Has your stomach ever made one of those weird sounds that embarrassed you to the point you never wanted to get out of your bed and move forward with life?
Well, babies don’t quite know embarrassment yet, and that’s probably a good thing because those little tummies can make quite the ruckus.
Of course, as a new mama, anything with a baby makes you wonder if it’s normal or not. Like when you’re breastfeeding that sweet little cherub, and you suddenly hear gurgling or growling sounds. What is up with that?!?
Not to worry, Mama! This post will explain the reason for the rumbling. So, let’s get ready to rumble through why the baby’s stomach is gurgling during feedings.
Why is my baby’s stomach making noises?
I have good news for you. Yes, your newborn baby’s tummy can make some strange sounds like growling, gurgling, grumbling, or even sloshing. The loudness of it seems quite the contrast to that tiny body. But it is normal.
And believe it or not, it’s not coming from the tummy. It’s the lower digestive system letting you know that it is working.
When you take your baby in for her first exam and follow-up checkups, the doctor will give that tiny tummy a listen to check for bowel sounds. These sounds should start around 15 minutes after your baby is born because air has entered the gastrointestinal tract for the first of what will be many times.
Are baby’s tummy sounds normal while breastfeeding?
Just like your high school or college classroom experience while test-taking in a silent room, when your stomach would loudly make its presence known, your baby’s stomach sounds are amplified. They sound noisier then because nothing else is making a sound.
In the light of day, you may notice it too, but far less if you’ve got the TV on or others are around. But gurgling baby tummies during feedings are completely normal too. It’s just the breastmilk moving through her intestines.
When it’s between feeding time, you may notice other sounds from tinkling to gurgling every 20 seconds. Again, fully normal!
Can my breastmilk make my baby’s stomach upset?
A gurgling belly doesn’t mean your breastmilk is causing a problem during breastfeeding. It’s just normal digestive sounds.
However, if you have too much breast milk, you could make your baby gassier. When there’s too much to gulp down or the flow is too fast, it can make the baby swallow too much air.
You should also watch your breastmilk and how your baby reacts to it based on the foods you eat. If your baby is fussy, irritable, crying, gassy, spitting up more often, or drawing her legs up in pain, you should start paying attention to what you’re eating.
While most babies aren’t bothered by what you eat, certain foods may cause more irritation than others. Things like chocolate, dairy, coffee, other beverages with caffeine, processed junk foods, and vitamins.
You should write down what you eat, which is a good idea anyway since it can help you stick to a good diet plan to get your body back after a baby. This way, you’ll also see if anything you’re eating is bothering the baby.
You’ll want to remove one group of foods at a time. Dairy is the first to start with. If you notice after 48 hours that your baby’s symptoms have stopped or decreased, then you should stop eating that particular item.
What else causes stomach sounds in babies?
For gurgling, growling, tinkling, and sloshing these are normal sounds from your baby’s bowels. You should only be concerned if poop is not normal (or not coming out at all) or your baby runs a fever.
Other times, you may encounter gas. Gassy babies get this way from swallowing too much air. It is a side effect of being a baby who cries to tell you what they want.
In any event, if you notice those fussy symptoms listed earlier on, chances are, gas is to blame. It comes from an overactive letdown on the breast or even with bottle-fed babies that are using a fast-flow nipple. You should help them burp and get the gas out.
Sometimes, it is an allergy though if you notice the tricks for helping a gassy baby don’t seem to be working, you should call your doctor to test for allergies. It could be something in the formula you use. It could be something you’re eating for breastfed babies, so definitely have it checked out.
Barring those few things, the baby’s tummy making gurgling noises is totally normal. And now that you know, you can enjoy being amused by the sounds.
Leslie Berry lives with her husband and two young daughters in Los Altos, California, where she loves helping other moms get comfortable with motherhood and embracing the insanity with facts peppered with laughs.
She loves eating too much sushi, exercising, and jamming out on her Fender. Read more about Leslie here.
