# Ultra gassy 8 month old...can't sleep!



## RoseLemon (Nov 28, 2012)

My 8 month old has always been gassy. When he was smaller, he did a lot of projectile spitup, but neither gassiness or spitting up seemed to bother him at all. In fact, not much bothers this incredibly chill little guy. He used to do a 4-5 hour stretch from 6:30/7 to 11ish, then woke up every two hours or so after that...not awesome, but manageable. But in the last few months, since about 6 months, he has woken up at 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30 as well, very uncomfortable, wiggling and crying until he either burps or farts. Then he wants to nurse back to sleep. And the other new habit - he wakes up completely awake at 3. Not crying, just gassy and awake. My husband has been taking him for a drive just so at least some of us can get some more sleep. He'll sleep again until 5, then he's up. 
My 3yo did almost the same thing, except when he would wake up gassy, he would scream inconsolably. We never could figure out why he was in so much pain. It just went away when he was about 11 months. But back then, I could nap when he napped. Now, I'm so far past exhausted that I can't even think straight. I don't know what to do. Any kind of sleep training seems cruel because he's in pain. But I need some sleep and he needs some sleep. Does anyone have any ideas of what can cause this kind of painful gas for a baby this big? I'm trying to cut out dairy to see if it helps, but I doubt it will...I would think a dairy allergy would have been obvious earlier than this. Help!


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## 21helen (Mar 14, 2012)

RoseLemon said:


> My 8 month old has always been gassy. When he was smaller, he did a lot of projectile spitup, but neither gassiness or spitting up seemed to bother him at all. In fact, not much bothers this incredibly chill little guy. He used to do a 4-5 hour stretch from 6:30/7 to 11ish, then woke up every two hours or so after that...not awesome, but manageable. But in the last few months, since about 6 months, he has woken up at 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30 as well, very uncomfortable, wiggling and crying until he either burps or farts. Then he wants to nurse back to sleep. And the other new habit - he wakes up completely awake at 3. Not crying, just gassy and awake. My husband has been taking him for a drive just so at least some of us can get some more sleep. He'll sleep again until 5, then he's up.
> My 3yo did almost the same thing, except when he would wake up gassy, he would scream inconsolably. We never could figure out why he was in so much pain. It just went away when he was about 11 months. But back then, I could nap when he napped. Now, I'm so far past exhausted that I can't even think straight. I don't know what to do. Any kind of sleep training seems cruel because he's in pain. But I need some sleep and he needs some sleep. Does anyone have any ideas of what can cause this kind of painful gas for a baby this big? I'm trying to cut out dairy to see if it helps, but I doubt it will...I would think a dairy allergy would have been obvious earlier than this. Help!


Sounds similar to me. I tried changing my diet, with little noticeable change. For me, I realize it's how my milk lets down. It's fast and sprays everywhere, making my LO swallow lots of air. Result - lots of farting, burping, gas pains. What works for me is to breastfeed lying down in bed. When my milk starts to let down, I disengage (usually LO does it first) and let the milk spray into a cloth. Then we re-latch.

If LO has swallowed alot of air (bc we were lazy with the latch, etc), then I've used Tummy Calm. Not sure it helps, but makes me feel better. It's homeopathic and sold at Walgreens and Amazon. It's supposed to help with gas, bloating, hiccups, etc. I also try to make sure LO gets enough of the hindmilk. If LO doesn't get to the hindmilk and drinks too much of the foremilk, this can cause gas. If my breast is pretty full, I'll express and let the milk spray into a cloth, so that LO gets less foremilk and can get to the hindmilk.

Does your LO nurse when he wakes up every one or two hours? At 8 months, that's a lot and can contribute to the gas. He may be waking and wanting comfort, so I'd try a paci or rocking or holding instead of nursing him to sleep. It may take one or two nights, but he might adjust to falling back to sleep without another feed. I think nursing him to sleep just makes the problem worse - and at 8 months old, it's not that he's hungry, though he may be used to eating often and just needs to learn not to each every hour or two at night. (Just like adults get used to eating at lunchtime, etc...)

Have you tried having him sleep on his belly? That helps with gas. He's old enough where SIDS wouldn't be a concern.

Good luck!


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## mulligatani (Feb 25, 2015)

I am having the same exact issue with my 4 month old. I mean, I could have written that post! I unfortunately don't have anything to contribute but wanted you to know you are not alone!


