5 Game-Changers for Overly Gassy Babies

This isn’t the first time I’ve professed my love for this incredibly weird, but effective baby product. What is it exactly? It’s a hollow plastic tube that you insert into baby’s rear end (much like a thermometer) to safely, naturally and instantly relieve gas and calm colic. Sure, it’s a little intimidating at first, but I couldn’t believe how well it worked. The Windi goes in easily with a little lubrication, and almost instantly, you’ll hear a mass of air pass through the Windi in the form of a whistle. I couldn’t believe my eyes when my baby instantly relaxed his muscles and stopped crying. They’re — expectedly — single-use items, so be sure to stock up!

I used these bottles for occasional use with all four of my breastfed babies, and I never had any trouble. All four of my littles latched onto these bottles with no trouble at all, thanks to the wide, flat breast-like nipple. The nipple also has a special valve (no additional assembly required) that helps prevent air from mixing with the milk as your baby eats to help reduce gas. Also extremely nice about these bottles: Unlike other anti-gas bottles, they don’t have excess parts that make assembly, disassembly and cleaning complex.

Though many of the pros I’ve spoken to over the years have said there’s no medical evidence gripe water works, they’ve also said it can’t hurt. Since our own pediatrician recommended it as an option for my eldest son (he had small struggles with gassiness, so we wanted an option that didn’t hinge on traditional medication), we gave it a try. I narrowed in on this formula, because I liked that it’s free from dyes, alcohol and parabens. With consistent use, I noticed slight relief, plus it made me feel good knowing I was trying — and sometimes that’s a very important component of the puzzle. Before use, make sure to check in with your pediatrician.

A warm washcloth is a time-tested recommendation for soothing baby gas, especially when paired with infant massage — the warmth over their bellies helps ease the cramps and discomfort that come with pent up gas, plus loosens things up to encourage gas bubbles to break. But I find this solution is a bit messy, since baby (and you!) inevitably get wet in some capacity. Three of my babies were born in the winter, so this method wasn’t a great option for us. Instead, I used these burp cloths, which have multiple pockets to hold microwavable gel packs. (They can also be frozen for alternate uses.) There’s zero mess to contend with, but the process is the same as a warm washcloth.

If you don’t have time to sit with baby and apply the warm burp cloth mentioned above, I love this option. It also has a pocket that holds a special microwavable gel pack to offer the warmth baby needs to help ease those gas cramps. But unlike the burp cloth, it also features a band complete with adjustable Velcro, so you can securely wrap it around your little one’s belly to apply just enough light compression to help pop those trapped air bubbles that cause gas. A game-changer for parents of multiple children who require attention (like me!).