Gas is one of the most common concerns parents bring up during the first few months of their baby’s life. Nearly every newborn has some gas, and most babies grunt, squirm, or need to burp after feedings from time to time. Because of that, parents are often reassured that gas is simply part of having a newborn.
Most of the time, that’s true.
However, there are babies whose parents describe something very different. These babies don’t just seem a little gassy… they seem uncomfortable after nearly every feeding. Parents tell me they spend half the day burping their baby, bicycling their legs, rubbing their tummy, or trying gas drops. Their baby arches, cries, pulls their knees toward their chest, and seems relieved only after finally passing gas. Then, by the next feeding, the whole cycle starts again.
When I hear that story, I certainly think about normal newborn gas. But I also begin wondering whether the gas is actually a symptom of a feeding problem rather than the primary problem itself.
Gas Is a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis
Over the years, I’ve noticed that “gas” sometimes becomes the explanation when no one is quite sure why a baby is uncomfortable. Families may try different bottles, eliminate dairy from mom’s diet, switch formulas, use gas drops, or even begin reflux medication. Sometimes those changes help, and sometimes they don’t.
If your baby continues to struggle despite trying many of these common approaches, it’s worth taking a closer look at how your baby is feeding.
One of the questions I ask parents is, “Where is all of that air coming from?”
The answer isn’t always obvious, but in many babies, the air is swallowed during feeding.
Feeding Problems Often Show Up as Gas
A baby who repeatedly loses suction while nursing or bottle feeding also tends to swallow more air. Each time the seal breaks, a small amount of air enters along with the milk. Over the course of a feeding, that extra air can add up surprisingly quickly.
Parents don’t usually notice the air entering. Instead, they notice the consequences afterward. Their baby burps repeatedly, seems uncomfortable lying on their back, passes large amounts of gas, or cries shortly after finishing a feeding.
That’s one reason I rarely think about gas by itself. Instead, I begin looking for other clues that might point toward inefficient feeding.
For example, I may ask whether the baby clicks while nursing, feeds for a long time, leaks milk from the corners of the mouth, falls asleep before finishing, or always seems hungry shortly after eating. Those symptoms often occur together because they’re all connected to the same feeding mechanics.
Could a Tongue-Tie or Lip-Tie Be Contributing?
In many cases, yes.
After caring for infants with feeding difficulties for many years, one pattern has become difficult to ignore. Many babies who struggle with excessive gas are also working much harder than they should during feedings.
A tongue-tie can limit the tongue’s ability to maintain efficient suction and transfer milk. A restrictive lip-tie may also contribute by making it more difficult to maintain a secure seal around the breast or bottle. Less commonly, restrictive buccal (cheek) ties can affect the way the cheeks support feeding. While most buccal ties are completely normal, we routinely evaluate them because they occasionally contribute to feeding difficulties. If they are significantly affecting feeding, we release them during the same procedure at no additional charge.
It’s important to understand that a tongue-tie doesn’t directly “cause gas.” Rather, if feeding mechanics are inefficient, babies often swallow more air. That swallowed air eventually becomes burps, abdominal discomfort, spitting up, “colic,” or gas.
In other words, the gas is often telling us that we should look more closely at the feeding itself.
If your baby clicks while nursing, you may also enjoy Why Does My Baby Click While Breastfeeding?. Our article Why Does My Baby Swallow So Much Air While Feeding? explains why babies lose suction during feeding, and Reflux or Tongue-Tie? How to Tell the Difference discusses why swallowed air and reflux-like symptoms are often related.
If your baby seems uncomfortable after nearly every feeding, don’t assume you simply have to wait for them to outgrow it. While some babies naturally improve with time, others have an underlying feeding problem that can often be identified and treated. A comprehensive feeding evaluation can help determine whether your baby’s gas is simply part of normal newborn development or whether inefficient feeding is contributing to the problem.
Families travel to the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center from across the United States and around the world because they’re looking for answers to difficult feeding problems. Send us a message or call 205-419-4333 to schedule a consultation. We’d be honored to help your family.
Is Your Baby Too Gassy After Feeding?
Gas, clicking, or poor suction during feeding? A feeding evaluation can help identify the cause.
Looking Beyond the Gas
One of the things I enjoy most about caring for infants with feeding difficulties is figuring out why a baby is struggling. It’s easy to focus on the symptom—gas, reflux, fussiness, or poor sleep—but those symptoms often share a common underlying cause.
Not every gassy baby has a tongue-tie. Some babies have food sensitivities, reflux, immature digestion, oversupply, or another medical condition that deserves attention. However, if gas is occurring alongside feeding difficulties, I believe it’s important to evaluate the feeding itself rather than simply treating the symptoms.
