out dairy - I did for a week, still didn't help. I have tried gas drops, gripe water and formula but still he has gas pain! When I say he has a lot of gas it is an understatement. He has trouble sleeping because of the pain and he will just twist and turn and cry until he farts! I have taken to holding him while he sleeps so that I can pat his back and try to work the gas out but I can tell that we are both just exhausted! I have an appt with our pediatrician later this month and I will make sure to ask him about it but in the meantime, do you guys have any ideas???

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for all the great advice!! The Pediatrician told me that he just has to grow out of it but in the mean time he has been sleeping better in his car seat or in his swing! For any other moms with this problem I found that working his gas out worke3d best for us. I fan his legs, straighten them out and then gently push them into his stomach or bicycle them! I also made 100% sure I get a burp after he eats and try to sit him up afterwards as well to help with digestion. Thanks again, and happy holidays!

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C.R.

answers from Tulsa on

Since the only food he's getting is formula or milk...it might be something medical...chronic gas, bloating and pain can be signs of an irritated bowel....

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T.C.

answers from Kansas City on

I had the same problem, you need to stop eating chocolate and anything spicy, no pop either. All of that stuff can affect the baby. I hope it works.

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J.W.

answers from Kansas City on

My baby's doctor prescribed baby Zantac. It really helped his pain (although he still spit up quite a bit). He stayed on the Zantac until he was almost 1 years old.

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S.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Hello, my son had the same problem, but not near as bad sounds like. Breastfeeding wasn't working very well for either one of us, so I put him on Enfimil Gentlease, which is made for babies with a lot of fussiness and gas. Since he transitioned over, he still once in a while has a little gas that causes him to squirm, but I think all babies do from time to time. However, ninety percent of the time he passes gas easily and many times in his sleep! Thanks to this wonderful formula, which is very easy on their digesive systems. Since your son is 2 monhts, you might consider trying the Gentlease if you havn't already. And keep in mind, you have to give it a good two weeks for them to fully adjust to the new milk. Good luck!
S.

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L.K.

answers from Springfield on

My oldest had problems with gas, too. I tried everything!! One thing that helped a little was to warm a towel in the dryer and put in on his belly. Also, he loved to be held on his belly. He was a large baby and my husband was better at this, but we would hold him with his face in our arm and his legs on each side of our elbow. Sort of like a football. Anything to put weight on his belly seemed to help. Good luck. Keep up with the breastfeeding! Gas or not, it is the best.

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K.B.

answers from Kansas City on

This subject has come up a lot lately,
Unfortunately I right now can't respond- 8mth old is on the go at 100mph!
Please go to the Mamasouce website do a search for this subject- you will be able to find my postings/responses & other to this same subject! Hope that helps- sorry that I can't respond better right now! I know how hard that is!!!
Best thing for my son was Soy formula...

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J.W.

answers from Tulsa on

Take a close look at everything you are eating and drinking. Onions, garlic, tomatoes, even some green veggies like the infamous broccoli can cause gas for your baby even if they're not bothering you anymore. And you might even need to lower your iron intake so that his will also lower. Add peppermint, chamomile, or ginger tea to your diet (all three if you'd like). All three are excellent digestive aids and their benefits can be passed on to him. Definitely ask your pediatrician - why don't you go ahead and call the office and ask? You don't have to wait until the appointment. Because he could have some issues that need addressing. You can also give him a diluted amount of chamomile tea through a bottle. My daughter had gas pains quite a lot too, and constipation. Though not as bad as it sounds like your son has. Also, after feeding, rub his tummy in a clockwise circle. That helps with the flow of digestion and will help to express gas before it gets to painful. Bicycling his legs is also a good idea, as is doing little spinal twists with him. Gently manipulate his legs and hips side to side while he's on his back. Keep the circulation going warmly and that should help quite a lot.

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M.J.

answers from Rockford on

In cutting out dairy, did you remember to take out all the hidden dairy? This can be very difficult as I had to do this with my oldest who is now 11. By the way, she did outgrow this dairy issue in a few months. Some ingredients to look for: Casein, caseinate, and whey. If you read crackers, cereals, etc. you will be surprised how offen "milk" is in a product. Cutting out dairy also includes a huge list of dry foods, not just those in your fridge.

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M.L.

answers from Rockford on

Hi
With my first son I could not eat any tomatoes when I breast fed him and when I took that out of my diet he completely changed.

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K.B.

answers from Wichita on

I'm sure you must feel a lot of frustration througout this. I was wondering if you have a La Leche League in your area. You may want to contact a leader and see if they could help you. Breastmilk is going to be the best, most gentle thing for him, so you'll want to stick with that. However, you may have a hindmilk/formilk imbalance and a LLL group/leader could help you work through this. OR He may be gasping in a lot of air during feeding. They will have lots of other ideas and support to give you!!! Good luck... Here's the link for LLL
http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html

K.