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## 21helen (Mar 14, 2012)

I've read somewhere that at four months old, a baby can remember better. i forget what it is called exactly. But basically it works like this. You're rocking the baby in your arms and then place him/her in the crib when asleep. When the baby stirs and awakes during a sleep transition, s/he will remember that you had been rocking him/her and will get upset to find that s/he's in a different place from when s/he fell asleep. Before four months, babies don't remember this apparently. So this could be an explanation for your four-month old, Mulligatani! Or just a new phase baby's going through just to keep us on our toes!


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## 21helen (Mar 14, 2012)

mulligatani said:


> I am having the same exact issue with my 4 month old. I mean, I could have written that post! I unfortunately don't have anything to contribute but wanted you to know you are not alone!


I've read somewhere that at four months old, a baby can remember better. i forget what it is called exactly. But basically it works like this. You're rocking the baby in your arms and then place him/her in the crib when asleep. When the baby stirs and awakes during a sleep transition, s/he will remember that you had been rocking him/her and will get upset to find that s/he's in a different place from when s/he fell asleep. Before four months, babies don't remember this apparently. So this could be an explanation for your four-month old, Mulligatani! Or just a new phase baby's going through just to keep us on our toes!


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## clare bear (Feb 24, 2015)

RoseLemon said:


> My 8 month old has always been gassy. When he was smaller, he did a lot of projectile spitup, but neither gassiness or spitting up seemed to bother him at all. In fact, not much bothers this incredibly chill little guy. He used to do a 4-5 hour stretch from 6:30/7 to 11ish, then woke up every two hours or so after that...not awesome, but manageable. But in the last few months, since about 6 months, he has woken up at 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30 as well, very uncomfortable, wiggling and crying until he either burps or farts. Then he wants to nurse back to sleep. And the other new habit - he wakes up completely awake at 3. Not crying, just gassy and awake. My husband has been taking him for a drive just so at least some of us can get some more sleep. He'll sleep again until 5, then he's up.
> My 3yo did almost the same thing, except when he would wake up gassy, he would scream inconsolably. We never could figure out why he was in so much pain. It just went away when he was about 11 months. But back then, I could nap when he napped. Now, I'm so far past exhausted that I can't even think straight. I don't know what to do. Any kind of sleep training seems cruel because he's in pain. But I need some sleep and he needs some sleep. Does anyone have any ideas of what can cause this kind of painful gas for a baby this big? I'm trying to cut out dairy to see if it helps, but I doubt it will...I would think a dairy allergy would have been obvious earlier than this. Help!


i would get a blood test to see what ur child could possibly be allergic to


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## 4GreenBabies (Oct 8, 2013)

i should probably read what everyone wrote so i dont give u the same info, but im really tired myself. I have gassy kids. All 4 of them, so I have tried alot. Ill just tell you what I did, and what worked. First off I switched to organic diary products. I couldnt nurse past 3 months (i struggle with my milk supply), so we used organic formula. I would have prefered Natures One, but my boy wouldnt drink it, it takes a lot of shaking to dissolve. We ended up with Earths Best, but i was not happy about how they extracted their nutrients, so i got him off formula at 10 months and switched to organic, grass fed, non hymononized, non pasturized, and so on cows milk, the kind with the cream on top. That was it for him, didnt have any more problems with gas. With my daughter, it was different, since we didnt have access to a whole foods or a co-op, she was born in tel aviv, so i used anise drops for her and put a wedge under her mattress. for my twins who are about 14 months, i have them on rice milk for drinks and organic whole foods through the day, and so far so good =)
hope that helps and sorry for typos, pretty tired =)


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

Has he started solid foods? Could be sensitive to something he's started eating but not so sensitive your eating it got to him. If he's not eating foods himself, I'd try an elimination diet with all the common problem stuff out, dairy soy wheat citrus and nightshades, for a couple weeks minimum and see if that helps. Definitely find some baby drops with digestive herbs like anise, ginger, fennel or maybe brew a little of those as a strong tea and give that (cooled) with a dropper. I'd find him some simethicone too. Try massaging him and bicycling his legs as a part of the bedtime routine.


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## 4GreenBabies (Oct 8, 2013)

yes! definitly the bicycle thing, did/do that with all 4 babies. I also alternate the different kinds of 'burmping' i do. for my big twin, i will rub his back (his bottom left side, where the stomach is) in a circular motion with the palm of my hand, then do a little pattting up the back, then a little tummy circles, and I have him lift his left arm to stretch his left side so maybe a stuck bubble will have a straight way through.... Its tricky with the twins since i dont want the other one to wake up from the noises, so i try to get it dont quickly... also sometimes just a simple diaper change helps, the laying down, rolling on one side then the next, then i pick him back up and rub my hand up his back. all my 'burping' is done one his left side, specifically lower left side....


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