What I eat causes my baby gases?

For a long time, it has been said that some foods a mom eats can give gases to her baby. However, there is not enough evidence to prove that this is entirely true.

Not because a food causes you gases, it means your baby will have them too. This is because not all foods manifest in breast milk. Therefore, there’s no list of foods that you shouldn’t eat while you breastfeed. It is important to understand that each baby is different and that you have to figure out which foods may affect your little one so you can avoid them. Maybe what affects one child doesn’t necessarily affect yours.

An easy way to identify what’s affecting your baby is by paying attention to the correlation between their gases and what you ate. If you note a pattern, then try to avoid those foods. However, that doesn’t mean you have to drastically diminish the variety in your diet. Just remember that it’s important to be attuned with your baby and watch carefully what may be causing the gases.

On the other side, your diet isn’t necessarily the cause of your baby’s gases. Since their digestive system is still young and maturing, there may be different causes for your baby’s discomfort.

The most common causes of gases are:

• Ingesting large amounts of milk in a short period of time: Gases occur because your little one’s digestive system is still developing.
• Air swallowing: Swallowing a lot of air can cause gases in babies. A common example is when they cry. When your little one cries, they swallow a lot of air and that can cause them to have gases.
• Constipation: This is not very common in young babies, but in children that are already eating solids. Babies that are formula-fed usually poop daily, but they can go 1 or 2 days without dirtying a diaper. On breastfed babies, it depends on their age and can go several days or even a week without having any evacuations. If you’re worried that your little one is constipated talk to your doctor.
• Sensitivity to foods ingested by the mother: Your baby may be sensitive to something you ate. When this happens, you may notice these symptoms: vomit, colics, diarrhea, a rash, runny nose, and/or prolonged constipation.
• Anything babies eat: Anything that your baby may be eating, other than breast milk, might be the cause of the gases. This includes vitamins, formula, tea, solid foods, juice, etc.

If you notice that your baby is gassy, you can try different things to help them release the gas. For example, lay them down, take their legs, and move them in a cycling motion. You can also massage their abdomen or lay them on their tummy.

Gases can be uncomfortable for you and your baby but remember that they are still getting used to this world and it will take some time for them to adapt to living outside the womb. Since the gases can be a result of their immature digestive system, give them time for the gas to diminish naturally.

References:

• Breaking up gas
• My baby is gassy. Is this caused by something in my diet?
• What’s causing gas in my breastfed baby?