How To Help A Baby Avoid Flatulence

Babies need to get rid of air. If they do not, the  air can lead to discomfort and irritation. In this article, we will tell you how to help your baby avoid flatulence.

Babies and flatulence

It is very common for babies not to know how to suck properly. They can thus also swallow air when they eat,  especially if they are bottled.

This accumulation of air in their small stomachs can cause discomfort. They may thus feel uncomfortable and irritable, which is why they cry.

This is why it is important to  help your baby, when he has finished eating, to get rid of air that he swallowed when he ate. It is actually very difficult for babies to do it themselves so they need your help.

Therefore, after feeding your baby, you should bark it so that it can get rid of air to avoid discomfort or colic.

Types of air

Two types of air can occur in a baby:

• Air in the stomach. The most common type. It is air that your baby swallows when he eats, as we mentioned above.
• Air in the intestines. It is produced due to poor digestion or intolerance to certain foods. If this is the case with your baby, talk to a pediatrician. They may recommend that you switch to another infant formula.

How to help a baby avoid flatulence

You can apply several techniques and tricks to help your baby get rid of the air and avoid flatulence:

Correct positions for breastfeeding and bottle-feeding to avoid flatulence

When breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, put your baby to bed properly. That way, they  will be able to suck better and swallow less air. To do so:

• Should the areola and your entire nipple have the shape of a pacifier inside your baby’s mouth. If your baby only sucks on the tip of the nipple, it will most likely swallow air.

• The baby’s gums should not bite your nipple. If they do, they will only swallow air, not milk.

Burp your baby off

Getting your baby to burp is the most effective way to help it avoid flatulence. However, certain positions will help it get rid of the air more easily. Among them are the most famous:

• Holding the baby on one shoulder with the stomach against your body.
• Putting them up on your lap with their back to you and with your hand on its chest and your fingers on their chin.
• To put your baby on his stomach on your forearm. With their stomachs pressed against your arm, you promote the likelihood that they may get rid of the air. Keep in mind, though, that your baby’s head should be slightly higher than the rest of their body.

When your baby is in a suitable position, pat or rub it on the back. You need to help your baby get rid of the air for about five to ten minutes. Do not worry if you do not hear the characteristic belching sound, as they may go unnoticed. After ten minutes, you can lay your baby down.

When should you burp your baby?

Experts say it is necessary to help your baby avoid flatulence. However, you are probably wondering when to do it. Normally,  you should burp your baby every time it has eaten. In some cases, however, you may need to interrupt the baby while eating to get rid of air, and then let it continue eating:

• If your baby is restless when eating, it may swallow air. You can thus stop every five to ten minutes to help it avoid flatulence, and then continue.
• You can also burp the baby when switching from one breast to another.
• If you give your baby bottle and it seems uncomfortable, you can stop at every 60 ml and then continue.

Just listen to your mother instincts! If your baby does not seem restless and eats properly,  then there is no reason to disturb him when he eats. Then you can just burp the baby off when it has finished eating.

Choose the correct pacifier head to avoid flatulence

If you give your baby a bottle, pay close attention to the pacifier head. This is because  they may not be appropriate for your baby’s age. If they are too large, they can cause your baby to swallow air along with the milk.

It is therefore better to choose pacifier heads adapted to their age so that your baby does not swallow air. Special pacifier heads prevent this problem by minimizing the amount of air that the baby swallows when eating.

Is it always necessary to burp a baby off?

Some mothers believe that babies always swallow air when eating. They therefore think they should burp them no matter what. However, this is not necessarily the case. Especially in the case of breastfeeding, if the position and the sucking technique are correct, your baby may not swallow any air.

In that sense, you may just cause discomfort if you try to burp your baby when it does not need it. It is best to try to help your baby get rid of the air for a reasonable amount of time (five to ten minutes) with gentle pat or rub and then simply let them rest.