A comprehensive feeding evaluation allows us to step back and look at the whole picture. Instead of asking, “How do we get rid of the gas?” we ask, “Why is this baby swallowing so much air in the first place?”
Why We Evaluate the Entire Mouth
Many parents are surprised to learn that our examination involves much more than looking under the tongue.
During every evaluation, we assess tongue function, upper lip mobility, the baby’s ability to maintain suction, and overall feeding mechanics. We also evaluate for restrictive buccal (cheek) ties. While most cheek ties are completely normal and never require treatment, a small percentage appear to contribute to feeding difficulties by limiting cheek mobility and making it more difficult to maintain an effective seal.
Because tongue-ties, lip-ties, and buccal ties often occur together, we believe it’s important to evaluate the entire mouth rather than focusing on just one area.
More importantly, we don’t make treatment recommendations based solely on anatomy. We consider your baby’s symptoms, feeding history, physical examination, and the overall clinical picture before deciding whether treatment is appropriate.
Parents Often Notice More Than Just Gas
As we continue talking, many parents begin mentioning other concerns they hadn’t realized might be related.
Perhaps breastfeeding has been painful.
Maybe feedings take forty-five minutes or longer.
The baby clicks while nursing, falls asleep before finishing, or seems hungry again shortly after eating.
Individually, those symptoms don’t necessarily point to a tongue-tie. Together, however, they often suggest that feeding has become more difficult than it should be.
This is why I encourage parents to tell me everything they’ve noticed, even if it doesn’t seem important. Sometimes the smallest detail helps explain the entire picture. When they fill out our assessment sheet, often a lightbulb goes off that these symptoms are all related.
Can Treating a Tongue-Tie Help With Gas?
This is one of the questions I’m asked most frequently.
The answer is that treating the tongue-tie doesn’t remove gas directly. Instead, when a tongue-tie is contributing to poor feeding mechanics, treatment often allows babies to maintain a better seal, transfer milk more efficiently, and swallow less air during feeding.
When that happens, many parents notice that their baby:
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Burps less often.
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Seems more comfortable after feedings.
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Passes less gas.
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Spits up less frequently.
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Finishes feedings more efficiently.
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Appears calmer and more satisfied.
Not every baby experiences all of these improvements, and not every gassy baby needs a tongue-tie release. However, when excessive air swallowing is a major contributor to the problem, addressing the underlying feeding mechanics can make a remarkable difference.
When Is It Time to Seek an Evaluation?
If your baby has occasional gas but otherwise feeds well, gains weight appropriately, and seems comfortable most of the time, there’s a good chance you’re simply dealing with normal newborn development.
On the other hand, if your baby is consistently uncomfortable after feedings and you also notice symptoms such as clicking, leaking milk, prolonged feedings, persistent nipple pain, frequent unlatching, or constant hunger, it may be time to look a little deeper.
You don’t have to determine the cause on your own.
That’s what we’re here to help with.
Parents are often told that babies are just “gassy” and that they’ll eventually outgrow it. Sometimes that’s true. But sometimes the gas is simply the first clue that feeding isn’t working as efficiently as it should.
If you’ve tried the usual remedies and still feel like something isn’t right, we’d be happy to help you find answers. Families visit the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center from across the United States and around the world for comprehensive evaluations of infant feeding difficulties.
Send us a message or call 205-419-4333 to schedule a consultation.
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A Final Thought
One of the reasons parents enjoy taking care of babies is that feeding is supposed to be a time of comfort and connection. When every feeding is followed by crying, burping, gas, and obvious discomfort, it’s natural to wonder whether something is being missed.
Sometimes the answer is simply time and a maturing digestive system.
Other times, the answer lies in improving the way a baby feeds.
If you’ve been searching for answers and your instincts tell you something isn’t quite right, we’d love the opportunity to help evaluate your baby’s feeding and discuss whether a tongue-tie, lip-tie, or another feeding issue could be contributing. Send us a message or call 205-419-4333 to schedule a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is gas normal in newborns?
Yes. Nearly every newborn has some gas as their digestive system matures. The question is whether your baby’s symptoms fall within the range of normal or whether they’re being made worse by an underlying feeding problem.
Q2. Can a tongue-tie make my baby gassy?
Not directly. However, if a tongue-tie causes your baby to lose suction and swallow excessive air during feeding, that extra air can contribute to gas, burping, and abdominal discomfort.
Q3. Can a lip-tie also play a role?
Yes. In some babies, a restrictive upper lip makes it more difficult to maintain a comfortable seal around the breast or bottle, allowing more air to enter during feeding.
Q4. Should I try gas drops first?
Gas drops are generally safe and may provide temporary relief for some babies. However, if your baby continues to struggle despite gas drops and other common remedies, it’s worth considering whether a feeding evaluation could identify the underlying cause.
Is Feeding Really the Problem?
