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Is baby arching her back, lifting her legs, and just seems downright uncomfortable? You might be dealing with a gassy baby. Poor thing! In this video, I want to share a natural remedy that may help… It’s called Gripe water.
Before we talk about solutions, let’s examine why your baby is so gassy in the first place. Do know that it’s super common because babies digestive and muscular systems are still developing. Because of this, babies can have a hard time burping up trapped air by themselves. Plus, they are drinking breast milk that is rich in prebiotics that’s feeding their good gut bacteria causing some gas… and it’s a definite adjustment!
Here are the signs that your baby is gassy:
#1: He’s crying while passing gas (or trying to at least!)
#2: He’s arching his back… he may be stiff
#3: He’s lifting his legs up to his chest
#4: He’s fussy
And not easy to soothe
A common remedy for a gassy baby is to give them gripe water.
Gripe water is an old-fashioned remedy made up of soothing herbs and water that helps to relieve baby’s discomfort. While there is no standard recipe for this concoction, it normally contains some of the following herbs, which are known to soothe digestion:
Fennel
Ginger
Chamomile
Lemon Balm
Cinnamon
Licorice
Sounds pretty pure, right?
Well, yes and no. While these herbs are far more natural than a synthetic gas drop, you’re still introducing a “food” in a sense, which could cause irritation for sensitive infants. Plus, many gripe waters have preservatives and sweeteners added. More on that later...
So is there anything else you can do?
Well, If you are nursing, you could drink fennel, ginger, and chamomile tea yourself. The beneficial properties will be passed down through your milk in a gentle way. I have had great success by drinking fennel tea with my babies. I just take 2 TB of fennel seeds and let them brew in a quart of hot water for 20 minutes. I then drain the liquid and sip on throughout the day. Also, consider your breastfeeding diet. Some babies really react to dairy so you could try eliminating for a few weeks and see if the gassiness disappears. If your diet is rich in gas-inducing foods like onions, raw broccoli and cabbage, garlic and legumes, this could also be a factor.
If your baby is formula fed, you could try switching formulas as this is probably the culprit for your baby’s upset stomach. This can really make all the difference. I have a whole post with my favorite formulas on my website. Link in video description below.
Regardless of how baby is fed, you can do gentle infant massage to help release the build up of gas. Bicycle legs, circular motions on the belly and even using warm olive oil with ginger and massaging into belly can help.
If you do use gripe water, be sure to look for an organic brand without any synthetic fillers, dyes, or preservatives. Wellement’s Organic Gripe Water is easy to find on Amazon and contains organic herbs. WishGarden Colic Ease also has pure ingredients. Some moms make their own gripe water.
But always, always talk to your child’s pediatrician to get help for your baby. Never give your child any remedies until speaking with your doctor first.
I hope this video helps! Thank you so much for watching. Be sure to subscribe to my channel for more natural pregnancy and parenting content. Be sure to sign up for our free Baby’s First year curriculum on my website and check out our baby care course. I’ll have a link in the video description below!