Baby reflux. Colic. Eczema. A bowel movement every few days. My naturally-birthed, breast milk-fed baby had it all going on. If you’re unfamiliar with reflux in babies, imagine that your baby has just fallen asleep. Then minutes later, he wakes up while swallowing acidic, partially digested milk. Or, there’s projectile spit up.
While spit up is very common in healthy babies, with baby reflux you might also see:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Back arching
- Excessive crying
Colic is usually described as a newborn who cries and cries – especially at night – arching his back in frustration as two bewildered and sleepy parents shush, jiggle, and bounce the baby.
Below are some colic and baby reflux remedies.
Change your diet to reduce colic and infant reflux
To help my little guy feel more comfy, I whittled down my veggie-filled primal diet to vegan, gluten-free toast. Bacon. And coconut milk. Lots of coconut milk.
While I’m sure I ate more than these foods, the point remains – it’s extremely helpful to ditch the foods that may either stir up some gas or that contain common allergens. Likewise, you may need to bid farewell to caffeinated foods because they can relax the ring of muscles at the opening of the stomach that protects against reflux.
If you can muster up the wherewithal in your sleep-deprived haze, try an elimination diet.
Food groups to eliminate (then slowly add back in) are:
- Foods with common protein allergens like dairy, wheat, soy, corn, eggs
- Foods belonging to the cruciferous family like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage
- Foods belonging to the nightshade family like potatoes, tomatoes, and chilies
- Foods belonging to the allium family like onion and garlic
- Foods that are caffeinated, like coffee and chocolate
If you feel that everything you put in your mouth has lost its soul, I’m crying with you.
Remind yourself that it doesn’t last forever. Find joy in the foods you can eat. And take your prenatal.
Make your baby comfortable
Okay, so babies fuss. And a colicky baby with an irritated esophagus will fuss even more. But there are a few things to know about positioning that can make your baby comfortable.
- Babies resting on their tummy are less affected by reflux. However – SIDS. So, no one recommends putting your baby down on his tummy. Nonetheless, this detail might give you some peace of mind if your baby ends up sleeping on your chest most nights.
- Resting baby on his left side slows the tummy from emptying and results in less reflux.
- Holding baby upright and slightly to the right after feedings will speed up digestion, or gastric emptying.
Give probiotics to baby…beyond L. reuteri
Whether your baby has colic or reflux, find a high-quality probiotic that you love. This is because at minimum, probiotics can help to soothe inflammation and reduce gas. Which means your baby will sleep easier. Hooray!
The most well-known probiotic that soothes the colicky cries of babes is Lactobacillus reuteri. But only two brands offer this very special microbe to desperate, tired parents: BioGaia and Gerber.
It turns out that BioGaia owns patents on several strains L. reuteri as well as its the commercial use. Does this mean that parents looking to give their baby relief are limited to these two brands?
In short, no.
Just because your probiotic doesn’t contain L. reuteri doesn’t mean it won’t work. Much of the research on L. reuteri was industry funded – in other words, BioGaia provided the patented bacterial strains and the bankroll to get the word out that probiotics work.
The probiotic / prebiotic combination that I use with great success is this:
PRO TIP: Dust your nipple or place the tiniest pinch of each in a bottle filled with breast milk.
- Start with half of the “drop” size if you’re using measuring spoons.
- Offer one or several times a day, as needed. Baby should get relief within the hour. As far as frequency of dosage, let the diapers be your guide.
- Baby should get relief within the hour. As far as frequency of dosage, let the diapers be your guide.
Smidge is a clean probiotic that only contains strains of good-for-baby bacteria. There are no fillers and no prebiotics, which can sometimes be a problem in babies with sensitive tummies.
Galactomune contains two prebiotics: beta glucans and galactooligosaccharides.
These prebiotics are native to the human body.
Yeast cells that call the gut home (like Candida) build a tough matrix around themselves and beta glucans are in the mix.
Likewise, galactooligosaccharides are chains of a milk sugar called galactose. Both beta glucans and galactooligosaccharides do good things for the immune system, helping to control inflammation and strengthen the intestinal barrier.
The moral of this story is that the *right* prebiotic + probiotic do very good things for your baby.
Tongue tie revision may get rid of baby reflux
When scouring the internet for solutions to infant reflux or colic, did you see a photo of a wailing, tongue-tied baby with the words TONGUE TIE MIGHT = REFLUX in bright, eye-catching letters?
No? Me neither.
