Just a quick update to the gas issues our baby is having.
She was miserable, trying to force out the gas, so we decided to try simethicone gas drops. These are available OTC from your favorite stores like Target and CVS. The recommended dose is usually 20mg, although the frequency of the dose might depend on your baby. Some may require it with every feeding, but ours has been able to get by with 2-3 doses a day.
I’ve seen some forum users online misunderstand how simthicone drops work, thinking that you won’t see results for a week. You should be seeing results in hours, otherwise change the brand (the non-active ingredients could be interfering with your baby’s experience) – this seems to be an issue that some people are reporting in their reviews.
How simethicone drops work
The way simethicone works is it helps tiny gas bubbles form larger gas bubbles, which are easier to pass out. It is not absorbed or used by the body, which is why there should be almost no delay in seeing the effect. As the simethicone goes down her intestines, it helps form the large gas bubbles which are expelled when the baby moves. Simethicone does not prevent gas from forming.
So what does it mean that we see results in hours? As I mentioned above, the baby will still have gas. But, when she moves her legs, the gas is easily dislodged, so she’ll fart. In other words, what simethicone does is prevent the discomfort of trying hard to pass out gas – instead of kicking and straining for hours, she will easily pass out gas when she moves. If she doesn’t seem to be farting easily after a few hours, try tummy massages or bicycling to facilitate the process.
Our baby doesn’t produce that much gas, so clearing her system out 2-3 times a day seems sufficient. There are people who need to dose their baby with every feed. You’ll just have to see what your baby needs. I prefer to start with fewer does and ramp it up as needed.
Good luck!