Why Does My Baby’s Stomach Growl While Drinking Formula?
Most parents are familiar with those little gurgling sounds coming from baby’s stomach. This can happen while your baby is drinking formula, and it’s completely normal. Here are some possible reasons why your baby’s stomach may growl while consuming formula milk:
Babies Drink Faster Than They Can Digest
Your baby may take in more milk than they can comfortably digest. This can lead to a noisy stomach, as it tries to process the milk more quickly. It may take your baby’s digestive system a little longer to reach the same level of efficiency as an adult’s.
Air Swallowing
Babies tend to swallow some air while drinking from their bottle. This is because of their immature sucking reflexes. The air in the stomach causes it to expand, which leads to gurgling noises.
Hunger and Impatience
If your baby is too impatient or hungry, they may drink the milk faster than usual and thereby swallow more air. Occasionally, out of hunger, babies may also need to pause their feeding if they have taken in too much milk too quickly.
Gastrointestinal Colic
Gastrointestinal colic is an ailment that causes an infant to experience excessive stomach gurgling or loud, prolonged bursts of crying. It may be accompanied by gas, bloating and inconsolable fussiness.
To help ensure your baby’s stomach doesn’t growl while taking formula milk:
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- Introduce smaller and more frequent feedings: Overfeeding may cause the stomach to growl, so it’s wise to avoid that. Bigger, more spaced out meals are not ideal for infant digestion. When introducing formula to your baby, opt for smaller and more frequent feedings.
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- Avoid air swallowing: Before each feeding, burp your baby. This helps to get any air accumulated in the stomach out, and prevents the gurgling noises from occurring in the first place.
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- Try different types of formula: If your baby is having issues with the formula, you can try out different types available in the market. Switching to a baby formula with partially broken down proteins may work better in her system.
There are many ways to ensure your baby isn’t overly gurgling when drinking formula milk. If the issue persists, consult a paediatrician. As long as any discomfort is managed, your baby can definitely have a gurgling tummy with every bottle.