How to Treat Your Baby’s Upset Tummy, According to Pediatricians

If your baby seems fussier than usual, you may wonder if they’re experiencing infant tummy cramps or an upset stomach. While it’s always concerning to see your little one in discomfort, it’s important to know that an upset stomach is fairly common in babies.

Many things can temporarily upset a baby’s tummy. The good news is that there are numerous ways to help a baby with tummy cramps or an upset stomach. Read on for 16 expert-recommended treatment tips for infant tummy cramps and stomach pain relief.

Expert Tips for Soothing Your Baby’s Upset Tummy

Fussy baby with an upset tummy? Learn from pediatricians how to treat infant tummy cramps and stomachaches caused by everything from gas to constipation.

Try a baby massage

Your baby’s digestive system is still immature, but you can help it move things along. “Infant massage is an exceptional and natural way to resolve abdominal discomfort,” says Anthony M. Loizides, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist in Eastchester, New York.

While full-body baby massage offers a number of benefits, focusing on the abdomen is a great place to start when your baby has tummy troubles. Using light to moderate pressure, gently massage your baby’s belly in a circular, clockwise motion with your fingertips.

Bicycle their legs to relieve gas

Another external technique for treating infant tummy cramps and aches is to try baby leg exercises. “Maneuvers you can do to help them pass gas include bending the legs and bringing knees to tummy, and bicycling the baby’s legs,” says Kim Alt, MD, a pediatrician at Rockford Pediatrics in Rockford, Michigan. The simple motion can help gas trapped in the intestines find its way out.

Find the right formula

If your baby is formula-fed and regularly shows signs of tummy discomfort, you might consider an easy-to-digest formula.

“For babies with gassy tummies, hard or pasty stools, or digestive upset with formula, it may be helpful to try a formula that has the milk proteins partially broken down already, which for some babies can make them easier to digest,” suggests Amy Lynn Stockhausen, MD, a pediatrician at Cook Children’s Carrollton pediatric clinic. “These are often labeled as ‘gentle’ and often also contain less lactose than regular formulas.”

“For some babies, it may also be useful to look for a formula that contains probiotics, as some research suggests that probiotics can be helpful to aid in digestion for fussy infants and are generally considered safe in this context,” she adds.

Check their latch

Whether you’re bottle-feeding or direct nursing, make sure your baby’s latch is secure. A good latch limits the amount of air being swallowed, which can reduce gas and tummy troubles.

“Contact a lactation consultant to adjust latch and determine if tongue tie is an issue,” recommends Janice Montague, MD, a pediatrician at Tuxedo Pediatrics, a member of the Allied Physicians Group in Suffern, New York.

Check for oversupply

Having too much breast milk or an overactive letdown can trigger gassiness and baby stomachaches in infants who nurse, explains Dr. Montague. “Oversupply can cause the baby to overfeed or swallow too much air, causing an upset belly,” she says.

Oversupply can also lead to a foremilk-hindmilk imbalance, meaning that your baby is getting more lactose-rich foremilk than fat-rich hindmilk, which can contribute to gassiness and frothy, greenish stools.

When nursing or pumping, make sure you’re emptying one breast fully before switching sides so your baby gets all of the stomach-soothing hindmilk. A lactation consultant can help you manage your supply.

Don’t overfeed

Babies typically unlatch when they’re done nursing, but with a bottle, it can be harder to tell. “Your baby’s stomach is as big as their fist, so only give small amounts at a time,” Dr. Montague says. “I’d rather a baby eat a small amount every two hours than large amounts every four.”

If your baby spits up, Dr. Loizides advises waiting until their next regular session before offering more breast milk or formula.

Avoid distractions during feeding

Keeping your baby focused during feedings can help prevent stomachaches, says Dr. Loizides. “Avoid interruptions, sudden noises, bright lights, and other distractions, and make each feeding calm, quiet, and leisurely.”