But, boy would that be useful. When a baby has a tongue-tie, the bottom of the tongue is tethered to the floor of the mouth. You can read more about it through the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Ultimately, a tongue-tie can weaken your baby’s latch and lead to swallowing massive amounts of air, otherwise known as aerophagia (which literally means “air-eating”). Besides a loose or shallow latch, some telltale signs of tongue-tie include a clicking sound while feeding, stuffiness in the morning, and reflux.
So, it’s worth looking in to.
Final message: Reflux in babies is a mixed bag
What worked for one mama and her babe may not work for you and yours. And chances are that more than one approach will yield better results.
In my personal experience and when working with other mamas, I have found that these three things matter most:
- Mama’s diet
- Prebiotics in the form of beta glucan, like Klaire Labs Galactomune
- Ultra clean probiotics designed for baby, like Smidge Infant Probiotic
Sometimes, adding traditional Chinese herbs to the mix can also help. Especially if baby isn’t putting on weight…
Or when reflux persists for longer than 12 weeks.
What helped you with baby reflux? I would love to hear about it!
Unrelated but probiotic-related question: How long do you recommend supplementing diet with a probiotic? My baby is 9 months old and I’m still using probiotic drops once a day in her formula (and she’s going to town with solids), but curious to know if it’s necessary at this point. She doesn’t have any noticeable digestive issues. Thank you!
Hey Leah!
It depends on what she’s eating and if she’s getting any fermented food in her diet. Breast milk is a source of probiotics and prebiotics for baby, so adding probiotics to breast milk helps to mimic that timeline when baby is getting added probiotics – especially bifidobacteria.
I would continue with them while on formula, although you can definitely play with how often you give her probiotics. Diapers, skin, mood, and sleep are all places to look when baby’s gut is off. Hope this helps, xxo!!
Hi Megan,
My son is 2 weeks old today. He is extremely fussy and wants to be held all the time. Our Pediatrician placed him on Enfamil Gentlease and is having us supplement with Gerber Soothe probiotic. He will take his bottle now (unlike before where he was arching his back and crying) but he still cries a ton! He wakes up about every two hours at night and wants to be held. He doesn’t spit up and when he does it’s minimal. I have a gut feeling he is still acid reflux. His Dr also mentioned he had a small tongue tie. Should this be something I should look into? I’m considering purchasing the probiotic you recommend on your page for bottle fed babies since he is not breastfed. Do you think that’s a good start? Any other recommendations you might have? I’m desperate!
Thanks!
Gabrielle
Do babies need a prebiotic in combination with the probiotic? I have a preemie born at 30w, adjusted to 5 weeks and she’s been having a lot of reflux and it is interfering with her sleeping. I feel like we have tried everything and right now she takes mylicon probiotics but I haven’t noticed a difference so I want to try something different containing the bacteria you mentioned. I would like to get the pre and probiotics you mentioned but they are kind of pricey. Is there another brand you would recommend?
Thank you so much!
Hi Megan,
I’m interested in your comment ‘reflux may have a relationship to histamine’. Could you explain? The reason I’m asking is that I am very prone to hayfever symptoms, all year round. Over the years I found that certain foods that irritate my gut makes these symptoms worse so dairy, for instance, is off the menu completely to keep my sinuses under control. Since the birth of my son, I find that I am sneezing and sniffing all over again, so I often take antihistamines to help. My son is now 2 months old and struggles with reflux. He cries a lot during the day and doesn’t sleep well when I put him down. He was vomiting every day for 2 weeks, but keeping him upright during and after every feed helps to keep it under control. I’ve also noticed that he sneezes a lot and have a lot of wax coming out of his ears. Is this normal for a small baby? I guess my question is: could there be a link between my allergies and his reflux and if I take antihistamines, how would that affect him?
Hey Hanlie,
Histamine is linked to reflux. That’s why H2 blockers are prescribed for reflux, even in babies. Histamine is sometimes found in breast milk and levels can go up, depending on what mama is going through. For example, with mastitis – an infection that raises levels of histamine in mama – you see a big increase of histamine in breast milk.
I haven’t seen anything to confirm that allergies would increase the risk of reflux in baby – but from what I know right now, it looks like there may be a connection. There are ways to naturally lower your own histamine, which can decrease the signs of allergies and maybe help with baby’s reflux. So, a low histamine diet. Also taking supplements may help, something like Seeking Health’s HistaminX: https://amzn.to/2Imbeut Also taking a histamine-degrading probiotic.
This won’t necessarily cure allergies, but it lowers histamine which produces a lot of allergy symptoms. Which may also change histamine levels in breast milk – if that’s an issue.
Hope this helps, thanks for the great Q and keep in touch xxo!!