I just did some quick searching on llli.org and found this article... it seems to fit what you are describing. I hope you find it helpful:

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVSepOct95p71.html

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M.H.

answers from Tulsa on

GLYCERIN SUPPOSITORIES!! My ped told me to take a PEDIATRIC glycerin suppository and insert half way into my sons rectum and gently stimulate it in and out a couple of times. It totally would make all of this gas come out and he would have a bowl movement. Life Saver for me!! sounds gross, but works. I also switched to Enfamil Gentlease formula and would bicycle his legs. This worked out some gas as well. Serisously your baby would thank you for the relief the suppositories give if he could!

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T.B.

answers from St. Louis on

Try baking soda and water just a teaspoon leveled and 8oz of water it works grandma told me about it and I tried it and it really does work

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

My son was born with this problem and cried for five months. The Pediatrician simply told me it was something he would grow out of. You don't want to use drugs if you don't have to. I spoke to my family about the problem because I was exhausted, and my mother and sister told me to try something that was passed down to them through the years. They told me to place a centimeter of DARK KARO SYRUP in a bottle of formula, which I did three to four times per day for my son. (I.E. once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once before bed.) If his gas was really bad I fit one more in throughout the day. I was sooo happy that this worked for my son, and the bonus was that it gave me back some sanity! My son also slept in his carseat for the first five months because sitting up helped him push out gas. If your son doesn't want to sleep in the carseat, raise the head-end of his crib with crib risers so his head is a little higher than the rest of his body. By the way...Karo Syrup is an all natural product that can be found in the pancake syrup aisle at the grocery store. They sell light and Dark Karo Syrup and you only want the Dark Karo Syrup. I hope this helps! Take care.

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J.B.

answers from Topeka on

My son had to change formula becuase his gas was so bad as well. Nothing the Dr. could do would help. My sons Great Aunt babysat him once and she gave him an ounce of beer with 2 ounces of warm water. It was only a temporary fix so naturally I dont give my son beer! I was pretty mad that she had done that but it helped with his gas and it helped him rest peacefully for one night. What I usually do is lay him on his back and kick his feet like he's riding a bike. It kind of crunches their tummy and works out some of the gas. Try that if you havent already. And LOTS of tummy time will kind of force it out a little bit easier. I hope it helps!

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A.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Breastmilk is going to be way easier on him than any formula, so I wouldn't switch him. In order to be sure it isn't dairy that is causing the problem, you need to cut it out for 2-3 weeks, at least. Annoying, I know, but it's a start. And burp him every few minutes while feeding.

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A.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I work at a daycare center and I have noticed and witnessed a little girl who had colic and some pretty bad gas herself and we started using the PLAYTEX VENTAIR bottle and burping her every two ounces along with the gas drops she has to still burp a lot but it worked out pretty well she has calmed down signficantly hope that works

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A.H.

answers from Springfield on

I'll suggest babies magic tea to soothe babies from the very first day of their birth. The tea is organic and free of alcohol and preservatives.

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S.F.

answers from Kansas City on

Both of my boys had that problem. I use Similac Isomil Soy for my little one right now. I tried Lacto Free and it still didn't help. Soy just seemed to be the best but ofcourse all children are different. Best of luck finding what you need.

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K.F.

answers from St. Louis on

I had similar problems with both of my daughters (now 5 and 18 months). Both were breastfed with supplements. My older daughter did have a milk protein allergy, and the first 6 weeks of her life were hellish until we found the solution and got her settled. I had to eliminate all dairy from my diet (although the "hidden" forms, as mentioned before, were not a problem for us). My daughter's supplement became the Enfamil Gentlease Lipil (partially broken-down proteins), and when she was ready to transition to milk, we chose to go the rice route instead of soy. (FYI, I couldn't stand Rice Dream myself, it was like watered-down milk; instead we used the WestSoy brand - even with the brand name, they do have a rice milk - many more added nutrients and a much richer flavor.) Incidentally, this daughter outgrew the allergy by age 2 and transitioned beautifully to regular milk.

Daughter #2 was a big spitter (she wore a bib constantly the first 8 months of her life!) and was always cranky and gassy. We tried burping her frequently, and her pediatrician put her on prevacid. However, even with the prevacid, she was always still gassy. Long story short, my allergist recommended eliminating lactose - while lactose problems are less common in children so young, it absolutely WAS the problem for this daughter. She now drinks Dairy Ease or Lactaid, and her supplement formula was Enfamil Lacto-Free Lipil. We had great success with both, and she can even tolerate some yogurt and cheese now.

