The fastest ways to release gas in a newborn are bicycle legs, proper burping, and gentle belly pressure. Newborns swallow air during every feeding and crying spell, and their immature digestive systems aren’t efficient at moving that air out on their own. The good news: a few simple techniques can bring relief within minutes.
Why Newborns Get So Gassy
Every baby produces gas as milk is digested, but some babies are noticeably more uncomfortable with it than others. The main culprit is swallowed air. Babies take in air while feeding (especially if the latch isn’t quite right or the bottle nipple flows too fast), during crying, and even while sucking on a pacifier. A baby who cries a lot tends to swallow even more air, creating a cycle of gas, discomfort, and more crying.
Their digestive tracts are also brand new. The muscles that push food and gas through the intestines are still learning to coordinate, which means gas bubbles can get trapped and cause visible discomfort: a tight, round belly, squirming, pulling the legs up, or sudden screaming.
Bicycle Legs
This is one of the most reliable tricks for lower gas (the kind that needs to come out the other end). Lay your baby flat on their back on a firm surface. Gently hold both legs and move them in a slow pedaling motion, as if your baby were riding a bicycle. The movement compresses and releases the abdomen in a way that helps trapped gas shift through the intestines. You can do this for 30 seconds to a minute, pause, and repeat. Many parents find it works almost immediately.
Belly Massage
With your baby on their back, use two or three fingertips to gently stroke the belly in a clockwise direction. Clockwise follows the natural path of the intestines, so you’re essentially guiding gas bubbles toward the exit. Keep your pressure light but firm enough that you’re not just tickling the skin. You can also try pressing gently below the belly button with a flat palm, holding for a few seconds, and releasing. Some babies respond better to massage right after a warm bath, when the abdominal muscles are more relaxed.
Tummy Time and Belly Pressure
Supervised tummy time does double duty: it builds neck and core strength while putting gentle, natural pressure on the abdomen. Even a few minutes of tummy time can help a gassy baby pass trapped air. If your newborn isn’t a fan of the floor yet, you can drape them belly-down across your forearm or lap. The light pressure of your arm against their stomach often provides enough compression to move gas along. Keep one hand securely on their back and gently sway or pat.
Better Burping
Burping clears air from the stomach before it travels deeper into the digestive tract, where it becomes harder to release. Try to burp your baby at natural pauses during a feeding, not just at the end. For bottle-fed babies, that means every ounce or two. For breastfed babies, burp when you switch sides or whenever your baby pulls off.
Four positions work well:
- Over the shoulder: Hold your baby upright with their chest resting against your shoulder. Pat or rub their back gently.
- Sitting upright: Sit your baby on your lap, supporting their chin and chest with one hand while patting the back with the other.
- Sitting with gentle rocking: Same seated position, but rock your baby slowly forward, back, and side to side. The movement helps a gas bubble find its way up to the top of the stomach.
- Face-down on your lap: Lay your baby across your thighs, belly down, with their head slightly higher than their chest. Pat or rub the back.
If no burp comes after about five minutes, it’s fine to stop. Not every feeding produces a burp, and forcing it isn’t necessary.
Feeding Adjustments That Reduce Gas
A lot of gas prevention happens at the source. If you’re bottle-feeding, make sure the nipple flow matches your baby’s age. A nipple that flows too fast forces the baby to gulp, swallowing extra air. Newborns generally need an extra-slow or slow-flow nipple. Bottles with a vented base or internal vent system let air into the bottle without mixing it into the milk, so your baby swallows less of it. Hold the bottle at enough of an angle that the nipple stays full of milk rather than half-filled with air.
If you’re breastfeeding, a shallow latch is the most common source of excess air. You should see your baby’s lips flanged outward around the areola, not pursed around just the nipple. If you hear clicking or smacking sounds during feeding, the seal is breaking and air is getting in. A lactation consultant can help if latch issues persist.
Could Your Diet or Formula Be a Factor?
Some breastfeeding parents notice that certain foods seem to make their baby gassier. Dairy, caffeine, onions, garlic, beans, and cruciferous vegetables like kale and broccoli are commonly reported triggers. The scientific evidence linking a mother’s diet to infant gas is limited, though. Most babies tolerate these foods without any issue. If you suspect a pattern, try removing one food at a time for a week or so and see if the gas improves.
Cow’s milk protein is the substance most consistently linked to gas and fussiness in young babies. Some infants have a temporary intolerance to dairy proteins passed through breast milk, and most outgrow it. If your baby has blood or mucus in their stool along with persistent gas, or develops a skin rash, that could signal an actual milk protein allergy rather than simple gassiness.
For formula-fed babies showing persistent gas, your pediatrician may suggest trying a different formula. Cow’s milk protein and soy are the two most common allergens for infants, so a switch sometimes makes a noticeable difference.
Gas Drops and Gripe Water
Over-the-counter gas drops contain simethicone, which works by combining small gas bubbles into larger ones that are easier to pass. The typical dose is 20 milligrams up to four times a day, and simethicone is generally considered safe for babies. That said, clinical research hasn’t shown it to be particularly effective at relieving fussiness or colic, so results vary. Some parents swear by it; others notice no change.
Gripe water is a different product, usually made from fennel, ginger, baking soda, and flavorings. It’s marketed as a remedy for gas and colic, but there’s no scientific evidence that it works. More importantly, gripe water isn’t regulated by the FDA, which means there’s no guarantee that what’s in the bottle meets basic safety or quality standards. Multiple brands have been recalled over the years for posing risks to babies. Pediatricians generally don’t recommend it.
When Gas Might Be Something More
Ordinary gas, even when it makes your baby miserable, is not dangerous. But certain symptoms alongside the fussiness point to something beyond normal gas. Watch for poor feeding or refusing the bottle, vomiting (especially forceful or projectile), diarrhea, a cry that sounds different than usual, increased sleepiness or sluggishness, changes in breathing, or a baby who becomes more irritable when held or touched rather than less. Blood or mucus in the stool is another signal worth a call to your pediatrician, as it can indicate a food allergy. If your baby is crying excessively and none of the usual techniques bring relief, that’s also worth bringing up at your next visit.