Hello Megan,
My daughter is 6 weeks old and has reflux and gas. I tried gripe water, gas drop and mother bliss probiotic, but it didn’t get any better. I aldo tried natural catnip & fennel, which help a little with her gas. She is on prescription for reflux, but I feel like it just making it worst. She would wake up after 15 minutes because of the reflux. Im thinking about trying evivo probiotic. I’m hoping you can give me some suggestion. Thank you
Hi Megan,
Curious if you have another option for the Galactomune that is vegetarian? My son is 2 weeks old and def has some gas/ reflux issues. Plus was put on antibiotics in the NICU for 2 days so I would to give him so probiotics to help him but we are vegetarian.
Appreciate any information you might have!
Thanks!
Haley
Got it! Probiota Immune from Seeking Health is nearly identical (but no fish!!) https://amzn.to/2ASjUGQ So I would do that with GutPro – prebiotics and specifically beta glucans are a big piece of the puzzle if reflux is keeping baby up or making baby uncomfortable.
xxo!!
Hi Megan. My son is 9 wo. I have been taking a probiotic since he was born and am breastfeeding. He has horrible eczema and cradle cap and does occasionally get gas but it doesn’t seem to bother him much. I am planning to start supplementing with formula when I go back to work in a a few weeks. Should I start him on a probiotic even though I’m already taking one?
Hey Stephanie,
Yes! I would definitely give him a probiotic with formula.
Here’s a protocol for cradle cap that really works: https://megangarcia.com/three-steps-to-get-rid-cradle-cap/
xxo!!
Hi Megan, lovely article! I’m 30 weeks pregnant with our first little guy. I keep reading so many stories of reflux, colic & fussy babes that I’m already preparing myself Incase that’s our situation. Would you take any of these dietary or probiotic steps before an issue arises? I try to eat whole quality foods while being more inclusive of things I tolerate, like dairy. Do you find all babies can benefit or wait and see how each kiddo responds?
Hey Emma,
This is a great question! Ultimately, each baby and birth is unique. Having an unrestricted diet during pregnancy is important and something to keep in mind. I would also **only** take a probiotic if you need it since mama’s microbes shift on their own during pregnancy – you want to allow this natural swing to happen.
Congratulations mama, xxo!!
My daughter is 6 months old and still struggles with gas and acid reflux! We have tried just about every remedy there is: Mylicon drops, chamomile tea, fennel, gripe water, gerber probiotics etc. She seemed to be getting better a few weeks ago but now we’ve started solids and it seems things are worse again. It’s to the point that if she falls asleep in my arms, she wakes up immediately with back arching and crying when I lay her in her crib. She sleeps best in a rocker where she’s inclined. Would changing to the Galactomune and GutPro help with this and how much would she get? She’s formula fed (Similac ProSensitive) and a mix of solids and purees.
My son is 11 weeks old and been on ranitidine for just
Over a week but doesn’t seem to be easing his reflux 😢 only gave him relief for a couple of days would a probiotic help this ? He is formula fed
Hi Megan – my child is 7 weeks and suffers from serious reflux. Instead of mixing the pre and probiotic can i just purchase the BioGaia ? We are Breastfeeding and supplementing with babies only organic formula ( we had to supplement because of poor weight gain. Thank you!
Hey Shabnam,
BioGaia isn’t the same and I haven’t gotten the same results with it, so I would definitely use the combination above. There are pediatric herbs that can help with weight gain as well. Feel free to reach out if you need to hello@megangarcia.com
xxo!!
Megan
Hi Megan,
Thanks a ton for your article!!
I have a BioGaia . Is it ok if i use that or you would advise to use the ones you have mentioned? My little one has lip tie , can it be a couse of reflux?
Hey Aziza,
BioGaia is great if it works for you, but usually, babies need more support. This combination has worked for MANY babies – so it may be worth trying if you’re not getting results.
Keep in touch and let me know how it goes, xxo!!
Megan
Hello Megan,
My baby is 7 weeks old and suffers from silent reflux. I am giving biogaia drops to him. Is there anything else I should give? And what about me? What should I take? Thank you ever so much for your help!
xx
Hey Catia,
I would switch from BioGaia to Smidge Infant probiotics and ProBiota Immune prebiotic. Biogaia is good, but I see better results with this combo. Keep in touch and let me know how things go, mama xxo!!
Hello Megan! I have a question regarding the prebiotic/probiotic you mentioned above. You said to
place the tiniest pinch of each in a bottle filled with breast milk and offer one three times a day. Would it be ok to work up to that many times a day? Maybe start off with one of each per day or even every other day ?
Hey Alyssa!
