What is the best position to breastfeed to prevent gas?

Understanding Breastfeeding Positions to Prevent Gas
Breastfeeding is a natural and nurturing experience, but for some mothers, the concern of their baby experiencing gas can overshadow the joy of nursing. Gas in breastfed babies is a common issue, often leading to discomfort and fussiness. However, the position in which a mother breastfeeds can significantly influence the amount of air a baby swallows during feeding, thereby reducing the likelihood of gas.
Optimal Breastfeeding Positions
1. Cradle Hold: This classic position involves holding the baby in the crook of your arm, with their head supported by your hand. This position allows for a close, comfortable bond between mother and baby. To minimize gas, ensure that the baby’s body is aligned with their head, preventing them from gulping air while feeding. Keeping the baby’s head slightly elevated can also help reduce the intake of air.
2. Football Hold: In this position, the baby is tucked under the mother’s arm, with their legs extending behind her. This hold is particularly beneficial for mothers who have had a cesarean section, as it avoids pressure on the abdomen. The football hold can help keep the baby’s head elevated, which may reduce the chances of swallowing air and thus decrease gas.
3. Side-Lying Position: This position allows both mother and baby to lie on their sides, facing each other. It can be particularly relaxing and is ideal for nighttime feedings. By keeping the baby’s head aligned with their body and ensuring they latch on properly, this position can help minimize air intake during feeding.
4. Laid-Back Position: Also known as biological nurturing, this position involves the mother reclining slightly with the baby lying on top of her. This natural position encourages the baby to latch on without excessive effort, which can help reduce the amount of air swallowed. The laid-back position also promotes a relaxed feeding environment, which can further aid digestion.
Additional Tips for Reducing Gas
While the right position is crucial, there are other strategies mothers can employ to help prevent gas. Ensuring a proper latch is essential; a poor latch can lead to the baby swallowing more air. Additionally, taking breaks during feeding to allow the baby to burp can help release any trapped air.
Mothers should also be mindful of their own diet, as certain foods can affect breast milk and potentially lead to gas in babies. Foods known to cause gas, such as dairy, beans, and certain vegetables, may need to be limited if gas becomes a persistent issue.
Conclusion
Choosing the right breastfeeding position can play a significant role in minimizing gas in breastfed babies. The cradle hold, football hold, side-lying position, and laid-back position each offer unique benefits that can help reduce air intake during feeding. By combining these positions with mindful feeding practices and dietary considerations, mothers can create a more comfortable feeding experience for their little ones, fostering both health and bonding.

What foods can make a baby gassy while breastfeeding?

Certain foods such as dairy, soy or wheat may contribute to gassiness in your little one. Keep a food journal while breastfeeding of what you eat to see if you can pinpoint the culprit in your diet.

What breastfeeding position reduces gas?

If baby doesn’t burp, they’ll likely become gassy,” Long says. Good news: This can be remedied with the proper breastfeeding positions, including upright or semi-upright positions, like the laid-back breastfeeding position.

How to avoid gas while breastfeeding?

What can I do to help my baby with gas?

1. Make sure your baby has a good latch so he doesn’t swallow too much air.
2. Burp him throughout the feedings to help get rid of the gas.
3. Try not to let your baby overfeed or feed too quickly.
4. Keep track of when your baby is gassy and look back at your diet.

What position should you avoid while breastfeeding?

A baby cannot suckle or swallow easily if their head is twisted or bent. Your baby is held close to your body. A baby cannot attach well to the breast if they are far away from it. Your baby’s whole body is supported with your arm along their back.

Which fruit is not good for feeding a mother?

Food Items to Avoid During Breastfeeding:
Citrus fruits and their juices, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. Strawberries. Kiwifruit. Pineapple.

What position helps you release gas?

The knees-to-chest pose, also known as the wind-relieving pose, puts gentle pressure on the abdomen and helps get trapped gas moving. Start by laying on your back with the legs extended out in front of you and the arms alongside the body.

What position helps baby gas?

Some positioning tips: Feed your baby as upright as possible; lay your child on their back and pedal their legs with your hands to help expel gas from below; if your child is awake after a feeding, place them on their belly. Increase tummy time.

Can a bad latch make a baby gassy?

One of the most common ways that babies get gas in their digestive system is by taking in excess air. This can happen when there is: Poor latch. If your baby doesn’t have a tight seal around the areola, air can get in along with the milk.

Why can’t you eat chocolate while breastfeeding?

Caffeine. It’s not just tea and coffee that contains caffeine – it’s in chocolate, and various energy drinks and soft drinks. It’s sensible to cut caffeine out while breastfeeding because it’s a stimulant so can make your baby restless.

Why avoid strawberries while breastfeeding?

A quart or more of orange juice or a diet heavy in seasonal fruits such as strawberries, melons or cherries have been associated with diarrhea and colicky symptoms in some infants. Foods containing many preservatives, additives or dyes have been associated with signs of discomfort in some babies.