Stimulating pooping/gas

[Knitting Mama]

Hey ladies. I'm the mama of a 6 1/2 week old baby girl, Cecilia. The past couple of days she's been gassier than usual, and clearly having trouble with getting her toots out. She arches her back and cries and her face turns red, and she squirms and flails trying to push out her gas. She's exclusively breast fed and I haven't changed a single thing in my diet, so I'm assuming it's just a little bug or even just a normal part of her growing body and digestive system. My question is this-- has anyone found any good ways to stimulate pooping or tooting?

I've tried gripe water and gas drops and both seem to help short term with the crying but not to actually get out the gas. I had heard to rub her tummy in clockwise motions, so I do, but that hasn't seemed to help. I can also sometimes manually toot her by bringing her knees up to her tummy on the changing table, but again that doesn't always help. She hasn't been pooping less than usual (she only poops once a day, maybe twice the most, normally) and the consistency is still the same so she's not constipated, but it still seems to be harder for her to go. Any other suggestions? Thanks, mamas!

edit: Forgot to add that we also tried a long, warm bath. She tooted a couple of times but that was it.

[jess5377]

Well, you could do do the knees up thing but with her upright and leaning against you, just hold her that way, but facing out and walk around for a bit.

[CookAMH]

It's partly them figuring things out and just being uncomfortable at the feeling (like with burps). But you can help by doing bicycles with her legs while she's on her back. I did the knees to the tummy thing A LOT and it shot a lot of air out . One time, I did it 9 times in a row and the gas just kept on coming (and he just layed there, no fussing while I did it). I pressed firmly but gently, you may need to press more firmly and hold it. I normally would do that when he already passed some gas and I thought there was probably more. My DS would give a little grunt when I did it. Sometimes I would lightly press my thumbs into his lower belly some too, above the hips on each side - when I have gas pain that counter pressure feels good.

[jsh7809]

DD is 5 weeks and I've noticed a similar thing for the last week or so... I think it's less to do with what I've been eating (the amount/ intensity of the gas, I think, has gotten better as we have started working out my oversupply) as it is that she's starting to try to control the muscles/ sphincters that push the gas and poop out. That's my theory, anyway, who knows
Anyway, I've found that now she cries much more directly when she has to pass gas and can't - same thing as you, red face all scrunched up and a lot of kicking with her legs. So I try "standing" her up, sitting her up, lying her down, repeatedly shifting positions. I'll hold her on my arm, tummy down, and most of all, lay her on her back and push her legs WAY up almost to her face in the frog position. I read about this but wasn't doing it vigorously enough to help her... now I get a fart almost every time! You have to really squish 'em up there.
It's very strange to get excited that someone is farting in my face but that's all part of motherhood, I guess. She seems so much happier after she farts or poops.
I'm hoping she'll keep getting better at doing it on her own, though, because I have to do it after every single meal at this point, even the 3am ones...

[neveryoumindthere]

A traditional middle eastern remedy is fennel tea. I know she's probably ebf, but wanted to throw that out there in case you would consider.

I personally found that black seed oil is even better though (it's a carminitive herb)

hth