The effects are dose-dependent, meaning you’ll get results usually within an hour. You may need to give to baby again later on, as needed. I like using the GutPro measuring spoon for the probiotic and I like to use the capsules for Galactomune, because I find it easier to use. Hope this helps xxo!!
Hi Megan! Thank you for replying back. I bought both products you mentioned and the infant gutpro measuring spoon. I’m nervous to start but I’m willing to try anything for my little one. Are there any specific signs to look out for if the 3 Xs a day of both products are too strong for little one ?
Hey Alyssa,
Loose or even an explosive bowel movement may occur if it’s too much for baby and it’s no big deal, just pull bag a little on the frequency and things will return back to normal 👍🏼
Ok! Thank you so much for your knowledge and speedy responses 🙂
thanks for this post!
Of course xxo!!
Hi! I have a 6 month old baby that suffers from severe reflux. I am interested in trying anything that might help ease this. We haven’t not tried any probiotics. She is feed a special formula through a feeding tube. Can you make any recommendations? Thanks
Hey Nancy,
This can be so rough. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for me to make any (good) recommendations without knowing more. Feel free to email me or schedule a consult xxo!!
Hello Megan-
I have a 6.5 month old that is breastfed. She has been on zantac since roughly 4-5 weeks of age. I have been dairy free, soy free, egg free (as well as chocolate, spicy foods, red sauces, citrus) for the last 4.5 months, soy for 3.5 months, and egg free for about a month. Her reflux has gotten SO much better, the blood in her stool and mucous is gone; she’s happy all the time and can even lie on her back (after always wanting to be held upright or on her belly all day) and so is the rashiness/exzema on her face is gone, unless I have a slip-up. She may also be non-IgE to oats. I have no doubt she is non-IgE to soy and dairy; we are trialling eggs now to see if I can get them back into my diet.
She still doesn’t have a typical breastfed baby poop, it’s very watery. I wanted to try the prebiotic/probiotic combo you mention above but I am concerned about the galactomune because of the milk ingredients, and possible sensitivities to it. Do you have any thoughts?
Many thanks,
EJ
Hey EJ,
I find that it’s well tolerated and even *helpful* in babies who are extremely sensitive to dairy.
There may be other pieces to the puzzle, but this is a great place to start. My blog post on allergen introduction has more info that you may find useful: https://megangarcia.com/how-to-introduce-allergens-to-baby/
xxo!!
Thanks so much. We will try it for sure. Your other page was very helpful.
Another question-after 6 weeks of being egg free, I ate one (cooked) egg on Monday morning in order to trial egg…I probably should have looked into it a little more and ate a little less. Tuesday she was uncomfortable all day, had bloody/mucousy poop, and a face/chin rash. Today (Weds) she’s feeling much better and back to herself, still has a face rash but no spit up and no unhappiness. She’s been tested for all major allergens already (and so far eats peanut butter in coconut yogurt) but I am beginning to worry about her nutrition overall because I’ve cut out a lot and I am not doing a good job of getting nutrients into my diet (I am seeing a nutritionist) and she’s refusing most foods I give to her.
I have been dairy free since December (5.5 months), soy free 4.5 months, and egg free 6 weeks. Her growth slowed down at her last check up. Her pediatrician isn’t concerned because she hasn’t gone down 2 percentiles yet, but she’s not that far from it. He also wants her on an iron supplement. She has never had a normal breast-fed baby poop; when she’s feeling good/allergen free they are yellow and watery.
Do you have any thoughts on the quality of my breastmilk given what I might be lacking. A number of professionals have told me that she will “take what she needs” from me, and it’s my body that will suffer, not hers, but I’m not sure I believe this? One GI doc told me to eat eggs and not to worry about bloody/green/mucousy poop and reflux, which just doesn’t feel right. But I’m also worried about true allergies and making sure she’s exposed. Thanks again!
Also I meant to add-I am pretty desperate to wean her off zantac and am starting to now.
Hi Megan,
Thank you so much for all your amazing and helpful information! I have an 8 month old breastfed son with allergies and eczema. He is allergic to egg whites and tree nuts and appears to be sensitive to banana and avocado. I’m at the point where I just don’t know what to feed him or how to support him. He’s such a. Sweet and happy boy and all I want is to help him thrive. I’m worried we both may be vitamin deficient. I haven’t been taking anything out of fear that it might cause him flare ups. But now I’m ready to try a vitamin for myself and support for him (possibly the prenatal you recommend). It’s clear to me that his gut is out of whack. I’m interested in trying this prebiotic and probiotic you discussed. Does he sound like a candidate for both or just the probiotic.? Would I start them are the same time? Should I hold off on my own supplement or begin them as well? I fully understand if that’s too many questions or you can’t get back to me! Thanks again for the work you do!
