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“Overactive” Intestines—Crying, Cramps, and the Gastro-colic
Reflex
Does your baby cry and double up shortly after you start a feeding?
This twisting and grunting may look like indigestion, but it’s usually just
an overreaction to a normal intestinal reflex called the “gastro-colic
reflex” (literally, the stomach-colon reflex).
This valuable reflex is the stomach’s way of telling the colon: “Time to
get rid of the poop and make room for the new food that was just
eaten!” If you’ve noticed that your baby poops during or after eating,
this is why.
How Your Baby’s Tummy Works

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A baby’s digestive system is like a long conveyor belt. At one end,
milk is loaded into the mouth five to eight times a day. It is quickly
delivered to the stomach, and then is slowly carried through the
intestines, where it is digested and absorbed. Whatever milk isn’t
absorbed gets turned into poop and is temporarily stored in the
colon.
When the next meal begins, the stomach telegraphs a message to
the lower intestines, commanding them to squeeze. The squeezing
pushes the poop out, making room for the next load of food. This
message from the stomach to the colon is called the gastro-colic
reflex.
Most infants are unaware when this reflex is happening. Others feel a
mild spasm after a big feeding or if they’re frazzled at day’s end. But for
a few babies, this squeezing of the intestine feels like a punch in the
belly! These infants writhe as if in terrible pain.
As you might imagine, the gastro-colic reflex can be even more
uncomfortable if your baby is constipated and his colon must strain to
push out firm poop. However, most babies who cry from this reflex have
soft, pasty poops. They cry because they are overly sensitive to this
weird sensation.