Gassy newborns are almost universal, and the discomfort is temporary. Babies spent nine months floating in fluid, so they have zero experience managing air in their digestive system. When they swallow air during crying or feeding, and when normal gut bacteria break down undigested milk, gas builds up. The problem is that young babies simply aren’t good at moving that gas out, and the sensation is unfamiliar and distressing. The good news: a combination of simple physical techniques, smarter feeding habits, and patience will get most babies through the worst of it.
Why Newborns Get So Gassy
Two things create gas in a newborn’s gut. The first is swallowed air. Every cry, every feeding, every moment with a slightly poor latch introduces air into the stomach and intestines. Some of it comes back up as a burp, but whatever doesn’t travel deeper into the digestive tract.
The second source is bacterial digestion. As milk moves through the intestines, some of it remains undigested. The normal bacteria colonizing your baby’s gut feed on that leftover milk, and they produce gas as a byproduct. This is completely normal biology, but a newborn’s intestinal muscles are still learning how to coordinate the contractions that push gas downward and out. That mismatch between gas production and gas expulsion is what causes the squirming, grunting, and crying you’re seeing.
Burping: The First Line of Defense
Burping at least twice per feeding is the simplest way to prevent gas from building up. Aim for a burp halfway through (when switching breasts, or at the midpoint of a bottle) and again at the end of the feeding. If nothing comes up after about two minutes of gentle patting, move on. Your baby probably doesn’t have a bubble to release at that moment.
Three positions work well:
- Over the shoulder. Hold your baby upright with their chin peeking over your shoulder. Support their bottom with one arm and gently pat or rub their mid-to-lower back with the other hand.
- Seated on your lap. Sit your baby on your lap facing to the side. Lean them forward slightly, supporting their chest with one palm and cupping your index finger and thumb around their jaw (not pressing on the throat). Pat or rub their back with your free hand.
- Belly-down across your lap. Lay your baby stomach-down across your thighs with their head turned to one side, fully supported by your leg. Raise one heel slightly so their upper body is a bit elevated. Pat or rub their back.
Massage and Movement Techniques
When gas is already trapped lower in the intestines, burping won’t reach it. Physical movement can help push it through.
Bicycle legs. Lay your baby on their back and gently move their legs in a cycling motion. This compresses and releases the abdomen rhythmically, which encourages gas to travel through the intestines. You can also gently twist their legs and hips from side to side.
Clockwise tummy massage. Picture a clock face on your baby’s belly. Starting around 7 or 8 o’clock (the lower right side of their abdomen, where the large intestine begins), slide your hands gently in a half-moon shape from right to left, following the natural path of the colon. One hand follows the other in a smooth, clockwise motion. This traces the direction food and gas actually move through the gut, so you’re working with your baby’s anatomy rather than against it.
Paddling. Using the broad, pinky-side edge of your hand held horizontally, gently press in near the rib cage and slide down the length of the belly. Alternate hands in a smooth, rhythmic motion.
A foot massage can also help. There’s a pressure point for the stomach and intestines located around the upper middle of the foot, just below the fleshy pad. Gently stroking this area may bring some relief.
Smarter Bottle Feeding Reduces Swallowed Air
If you’re bottle feeding, a technique called paced feeding dramatically cuts down on the amount of air your baby gulps. The core idea is to slow the flow so your baby controls the pace, rather than having gravity flood milk into their mouth.
Hold your baby close to you in an upright position, not reclined. Keep the bottle horizontal so the nipple is only about half full of milk. Touch the nipple to your baby’s lip and wait for them to open wide and draw it in. Don’t tilt the bottle up or lean the baby back once they latch.
Every few sucks, lower the bottle so the nipple empties but stays in your baby’s mouth. When they start sucking again, bring the bottle back up. This mimics the natural rhythm of breastfeeding, where milk flow pauses between letdowns. If you notice gulping, wide eyes, choking, or milk leaking from the corners of their mouth, the flow is too fast. Stop and restart.
Regardless of your baby’s age, use a slow-flow or size-zero nipple. Faster nipples force babies to swallow more quickly than they can manage, which means more air intake and a higher chance of an upset stomach.
Does a Mother’s Diet Matter?
This is one of the most common questions breastfeeding parents ask, and the honest answer is that the science is thin. No specific foods in a breastfeeding mother’s diet have been proven to cause gas in infants. Many mothers report that kale, spinach, beans, onions, garlic, and peppers seem to make their baby gassier, but plenty of babies tolerate those foods without any issue. Spicy foods, despite their reputation, have not been shown to cause discomfort in breastfed babies.
The one exception with real evidence behind it: cow’s milk protein. It is the most commonly reported food substance linked to gas and fussiness in newborns. If your baby seems consistently uncomfortable and you’re breastfeeding, a trial elimination of dairy from your diet (for two to three weeks) is a reasonable thing to discuss with your pediatrician.
What About Simethicone Drops?
Simethicone drops (sold as gas drops at most pharmacies) are one of the first things many parents reach for. Unfortunately, the clinical evidence is not encouraging. A systematic review published in BMJ Open found moderate to low quality evidence showing no benefit from simethicone. Across multiple studies and reviews, the data either showed no difference compared to placebo or, in some cases, a worsening of symptoms. Three out of four clinical guidelines reviewed in that same analysis recommended against using simethicone, instead favoring continued breastfeeding and physical contact.
The drops aren’t considered harmful, so some parents still use them. But they’re unlikely to be the solution.
Probiotics Show More Promise
Probiotics have stronger evidence, particularly for babies whose gas comes with prolonged crying. In a randomized, double-blind study, colicky infants who received a specific probiotic strain (Lactobacillus reuteri) for 21 days saw their median daily crying time drop from around 370 minutes to just 35 minutes. The placebo group also improved, going from 300 minutes down to 90, but the probiotic group improved significantly more. By day 21, only 4 out of 25 babies in the probiotic group were still crying more than three hours a day, compared to 12 out of 21 in the placebo group.
The probiotic also reduced levels of certain gas-producing bacteria in the gut. If your baby’s gas is severe and persistent, probiotics are worth asking your pediatrician about. Not all probiotic products are the same, and the strain matters.
When Gas Might Signal Something Else
Normal newborn gas comes and goes. Your baby may strain, grunt, and cry, but between episodes they’re generally content, feeding well, and gaining weight. A few signs suggest something beyond ordinary gas is going on.
Bloody stools are the clearest red flag. Combined with persistent pain, diarrhea, and excessive gas, bloody stool can indicate cow’s milk protein allergy. This is not the same as lactose intolerance. It’s an immune reaction to the whey or casein proteins in cow’s milk, and it can occur in both formula-fed babies and breastfed babies whose mothers consume dairy. The symptoms often overlap with what looks like simple gas, which is why it’s frequently missed or misinterpreted.
Frequent spitting up or vomiting, arching of the back during feeds, and refusal to eat can point toward reflux. In some babies, reflux and food sensitivities coexist and feed into each other, making diagnosis trickier. If your baby’s discomfort is constant rather than episodic, or if they’re not gaining weight appropriately, that pattern warrants a closer look from your pediatrician.