Hey Anne,
It’s worth mentioning that babies tend to outgrow allergies in the first year. I have a blog here that may help: https://megangarcia.com/how-to-introduce-allergens-to-baby/
From what you describe, GutPro is a good probiotic to go with and YES, I would use a beta glucan prebiotic with it.
Hope this helps!! xxo
Hi Megan,
The GutPro is out of stock right now. Have you heard of much success with Ther-Biotics for Infants? Are they comparable?
Thanks!
Hey Beth,
I would go with Seeking Health’s ProBiota HistaminX.
One of the reasons why GutPro Infant does so well for babies is because it’s low in histamine. Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Infant has histamine producers, so it’s not my first choice.
Thanks for the great question!!
Thanks so much for your response and recommendation. I am hoping to get the Gut Pro when it comes back in stock but wanted to start on something. With the prebiotic capsules – how much do you use each time?
Hey Megan,
I have another question for you. I thought my son was having reflux but at the Drs today they were able to test and determine that he is having milk protein intolerance so I’m going to adjust my diet. Would you recommend still giving him the probiotics? Thanks so much for your help!
Good evening,
My son is formula fed and is having gas and colic can you please help me with a probiotic? He is using Gerber formula but he’s been so uncomfortable and now cries a lot at night in pain. Please help desperate.
Hey Camila,
I have a couple of probiotics in my shop and if you need any more support you can email me.
xxo!!
What’s your email address ?
Just making sure I understand! for the pre and probiotic you would dust the nipple with each 5 times a day?? Thank you!!
YES! Or, if pumping, you can also put in baby’s bottle.
xxo!!
Hi! My 2 mo girl cries a LOT, but hasn’t been diagnosed with anything (besides being “extra fussy” and to “wait it out”). It started out in the evenings only, but after week 3 or 4, it became all day. Usually after feeding, it’s screeching cries, stiffened body, and milk spit up. Throughout the day, there’s gulping (as though she spit up in her throat), wheezing, and a sound like there’s mucus in her airway. She’s also had a rash on the back of her neck for weeks now. She’s gaining weight well so my pediatrician says there’s nothing wrong – but there clearly is, even if it’s nothing more than colic. I’ve eliminated dairy for a few weeks now, but just realized that the 2 tablespoons of protein I’ve been adding to my coffee every day has dairy in it. (Ugh! Palm to forehead!) I recently switched to decaf coffee, and don’t eat eggs anymore, but I’m sure there’s caffeine and eggs hidden in other things I’m eating. Probably soy, too. And finally – I’ve been giving her the Gerber probiotics for the past week and give her Gripe Water as needed. What else can I do?! How can I demand allergy tests for her? How can I get a proper diagnosis? Alternatively, if I just assume it’s silent reflux or allergies, do you have other suggestions? Is there an OTC version of Zantac perhaps?? Thanks!
Hey Brianna,
Try the probiotic and prebiotic in this blog post and LMK how it goes! That’s a good place to start, Gerber has a high histamine strain. Allergy tests are not recommended right now because baby’s immune system is going through a lot of changes.
xxo!!
Hi! I have. 5 week old who’s been showing signs of acid reflux. I’ve so far committed to eliminating dairy as I was having a lot (especially during pregnancy). After a week I still haven’t seen much of a difference. I’m willing to do a full elimination diet to rule out other culprits. I guess my question and/or worry is regarding down the road. If I eliminate these major allergen/trigger foods will he be allergic to these foods in the future?
Hi Courtney, this is a great question!
You’re going to have plenty of time to work allergens back in later on. Ideally when he starts solids, he’s getting exposure to the allergen via breast milk AND food. So that’s something to keep in mind!
xxo
I ordered Smidge and the prebiotics. Smidge comes with a spoon labeled smidge- is this the same size as the drop or the smidgen on the measuring spoons you have linked?
Hey Nadine,
YES, this is the “drop” size or 1/64th tsp. You may want to start smaller than that at first and work your way up to a drop.
xxo!!
Question on the pro/pre biotic combination – have you ever seen this make baby worse? I can’t seem to figure out if it’s still something in my diet, or if it’s the supplements that are causing gas and stomach discomfort for my daughter. She has reflux, which is why we started the combo, hoping it isn’t the case so we can keep using them!
Hey Lindsay,
You might need to reduce the amount of probiotic used.
I don’t know what “worse” means here – like more crying? Gas? Spit up? Feel free to email me!
xxo!!