Keeping in view the immature digestive systems, it is normal for babies to be gassy. If a baby passes gas 13-21 times each day, they have the issue of gas which can be triggered by several reasons. Most of the gas issues in infants are usually resolved themselves with time. In this article, we will talk about the best sleeping position for a gassy baby that might help you.
Why a baby is gassy?
Infants are usually gassy because they swallow a lot of air throughout the day. Air can be swallowed while drinking milk from a breast or bottle, sucking a pacifier, or crying. The swallowed air gets trapped in the baby’s belly which can make them uncomfortable and causes pain.
Another reason due to which babies develop gas is because of the mother’s diet if they are breastfeeding, and if they are formula-fed then their formula needs to be changed.
Now that you know what causes gas in babies, let’s move towards the best sleeping position for a gassy baby.
What is the best sleeping position for a gassy baby?
There are a few factors that play a vital role in triggering or controlling gastric issues in babies, their sleeping position is one of them.
The best sleeping position for a gassy baby is on their back, on a flat surface. Sleeping on the back is recommended because it reduces the risk of SIDS in infants and babies also get abundant oxygen while sleeping on their back. Babies from birth till the age of 1 should sleep in this position because there is less chance of choking. Hence, sleeping on the back is the best sleeping position for a gassy baby.
Tips to help a gassy baby go to sleep:
Gassy babies can give you a hard time, you will probably get exhausted every night when they will cry uncontrollably. So, here are few tips that can help you put your gassy baby to sleep easily:
- Burp, burp, and burp: You would have probably heard this tip many times already, and here it goes again. Burping is the only way to relieve a gassy baby. The baby should be burped many times in between the feeding, and you should hold the baby in an upright position for at least 30 minutes after every feed.
- Tummy time: During the day, give your baby lots of tummy time. The pressure on the baby’s tummy helps them relieve their gas. During the night, you cannot let the baby sleep on their stomach because the best sleeping position for a gassy baby is to sleep on their back.
- Warm bath: Give a nice and relaxing warm bath to the baby, it helps to ease their pain a little.
- Infant gas drops: You can find several gas drops for babies in the market, they can be a lifesaver. They instantly help in relieving the baby’s gas.
How to give a burp to a sleeping baby?
As discussed earlier, burping the baby is extremely important to avoid gas issues in babies. But what to do when a baby is fed while sleeping at night? It is possible to burp a sleeping baby without waking them up.
All you need to do is be gentle and do not create any noise. After the baby is fed, gently bring him in an upright position and then bring him close to your shoulder. Let the baby rest their head on your shoulder and then wait for the burp.
You can also try the arms hold method as well. After giving the burp, put the baby to sleep according to the best sleeping position for a gassy baby recommended earlier.
Conclusion:
Even though it is a tough job for parents to deal with a gassy baby, but it is just a matter of few months and then they will forget that how difficult the initial months of parenthood were. Till then try our recommendations about the best sleeping position for a gassy baby and other tips to help your gassy baby.