Every new parent hits this moment: your baby’s face turns red, their little legs pull up, and they let out a cry that sounds like something is really wrong. Nine times out of ten, it’s gas. It’s harmless, it’s incredibly common, and it usually passes within a few minutes once you know what to do.
Newborns are dealing with a digestive system that’s brand new to the job. Everything about eating, swallowing, and moving food through the body is a skill they’re still figuring out, which means air gets trapped more easily than it will later on. Add in crying, a fast bottle flow, or a less-than-perfect latch, and gas builds up fast.
The tricks below come from pediatricians, physical therapists, and lactation experts, and they’re the ones parents reach for again and again because they actually work.
1. Bicycle Legs
Lay your baby on their back and gently move their legs in a pedaling motion, like they’re riding a tiny bicycle. This movement puts light pressure on the belly and helps push trapped air through the digestive tract. It only takes a minute or two, and most babies tolerate it well, even mid-fuss.
2. The “I Love You” Tummy Massage
This is a favorite among pediatric physical therapists for a reason. Trace the letter “I” down the left side of your baby’s belly, then an upside-down “L” across the top and down the right side, and finally an upside-down “U” starting at the lower right, curving up and over, and ending at the lower left. The shapes follow the natural path of the intestines, so the motion nudges gas along in the direction it needs to go instead of fighting against it.
Use light pressure, and always work in a clockwise direction on the belly.
A few rounds, done slowly, tend to bring more relief than one quick pass.
3. Burp Mid-Feed, Not Just After
Most parents wait until the end of a feeding to burp their baby, but that’s often too late.
Pausing halfway through a bottle or switching sides during nursing gives trapped air a chance to escape before more milk piles on top of it. Hold your baby upright against your shoulder or seated on your lap with support under the chin, and pat or rub their back in gentle circles. If nothing comes up after a minute or two, that’s fine — keep feeding and try again later in the session.
4. Keep Baby Upright After Feeds
Laying your baby flat right after eating can trap air that would otherwise work its way out on its own. Holding them upright, chest to chest or against your shoulder, for 15 to 20 minutes after a feeding gives gravity a chance to help. This position also lowers the odds of spit-up, which tends to happen when a full belly meets a flat back too soon.
5. A Warm Bath
Warm water relaxes muscles, including the ones in a tense, gassy belly.
A short bath — even five or ten minutes — can loosen things up enough for gas to pass more easily. The warmth also tends to calm a fussy baby in general, which helps them relax enough to let the gas move rather than clench around it.
Keep the water comfortably warm, not hot, and always stay within arm’s reach.
6. Slow Down the Bottle
A nipple with a flow that’s too fast forces your baby to gulp, and gulping means swallowing extra air along with the milk. If your baby seems to be choking, gulping, or milk is leaking out the sides of their mouth, it may be time to switch to a slower-flow nipple. Vented or angled bottles are built specifically to cut down on swallowed air and are worth trying if gas has been a recurring issue.
Pacing the feed matters just as much as the bottle itself. Take short breaks every minute or two, tip the bottle so the nipple stays full of milk rather than air, and avoid feeding a baby who is already crying hard, since crying alone causes them to gulp down extra air before the bottle even reaches their mouth.
7. Supervised Tummy Time
Tummy time isn’t just for building neck and shoulder strength. The gentle pressure of lying on their stomach can help move gas along, similar to how the bicycle motion works. A few short sessions during the day, always while your baby is awake and watched closely, can double as both development time and gas relief.
8. Ask About Gas Drops
Simethicone drops are the most common over-the-counter option, and they work by breaking large gas bubbles into smaller, easier-to-pass ones.
Pediatricians are split on how much they actually help.
Some see real results in their patients, while others point out that the research on colic specifically hasn’t shown a strong benefit. Brands like Mylicon and Little Remedies are widely available and considered safe for newborns when used as directed, but it’s worth a quick call to your pediatrician before starting them, especially in the first few weeks of life.
9. Check the Latch
A shallow or poor latch during breastfeeding lets extra air in along with the milk.
A lactation consultant can watch a feeding and spot small adjustments that make a real difference, sometimes within a single session.
10. Look at Mom’s Diet if Breastfeeding
Some breastfeeding moms notice a pattern between certain foods and their baby’s gas, though the connection varies quite a bit from baby to baby. Before cutting anything out completely, it can help to track feedings and fussiness for a week or two to see if a real pattern shows up. If one does, try removing the suspected food for several days rather than all at once.
Foods commonly linked to fussiness in breastfed babies include:
- Dairy products like milk and cheese
- Caffeine from coffee, tea, or soda
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage
- Onions and garlic in large amounts
When These Tricks Aren’t the Full Picture
Most gas resolves with time, patience, and a mix of the techniques above. But it helps to know what falls outside the range of normal fussiness. A fever, repeated forceful vomiting, blood in the stool, a hard and visibly swollen belly, or a baby who seems unusually difficult to wake or comfort are all reasons to call your pediatrician rather than wait it out.
For everything else, expect gas to peak somewhere around six to eight weeks and ease up significantly by four to six months, once your baby’s digestive system has had time to mature. Some fussy nights are simply part of this stage, and they pass faster than they feel like they will in the moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know if my baby’s crying is from gas and not something else?
A: Gas-related crying usually comes with pulled-up legs, a red face, straining, and a tight or gurgling belly. If your baby has already been fed, burped, and changed and is still uncomfortable in this way, gas is a likely cause.
Q: How long does newborn gas usually last?
A: Gas tends to peak around six to eight weeks and improves noticeably by four to six months as digestion matures.
Q: Are gas drops safe for newborns?
A: Simethicone drops are generally considered safe, but it’s best to check with your pediatrician before starting them, particularly in the first few weeks.
Q: Can breastfeeding moms eat certain foods to prevent gas?
A: There’s no single food that causes gas in every baby, but dairy, caffeine, and cruciferous vegetables are common triggers worth tracking if fussiness seems tied to feedings.
Q: Should I burp my baby during feeding or only after?
A: Both. Pausing to burp partway through a feeding, especially with bottle-fed babies, can prevent air from building up before the feeding even ends.
Q: Does the type of bottle nipple actually make a difference?
A: Yes. A nipple with too fast a flow can cause gulping, which means more swallowed air. Slower-flow or vented bottles often help.
Q: Is tummy time helpful for gas relief?
A: It can be. The pressure on the belly during supervised tummy time works similarly to a gentle massage in helping trapped air move along.
Q: When should I call the pediatrician about gas?
A: Call if your baby has a fever, repeated forceful vomiting, blood in the stool, a hard or swollen belly, or seems unusually hard to wake or comfort.
Q: Does a warm bath really help with gas?
A: Warm water relaxes the muscles around the belly and can calm a fussy baby enough to let trapped gas pass more easily.
