Feeding Practices that Cut Down on Baby Gas

It's commonly accepted that all babies have gas at one point or another, and some babies are much more gassy than others. If you have a baby that tends to get gassy a few times a day, make sure you are following these simple tips to prevent as much of this as possible:
1. If you are breastfeeding, watch for foods that seem to irritate your baby. Usually the first culprit is dairy. But anything that you eat that your baby is allergic to can cause problems, so pay attention to what you ate when the gas symptoms appear.
2. Do not give your baby cereal before 4-6 months of age. Babies are not ready to digest cereal until at least 4 months, and while it is a common suggestion to keep formula down, it is not a good one. While you are trying to get rid of reflux, you will create another problem by giving your baby something that he or she is not ready for, including gas, intestinal upset, and even allergies.
3. Make sure you use the age appropriate feeding nipple for your baby. If you got second-hand bottles and nipples, you may not realize that they come with different age ranges. Newborn nipples have smaller holes, and nipples for older babies have larger holes. This is because newborns don't need to get overwhelmed with a large flow of milk, and also because it simulates nursing from the breast. Older babies are more agressive and require more milk at each feeding. If you feed a newborn with an older baby's nipple, your baby might gulp, swallowing air in the process. She could also eat more than she would have with a newborn nipple. Overeating and swallowing air are two factors to consider if your baby gets gassy frequently. A great bottle to try is Dr. Brown's .
4. Hold your baby at the proper angle when nursing or bottle feeding. The Pollywog nursing pillow is great for this. It works wonders for reflux babies, and helps with gas also.
5. Don't forget to burp your baby frequently if bottle feeding, and when switching breasts if you are breastfeeding. Try different positions for burping. The common position which tends to work fairly well is holding your baby's chin and leaning him forward a bit with his body resting on your forearm/hand.
6. When all else fails, use gas drops. You can get Mylicon gas drops at your local drug store. You might also want to try a natural remedy for gas and colic, such as Gripe Water.

There is nothing worse than an uncomfortable baby. Following these practices consistently and making sure to keep gas drops or Gripe Water on hand when gas becomes a problem will insure that your baby is gas-free. Now that doesn't mean she won't cry, as I'm sure you have figured out. There are still a ton of other reasons for crying, but at least you've got this one down!