Since my c-section I've had some pretty bad gas. Actually, I was gassy before I had the section it just got worse after it. My baby is also very gassy. I can't seem to figure out why he is so gassy. Can I pass on my gas to him? Sounds like a stupid question but I am out of ideas. He cries in his sleep when he's passing gas and some nights he can't sleep at all, an hour at a time. What can I do? I've given him Oval drops and it helps for a short time, but not for long.

Maybe something in my diet is causing it, but I can't pinpoint what. I stay away from known gassy foods so I don't know what could be doing it. I have a couple cups of coffee a day, could this cause it? I drink 2% milk as well, maybe the culprit? I don't know. Ideas would be helpful.

Common culprits of digestion related irritations are:

Coffee
Dairy
Soy
Onion
Citrus fruits
Peppermint (candies, tea, etc.)
Chocolate
Bell Peppers


I had to cut out dairy to help DD with her reflux and gas and it has helped out a lot. Also, my ped suggested drinking Chamomile tea and ginger tea to help soothe the babies tummy ( mom drinking it not baby obviously ). Hope everything works out!

Ginger tea, sounds interesting and makes a lot of sense. Do you buy the flavored tea or make it at home yourself? Another stupid question?

They say drinking milk is good for you and baby, I have a hard time understanding why it would cause gas in DS. I have heard that it does, I am not questioning you, I just love milk so much. :o(

Anything that you eat that can give you gas can give baby gas, or anything that has a strong flavor (onions, garlic, cabbage...etc) can make milk taste funny (to the baby). I stayed away from any food that was strong and gas makers. I never had any problems with either babies having colic. I was very happy when I could go back to eating the "bad" food, I love onions and garlic.

Milk can def. give the baby gas. Try cutting dairy out all together for a week, and see if that makes a difference. Ds went through a terrible time with gas, but it passed around 10 weeks old. Hang in there.............oh, and try mylicon drops.

I know things that give me gas can give baby gas, I just haven't pinpointed what is doing it for me.

Milk could be doing it for you too. Dairy can be hard to digest. I know you've been able to drink milk and eat dairy for quite some time, but sometimes people get new sensitivities. Also, are you eating a lot more fiber than normal? I was eating a lot of fiber right after DD was born to help with bowel movements, but I think I was having too much because I was gassy, and pooping a lot ( TMI I know ). Also, all those things listed can causes mom gas too, onions, etc.

I am not eating extra fiber, but you may have something with the dairy. I started drinking milk more when I was pregnant. Before the I didn't drink it much at all. I ate dairy, however, before my pregnancy. I did get gassy after I became pregnant. I thought pregnant women were just gassier than most people anyway. LOL I am going to try eliminating the milk to see how that works. I guess cutting down wouldn't do any good, right? It has to be gone completely?

A lot of research in recent years has shown that there is no corrolation between what you eat and gassiness in babies. You eliminating things from your diet will not affect how your baby feels, as such it is not recommended. You want to have a well rounded diet. Babies tend to be gassy in the first couple of months and stragle w/ it b/c the muscles in their bums are not yet fully developed and they have to strain a lot to pass poop and gas. This does get better as they grow older and their system develops. So if you want to cut out chocolate or coffee, it won't hurt the baby but you will find that although there may be better days, on average, the baby will be the same (get better on its own with time). Thought I know many moms will swear by cutting certain things out of their diet.
When you think about it, it just doesn't make any sense. When you drink coffee, it doesn't go into your milk. Everything you eat is broken into many very basic elements, such as protien, carbohydrates, fats etc, and those go to your baby. So just try to comfort your baby, and things will improve w/ time.

Kiedy, a nurse told me the same thing before I left the hospital. If this is true, then why can't you take certain medications while breastfeeding? Wouldn't that rule apply to everything consumed?

I found that this was good advice when I started nursing too........Are you letting the baby completely empty a breast before switching sides? Too much fore milk can give the baby a lot of gas, if it's not balanced with hind milk, because it is full of lactose. But, like Kiedy said, it's not really proven, although many foods do pass through the breast mil, and not all foods are broken down to suit a baby's diet. Eliminating a few things couldn't hurt, but it's probably just the usual gas, and it passes when they get to be around 12 lbs. ( I don't know why, that's what teh doc told us, and when ds hit 12 lbs, it literally stopped)
Also, a warm bath can help calm, and pass gas more easily, for the baby that is!

Kiedy, a nurse told me the same thing before I left the hospital. If this is true, then why can't you take certain medications while breastfeeding? Wouldn't that rule apply to everything consumed?

Roxy, this is a good question. The simplest way to explain it, is like this. Milk is made in your breasts by special cells (that then release it into the ducts that your baby drinks from). These cells' function and survival is supported by blood vessels where medication circulates. Some medication is able to pass from blood to these milk cells and then into milk itself. Other medication does not do that and stays in blood only and as such is safe to use for you. I hope this helps.

I have eliminated dairy from my diet and in the last several weeks have seen improvement in my DD. One night I drank a milkshake and she consequently had horrible gas that lasted two days. So I noticed a distinct difference.
I have been reading a La Leche League book about breastfeeding. It explains that there is a content within the dairy products that is able to pass to the baby. The baby can develop an allergy to the before birth due to exposure to the content--- usually either protein or lactose. It crossed my mind that I should consider switching to a lactose free or non-allergen formula rather than breastfeeding, but this is not recommeded due to the adjustment that the baby would go through after the switch and also because the other benefits of breastfeeding would be compromised.