Burp partway through a feeding

Taking frequent burping breaks while feeding can help digestion and prevent tummy pain. “Burping the bottle-fed baby at least every three to five minutes, or after every 2 to 3 ounces, will slow your baby’s gulping and reduce the amount of air they take in,” Dr. Loizides says. “If your baby is nursing, burp them when they switch breasts.”

Burp in different positions

If one burping position doesn’t do the trick to soothe your baby’s stomachache, try another. Dr. Alt suggests:

• Lying your baby on their tummy across your legs
• Holding your baby upright with a hand on their chest just under their neck and leaning them forward
• Holding them on their tummy with their head over your shoulder

Try a warm bath

A bit of warmth can ease your baby’s upset stomach. “A warm bath can sometimes help your baby relax and move their bowels as well,” says Dr. Alt. “Just make sure they aren’t too hot!”

When dressing your baby after their soothing bath, keep them comfy by avoiding diapers and waistbands that are too tight, suggests Dr. Loizides.

Keep your baby upright after feedings

Let gravity do its thing by feeding at an angle. “Avoid feeding while the infant is lying down,” advises Dr. Loizides. If you’re nursing, try an upright football or laid-back hold.

After your baby eats, don’t have them lie down right away. “It’s best to seat baby upright for 20 to 30 minutes to ensure proper digestion,” Dr. Montague says.

Pay attention to your diet

When you’re breastfeeding, your baby is getting what you eat, and dairy is a common culprit of upset tummies. “Fruits, green veggies, especially broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and garlic can also make a baby uncomfortable,” Dr. Alt says. To soothe a baby’s tummy symptoms, try eliminating one suspected food at a time for one week each to see if it makes a difference.

Choose the right bottle

Hold the bottle so the milk or formula completely fills the nipple to reduce excess air. Also, “try switching to a bottle that limits how much air the baby gets,” says Dr. Alt.

You might also consider switching out the bottle nipple for one with a slower flow. If the milk flow from the bottle nipple is too fast, your baby may be forced to gulp and take in excess air while feeding, leading to a stomachache.

Do some tummy time

The benefits of tummy time are numerous. It strengthens your baby’s head and neck muscles, helps them develop motor skills, and prevents flat spots on the back of the head. But lying on their tummy also has another benefit for babies: It puts pressure on the stomach, which can sometimes relieve upset tummies.

“Tummy time has a lot of benefits for babies, and one is helping to move gas along,” says Dr. Alt. Note, however, that you should never put a baby to sleep on their stomach, which increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Switch up solids

Starting solids can be a bit of a shock to your baby’s tummy. “Some babies will get a little constipated,” Dr. Alt says. “If this happens, avoid rice cereal (try oatmeal instead) and bananas, as these can be constipating. Pureed fruits, especially pureed prunes, can help keep things moving.”

Add probiotics

Infants’ gut bacteria haven’t yet fully developed, which can cause an upset stomach. “I often add a probiotic approved for children, especially in breastfed infants—some formulas contain a prebiotic or probiotic already,” Dr. Montague says. “Studies have shown that occasionally babies have a predominance of one bacterium in their guts as opposed to a more diverse bioflora.”

Infant probiotics are available in either drop or powder form. Ask a pediatrician or pediatric health care provider before trying this option.

Causes of Infant Tummy Cramps

From gas to gastrointestinal illnesses, many things can unsettle a baby’s tummy and cause tummy cramps or aches. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), common causes of baby stomachaches include:

• Colic
• Constipation
• Gas
• Infections
• Intestinal blockage
• Milk protein allergy
• Reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

When To Call a Health Care Provider

Colic, which is characterized by excessive, inconsolable crying, doesn’t have a known cause, says Dr. Loizides, and many cases of infant constipation will work themselves out on their own. But if these simple solutions for baby’s tummy troubles aren’t working or if your baby still has a stomachache, call a health care provider.

Dr. Loizides says to watch out for concerning symptoms like the following:

• Breathing problems
• Choking
• Pain during or after feeding
• Persistent food refusal
• Poor growth
• Blood in stool
• Vomiting blood or green or yellow fluid

If your baby experiences the above, seek medical attention.