Vishakha Rawal

An ambivert, a humanist, a true philotherian, dreamer, loves adding and checking things off the bucket list, movie buff, an avid traveler, an amateur artist, writer, blogger, engineer, and yes an entrepreneur as well!

Colic and gastric can be the worst problems for infants. It has a lot to do with your breastfeeding technique and can also occur due to the indigestion problems or passage of air into their body every time they eat.

Gripe water was introduced to the world in 1800’s by William Woodward of England. Since then mothers swear on gripe water and has been passed on from generations to generations. Today, there are lots of companies producing gripe water. Mothers in the past have claimed that the gripe water has helped them to soothe their crying babies who were suffering through colic or gastric problems. However, today the scenario is quite different, many mothers complain that even after administrating gripe water to their infants, they don’t stop crying. The question is – is gripe water safe for my baby?

When Woodward formulated gripe water, he used a combination of dill seeds, alcohol, and sodium bicarbonate along with other ingredients. Dill seeds are supposed to be the best to treat gassy babies but it was alcohol that used to play a huge role in soothing babies.

Now, companies producing gripe water are not allowed to use alcohol in the making process, which is why the gripe water formula doesn’t work effectively for the babies now. If you ask us whether it is baby-friendly and should be used or not? then our answer will be NO.

We have valid reasons to support our statement here:

The WHO (World Health Organization) has stated in the best interest of the infants that they should be given only and only breast milk for the first 6 months of their life. The benefits of the breast milk consumed during those six months last a lifetime.

It forms a bonding between a mother and a child, the breast milk helps to fight various life-threatening diseases during both childhood and adulthood, it helps in building a person’s IQ.
This is the number one reason to not use gripe water.

Earlier the soothing effect was caused due to the alcohol present in it. Instead of alcohol, companies are using a high level of sugar in the production now. Sugar is supposed to have a soothing effect on babies but this much amount of sugar will have an adverse effect on babies’ emerging teeth.

There are always natural ways to deal with an annoyed baby suffering through colic or gastric problems. Make her burp right after feeding so that she doesn’t get gassy. You can hold her up right to your shoulder or just lay her down on her stomach. This way, it will be easier for her to pass gas. You can also check your breastfeeding technique.

Make sure your baby is upright while feeding to prevent the air swallowing. Of course, physical contact works a lot, try to pacify your baby by keeping her close to you.