Baby Bottles Can’t Minimize Gas

A baby with gas or colic can make your life a living hell. It seems that there are as many bottle systems as there are formulas on the market. Don't fall for bottles that claim to minimize gas. This is just not scientifically possible.

The bottle is nothing more than a reservoir fro fluid so there is no way it can be designed to stop your baby from gulping air. Your baby has to do that on your own.

Unless you are shaking the formula vigorously before you serve it up to your baby there is no reason that your baby should be gulping bubbles from the bottle no matter what the bottle looks like or how it is designed. Every time you tilt up a bottle you may have noticed that all of the air goes to the opposite end of where the nipple of the bootleg is so bottle design has very little to do with it.

However when it comes to reducing the amount of air that can travel into your baby's stomach the actual nipple on the bottle could make a difference. A nipple that is too hard will be difficult to pull milk from. A nipple that is too soft will collapse when a baby begins to suck. In both cases the nipple squeaks a lot as air around it escapes and the baby starts sucking air.

While you may need to shop around to find what is best for you many pediatricians recommend the Avnet bottle system.

When mixing formula in a bottle it is a good idea to stir it and not shake it as shaking it to mix it causes extra air to accumulate in the body. These bubbles of air are minuscule usually but they could end up in your baby's stomach.

In addition many babies end up being bottle fed because it is inconvenient for the mother. She may feel it is ruining the shape of her breasts or that it is embarrassing to do in public. Unfortunately studies show that it is babies that are weaned who are more likely to develop colic and symptoms of acid reflux.

Despite the fact that the formula manufacturers have sought reflux solutions nothing they produce matches the qualities of breast milk as far as helping our baby with reflux. Breast milk empties very efficiently from the stomach compared with formula and impaired stomach emptying is one of the major factors contributing to colic in infancy.

Sometimes parents are their own worst enemies when it comes to colic. They have unknowingly created it by making the baby adept to their work, sleep and work out schedules. No baby should be force-fed or denied food because you have a spinning class at four.

As gas is one of the key causes of colic it is important to know how to get rid of any air your baby may have swallowed before it ends up in the stomach. Under normal circumstances a baby who is held upright will accumulate air in the upper dome of the stomach. To free the baby of this air you have to burp him or her.