The Benefits of a Gluten-Free Diet While Breastfeeding: Gas Relief for Baby

Six months in, after countless sleepless nights and endless Googling, I finally found something that made a real difference: a gluten-free diet. TL;DR at the end.

As a first-time mom breastfeeding full-time, I’ve found a rhythm and diet that work for us. My baby’s growing digestive system and my uncharted postpartum body have gone through many trials and errors, and I’ll share how we ended up with a gluten-free diet here.

The Struggles Begin

From the start of nursing my little one, she was always quite gassy and spit up a lot. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary—after all, we all pass gas. Getting her to nap was difficult. At the very least, she always seemed uncomfortable—squirming, scrunching, and arching while grunting and groaning. We’d do tummy massages with bicycle leg kicks, which helped her find some relief. At worst, she'd scream in pain. It was hard watching my infant wail, feeling helpless at times. Her BMs became major weekly events, with lots of grunting and straining. Evenings became stressful as we routinely battled this gaseous, fire-breathing dragon domineering our daughter.

Diet Tweaks and Frustration

I constantly Googled ways to help her. I changed nursing positions, improved her latch, ensured she was burping—everything. Gas drops containing simethicone joined the scene when she was just over a month old. I gave them to her multiple times a day, and while they didn’t reduce the gas, they helped her find relief. We made progress—going from nightly wailing to grunting with discomfort—but she was still struggling to settle at night. I found myself searching things like “How often should a newborn pass gas?” and “How often should a 3-month-old have a BM?” A little voice in the back of my mind was shaming me as a new mom.

Meanwhile, I tweaked my postpartum diet, hoping it would reduce my baby’s gas. I stopped consuming caffeine, dairy, spicy foods, onions, and garlic. While I already ate a whole-foods diet, I eliminated preservatives and additives as well. If it came in any plastic packaging, forget it! But none of these changes helped my baby, and cutting out caffeine and flavor only left me feeling crankier. I started to feel overwhelmed by food prep and diet control, and it was sucking some joy out of motherhood. I was buckling from my growing self doubt as a new mom, feeling aches in my heart when anyone called her "fussy".

The Sourdough Dilemma

Things took a turn for the worse when my baby turned 4 months old. In hindsight, I can see the event that triggered this gas monster in our lives: My brother and sister-in-law came for Thanksgiving, and my sister-in-law taught me her sourdough bread recipe and gifted me some of her starter. This felt like a rite of passage into the world of SAHMs. I embraced this new identity: barefoot-baby-wearing-sourdough-baking mama! Baking sourdough became my new hobby. Fresh loaves of bread with a wonderful crust, enticing aroma, and chewy texture made perfect Christmas gifts for my friends and family. We were eating good.

But my baby became gassier than ever. None of our usual tricks seemed to help as much, and nighttime became a nightmare. Before Thanksgiving, she’d sleep most of the night in her crib with a few nursing sessions. After the holiday, she was harder to settle, seeking comfort all night long and would regularly demand to spend the night in my arms. This “sleep regression” put a major strain on our lives. How did we go from getting good sleep to getting none at all? Could it be the sourdough?

A Gluten-Free Breakthrough

After the new year, I cut out sourdough once I recognized her gas has been worse since Thanksgiving. It sucked, however, I was willing to sacrifice my love affair with sourdough for a healthier, happier baby. Unfortunately, it didn’t make a difference. She was still gassy. While I cut out sourdough, I continued eating bread, bagels, flour tortillas, pumpernickel, and other gluten-filled foods. She continued to be gassy.

Finally, I decided to cut out all gluten. After a full week of being gluten-free this January, we saw major benefits. She became less fussy. Her BMs became more frequent: every other day. Her gas was at a “normal” level. (Who knows what’s “normal” when you’ve never had a baby?) Her wailing and grunting have minimized, and my husband pointed out that we stopped needing to use her gas drops. I’ve also noticed my own positive responses to a gluten-free diet (let me spare you the TMI bits, of course).

Two weeks into being gluten-free, I caved and ate a burger during a night out with my husband. The small, local restaurant didn’t have gluten-free buns, and, frankly, I was more than eager to chomp into a juicy burger. Yes, her gas and grunting returned the following night, but my issues didn’t. Now I’m fully convinced that gluten negatively impacts my breastfeeding baby. So, at least while we’re nursing, I’ll remain gluten-free. Maybe this is some genetic postpartum shift (I’m of Mexican descent on my mother’s side; my body now seems to favor corn, potatoes, beans, and rice). Or maybe my baby is allergic and I’m not. Who knows? For now, we’re sticking with what works.

Some Much Needed Reflections

This experience has taught me patience and the value of sacrifice. As mothers, we sacrifice our bodies, time, and energy to provide the best for our babies. And those sacrifices pay off. It may not always be clear in the moment, but over time, the benefits show. Immediate results like I experienced with a gluten-free postpartum diet make me feel encouraged. Patience has become a central virtue for me as I navigate my postpartum body, breastfeeding, homemaking, and parenting.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is anyone else confused by their postpartum changes? Gluten never caused me issues before. However, this is a reminder to listen to your body, listen to your baby, seek wisdom, and talk to a professional.

TL;DR:  After months of sleepless nights and trying different methods to ease my baby’s gas and discomfort, I found that cutting out gluten made a huge difference. My baby’s gas and BMs became more regular, and her nighttime struggles decreased. I also felt better on a gluten-free diet, although I don't fully understand why gluten is negatively impacting my baby at this time. Either way, going gluten-free has worked for us— it is encouraging to see sacrifices as a mom pay off.