Make Gripe Water

6 Parts:

Things You'll Need

Steps

Tips

Warnings

Questions and Answers

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A chronic problem in about 25% of infants, both breastfed and formula fed is gas, colic, reflux and constipation. Statistically, any infant can suffer from at least one of the aforementioned ailments. These issues can be not only extremely painful for your baby, but very tiring for parents as well.

Gripe water can be the answer to these problems, and much of the time babies enjoy the taste immensely. Gripe water is preferable over more chemical methods such as Mylicon or Simethicone for people who want a more natural gas remedy. While Mylicon and Simethicone work by breaking down the air bubbles in the infants stomach, gripe water soothes the stomach and intestines and makes it more easy to pass stool and gas for the baby. Making gripe water at home is a great idea, because though you can buy it at any grocer, it is much more inexpensive to make in bulk at home. You can use fresh herbs if you wish, but I prefer to do it the easy way and use tea bags.

• 1 bag of chamomile tea
• 1 bag of ginger tea with lemon
  
• 1 tsp of dill, powdered or freshly ground.
  
• 1 tsp. fennel, ground
  
• 1 tsp. of agave, or raw sugar-corn syrup is not recommended
  
• A measuring cup
• A teapot or saucepan
• A Sharpie

1. 1
   Boil 4 cups of water.

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2. 2
   Steep tea bags, dill and fennel in the boiled water for 35 minutes.

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3. 3
   Strain through a small metal strainer or a cheese cloth into mason jars or bottles for storage.

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4. 4
   Add agave or raw sugar to sweeten.

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5. 5
   Store in the refrigerator.

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6. 6
   Write the date on container with a sharpie, gripe water is good for two weeks from the date it is made.

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7. 7
   The dosage is 1 tsp

   .

   per serving; it can be added to a bottle and given up to 8 times in a 24 hour period with a dropper.

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• Note that because the gripe water is made at home there are no preservatives to keep the ingredients fresh. It is recommended that if not frozen, gripe water should be disposed of within 2 weeks after being made. Store at room temperature for short travels, but refrigerate to store.

• Give the drops one drop at a time and give the infant adequate time to completely swallow the liquid. Because the gripe water is a thinner consistency than milk or formula, it is easier for the infant to choke on. Some doctors advise that the use of gripe water before 6 months of age can interfere with infant's nutrient absorption from breastmilk. This has not been proven, but use at your own discretion! There has been a problem with contamination of agave on the market of up to 30 percent of what is being sold. Please make sure that you purchase your ingredients from a trusted source. Also herbal supplements have not been approved or recommended by the FDA for children under the age of 6.

What is the chemical preservatives of gripe water?

What is the chemical preservatives of gripe water?

A natural Gripe Water will have no preservatives. Most Gripe Waters sold over the counter like Wellements Gripe Water also do not contain preservatives. If your Gripe Water contains preservatives then it is not natural or organic.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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