What Foods Make Breastfed Babies Gassy

If you’re wondering what foods make breastfed babies gassy, it’s essential to consider that if your breastfed infant is fussy or wriggly after feeding, they may be experiencing gas due to a component of your diet. Here are some meals that may cause gas in your child and affect their comfort during feeding.

Breastfed infants enjoy numerous benefits from nursing, including all the nutrition they require during the first few months of life, potent antibodies to combat disease, and a comforting attachment with their breastfeeding mother or father. However, they may also receive something less advantageous: gas.

Breastfed infants may have gas if they eat too quickly or swallow too much air during feeding, but your food may also play a role. Jennifer Shu, M.D., a pediatrician based in Atlanta, explains, “It’s plausible that some of the gas-inducing items that mom consumes could potentially impact her child.”

Within two hours following the last feeding, your infant may experience symptoms if your breast milk is “gassier” than usual. Baby gas symptoms include fussiness, difficulty sleeping or eating, wriggling, and drawing their legs up to their chest, especially when crying. They may also appear swollen or have a firm abdomen. Of course, burping and passing gas are further signs that your baby has the issue.

Here are some foods that may provide you and your infant with a bit of additional air. We also provide advice for alleviating the pain.

Foods That May Cause Flatulence in Breastfed Infants

Certain foods may irritate the developing digestive system of a breastfed infant, despite the fact that most foods are unlikely to cause gastrointestinal problems in the ordinary breastfed infant. So how can you determine which foods in your diet cause gas? As it turns out, not everything is simple.

According to Dr. Shu, it may take up to two or three days for food to be totally eliminated from the body. “Thus, consider what you’ve consumed over the past 72 hours to determine if you can identify a gas-producing food.” You can also keep a food journal to uncover correlations between your diet and your child’s disposition.

Here are some popular infant gas-producing foods.

• Dietary fiber-rich foods, notably those containing bran.
• Most fruits include apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, and citrus.
• Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, artichoke, asparagus, cauliflower, onions, and garlic.
• Such carbohydrates include potatoes, corn, and pasta.
• Dairy goods, especially those containing protein from cow’s milk.
• Chocolate.

Additionally, beverages may be to cause. Regular coffee drinkers likely already know how it affects their digestive system, but consider drinking coffee in moderation if you believe it is upsetting your infant’s digestive system. And carbonated drinks are so full of air bubbles that you essentially swallow them by the mouthful. This air must be released, one way or another.

Should You Avoid Gas-Inducing Foods While Breastfeeding?

Dr. Ari Brown, an Austin-based physician and the author of Baby 411, has shown that restricting the diet and lifestyle of nursing mothers is one of the reasons why mothers cease breastfeeding. “Therefore, I only restrict a baby’s diet if there is a true, direct relationship between a given item and a particular response.”

Also, a restricted diet may not be optimal for the body of a nursing mother or father. Producing breast milk is quite taxing on the body, and a balanced diet can help replenish what is lost. Given the extensive list of gas-producing foods, it would be difficult to prepare a balanced dinner without including some of the worst offenders.

Babies take in a great deal of air and create a great deal of gas on their own without the aid of breast milk. “Changing a mother’s diet may not help with her baby’s flatulence,” explains Dr. Shu. “Some mothers have merely consumed chicken and water to no avail. Typically, it is not essential to go to such lengths.” A lactation consultant may be able to help parents determine if their baby’s latch is a contributing factor to the issue.

To ease your baby’s gas, consider the following remedies:

• Place your infant on their back and rotate their legs in a bicycle-like motion. This assists in releasing trapped gas from the digestive tract.
• Burp them frequently during and after feedings to prevent them from swallowing excessive amounts of air.
• Perform tummy time. Applying pressure to the belly may break up gas bubbles and improve digestion.
• Massage your infant’s stomach.
• Consult your physician before using over-the-counter gas drops.

Remember that gas is common in infants throughout their first few months, but consult your child’s pediatrician if the symptoms are severe. More than a few hours of daily crying or discomfort may indicate that your child is suffering from anything more serious than gas.

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