Hang in there! I remember how exhausted/frustrated I was, and sad that I couldn't make my baby's pain go away. You WILL find the right solution, but unfortunately with gassy problems, it does take a little time. Good luck to you!

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J.J.

answers from Rockford on

I know you're nursing, but Similac Sensitive worked for me. My doughter had the gas problems too becuase she was lactose intolerant. Similac Sensitive is milk based but lactose free. Worked great for her!!!

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A.M.

answers from Lawton on

When you took eliminated dairy, did you do the hidden forms of dairy too? Casein, for example, is from dairy and it's in lots of bread. Dairy also takes at least two weeks to leave your system. There's a list here: http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/nutrition/dairy.asp

My other guess would be reflux that's causing the gas.

Don't give up! :)

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B.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Contrary to popular belief, breastmilk isn't always the best. My daughter was allergic to mine...Soy saved our lives. And no, I wasn't doing any dairy...I'm lactose intolerant and come to find out, so is she.

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L.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Have you talked with someone from the Le Leache League? They helped me alot... my daughter also had lots of gas a mother of 8 once told me she'd never seen a child have so much gas. She screamed & cried for over 4 months before I got help from the LLL the Dr's really were no help however did acknowledge she was in pain. She was sent to childrens hospital for tests etc. What helped her was removing wheat & glueten from my diet. The LLL has a book that gives items in your diet that could affect your baby. I started with wheat & it took care of her problem for your baby it could be something else there are several common items corn I remember is another, tomatoe products etc.... I did the same thing you did with the dairy & the Dr said there was nothing else to cause the problem in my diet. Dr's do NOT know it all. Please contact your LLL they will help you and they were the best help I had and would recomend that route to anyone anyday once medical help hasn't helped!

L.

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M.R.

answers from Charlottesville on

When you say you've tried formula, did you try soy formula? That was the problem with both of mine. My ped said that 20% of all babies have a hard time digesting the protein in cow's milk, which can also mean they have a hard time digesting the protein in breastmilk. I would give soy formula a try, but make sure you pump that way you don't lose your supply. In most cases, this is a phase that he will grow out of, as with my children. Now they both drink and love milk without any problems. Good luck!

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S.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi. I know that you cut out dairy, but it sounds like your diet has too much acid in it and that's what's upsetting your little one. Try eating only alkaline foods, including carrot juice. (Do a search for alkaline foods for a full list.) Try eating only alkaline foods for at least a week. It made all the difference with my daughter. Good luck!

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A.Y.

answers from Kansas City on

I had the same type of problem with my daughter... she was breastfed, and I eliminated dairy and sugar, but she still had painful gas and pooping. I'm a chiropractor, and I adjusted her, which helped a little, but the only thing that REALLY helped was craniosacral therapy. My craniosacral therapist is Nancy Lankston (www.heartofhealing.com). My daughter has had four treatments since she was born 9 1/2 months ago (only one was for the gas problem, the other 3 were for other issues), and she has not had gas problems since.

Anything else I would suggest, it sounds like you've already done (gripe water, homeopathics, etc).

Good luck... I hope your son gets some relief.

Yours in health,
Dr. Alyssa

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A.H.

answers from Springfield on

D.-
Hello :-) My nephew had a problem like this when he was born. My sister also breastfed (as did I) and she was also told to cut down on the dairy. That worked for her, but she also had to cut back on other foods. Her older son had a problem with acidic foods that his momma ate. Tomatoes, orange juice and the like. Her younger son is having the same problem and so she is going through this for a second time. I really hope that you get some great responses (I'm sure you will, I LOVE the women on this site) and that at least one of them will work for your little man. Hope this helps at least somewhat! A.

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G.N.

answers from St. Louis on

You can try giving him a warm bath. Are you eating anything that is spicy that may effect him? drinking coffee? Making sure you are getting enough fluids, drink lots of water. You can always try giving him water in a bottle (and yes its ok to give your baby water) I gave mine water and he was breastfed. Is he having normal bowel movements?

G.

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E.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I have a 7 week old son and he had some serious gas problems as well. I started keeping him in a sitting/upright position after feedings and gave him about an ounce of weak chamomile tea with a little bit of sugar in it before bed. The tea was my mom's idea and worked wonders for us. It's worth a try before dissecting your diet and I would switch to formula as a last resort. Good luck!

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L.M.

answers from Tulsa on

I had the same problem with my son when he was first born. I also breastfed and was told to go off dairy. That didn't help him either..then our pediatrician thought he might have stomach/digestive issues...said it was normal in the first few months of life in some babies. He asked us to switch him to enfimil nutramagen (about $25.00 a can - can get a free sample from doc in the beginning to see if works)...we put him of that for about five months and the problems went away. If Nurtramagen doesn't work there is a prescription formula available too.

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