Natural Colic Remedy: Safe, Effective and Comforting

Every mother has high emotions after the birth of a new baby. No matter what your pregnancy and delivery experience is, it is like music to your ears when you hear your little love cry for the first time; but what if the crying doesn’t stop?

Unfortunately approximately 40% of all babies born today are born with the condition colic (KidsHealth.org, Your Colicky Baby). Colic is defined by a baby’s excessive crying for more than 3 hours in one fit happening 3 to 4 times daily.

There are many products that are out there claiming to relieve colic but, how do you know which one to spend $10.00 on?

Here is what many experienced mothers with very happy colicky babies will tell you, “GRIPE WATER.” Yes, gripe water works wonders if given right after or during a feeding. It relieves the pressure in the intestines of your child and sooths them. The problem with this is that most of the products out there have ingredients that most parents want to avoid.

Gripe water is derived from the natural ingredient fennel. There, the secret is out! You can help you’re colicky baby with fennel tea and it is an eighth of the price you would pay for a 4oz bottle of gripe water.

Colic Recipe 1 “Simple for New Born babies”

1. Put 1 ¼ cup baby water (found next to the baby formula at the market) to boil

2. Measure out ¼ teaspoon dried fennel seeds

3. Add in fennel seeds

4. Let boil for 5 minutes remove from heat and strain

5. Let tea cool completely before you give it to your baby

*Never let your newborn drink more than 2 ounces of tea at a time. Too much water in their diet can lead to medical emergencies.

After your baby is 3+ weeks old it is ok to introduce him to new herbs that may help him out a little more. Remember, even though herbs are natural, they are new to your child’s body and too much can in fact be harmful so always use discretion. If you consumed herbs while pregnant then you may be able to use this second recipe within the first few weeks of birth.

Recipe 2 “Advanced for 3 weeks or more”

1. Bring 3 cups baby water to boil

2. Separate ½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds

3. Separate ½ teaspoon dried Mansanilla (Chamomile)

4. Separate ¼ teaspoon dried Yerba Buena (Spearmint)

5. Separate ¼ teaspoon dried Aluchema (Lavender) OPTIONAL

6. Boil all ingredients for 5 minutes

7. Strain and let cool

Do not use peppermint in place of Spearmint as it is harsh on the stomach

These recipes can be altered to dilute them but to make them stronger increases the risk of an unwanted reaction. Don’t add any ingredients to these, especially Star Anise as it is unsafe for children and Pomegranate Bark which actually induces colic!