As a new parent, you’ll have plenty of things to worry about to make sure that your baby is getting the right care. One of these things you might not have thought about before is whether your baby farting often could be an indicator of something. 

You won’t be surprised to find that farting is not uncommon for babies, especially younger ones. In their earlier years, babies still have an underdeveloped digestive system resulting in more frequent bowel movements, and flatulence. 

If you are wondering if there are any other causes to blame for this, or simply curious to learn more, then this is the post for you! Read on for more information on why your baby is farting so much, and even what you can do to help prevent it. 

Why Is My Baby Farting?

Most babies fart, fill their diapers and carry on producing all sorts of odd sounds and smells, and for the most part, mothers are used to it. However, if you notice a change, or feel that the frequency of gas has increased, you might be worried, or wondering what happened! 

Increased farting can be the result of many different factors. Some of the reasons might include: 

• Young Digestive System 
• Lack of good gut bacteria
• Improper feeding 
• Allergies 
• & more

To give you a better idea of how each of these things can affect your baby’s gas, let’s cover each of these bullets in greater detail in the sections following. 

Underdeveloped Digestive System

Naturally, babies are still at some of the earliest stages of their growth, so that means many things are still being grown and developed. You might not think of it initially, but even their digestive systems are still at an early stage of growth. Your baby may have increased gas due to underdeveloped digestional muscles taking time to process food. 

That means your baby may experience excessive gas as a result of their slow digestion of breast milk. In this case, you don’t have to worry about fixing anything, or taking any action to solve the problem. All you’ll really have to do is wait until your child grows a little more, and the gas is likely to decrease. 

Allergies Causing Baby Farts

Another potential cause for excessive gas is that your baby has intolerance towards milk protein found in their formula. This intolerance can create an increased frequency of gas and discomfort due to inflammation in the baby’s digestive system. This will often lead to gassiness, but can also result in belly aches, and sometimes diarrhea.

If the allergy is more severe, your baby might show intolerance in a variety of different ways. This can include congestion and even rashes in combination with the aforementioned stomach issues. You might also notice mucousy stool if your baby is going through this issue. 

To prevent this fairly common issue from occurring, try to feed them with breast milk more often, if possible. We understand that this might not be possible for everyone, if that’s the case, no need to worry! You can alternatively look for hypoallergenic formulas which should also prevent an allergic reaction from occurring. 

Imbalance Of Gut Bacteria

A common cause of stomach problems in adults and babies comes from the lack of the right stomach bacteria. Newborn babies often do not have a proper balance of healthy gut bacteria, often leading to problems with digestion and some stinky farts. 

One way to help encourage a balanced gut is to consistently breastfeed the baby. Studies show that babies who breastfeed exclusively for a certain number of months tend to produce more beneficial gut bacteria, and might even benefit from a healthier gut later in life. You can also use a formula that includes beneficial probiotics. 

Once you begin introducing solid food to your baby, you can start seeking out foods such as yogurt or other fermented foods, as they are very effective at raising the number of beneficial bacteria to help balance out the probiotic composition of the gut.  

Another possible way to help keep this in balance is to build up your own healthy gut biome during pregnancy! During pregnancy, some of your own gut microbes will be transferred to the baby, so if you make sure you have plenty of good microbes to provide, your baby will likely be better off for it! Try eating nutrient-dense foods, and probiotic-rich meals to help encourage a healthy gut in you and your baby. 

Incorrect Feeding Technique

Your baby’s gas surprisingly can also be the result of the technique used during feeding. If you are feeding in a certain way, the results on your baby’s gas can vary greatly. Depending on the position used while feeding, babies are sometimes more likely to swallow air. This can lead to problems with digesting the lactose in the milk, leading to a gassy belly. 

To prevent this from happening, try holding your baby in a position where their head is placed upright and above the breast while feeding. This should help them from swallowing too much air when you breastfeed, while also keeping them comfortable and supported.  

If you prefer to use a bottle, this can also have an effect on the amount of gas in your baby’s belly. Holding the bottle so that the milk flows without introducing pockets of air is a simple and effective way to do so. You can also try burping your baby to help eliminate some of the gas that could naturally become trapped in their belly after eating.

Conclusion

Babies are expected to produce lots of gas, dirty diapers, throw-up, and all of the other fun things moms get to deal with almost every day, but if one of these things seems to be happening too often, or in a way that just doesn’t feel right, it’s understandable to be suspicious that something is off. 

If you’ve noticed that your baby is gassier than usual, or having problems with their belly following feeding, then maybe one of the reasons listed above is to blame! If so, we hope we could help you identify, and maybe even solve the problem for good.