Babies suffering from gas or colic are miserable, and often, so are their parents. In Europe, many parents swear by gripe water for easing their babies' colic symptoms, although according to the British Medical Journal website, these claims have not been scientifically proven. Using just a few ingredients, along with sterilized water, you can make your baby a batch of gripe water at home. Originally gripe water contained alcohol and bicarbonate of soda as well as these other ingredients, but many physicians advise against these. The remaining ingredients are meant to help relieve the baby's intestinal gas, bloating and pain.
Step 1
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Step 2
Cover the pan, turn the heat down and allow the water to simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3
Strain the gripe water using the strainer, and pour it into a sterile container.
Step 4
Allow the water to cool to room temperature before feeding it to your baby.
Step 5
Refrigerate the unused portion for up to 24 hours. If you haven't used it within 24 hours, discard.
Tips and Warnings
- For a very young baby, dilute the gripe water, using two parts sterile water to one part gripe water.
Things You'll Need
- Saucepan
- 1 tsp. fennel seed
- 1/4 inch piece peeled ginger
- 1 Tbsp. corn syrup
- Two leaves peppermint
- 4 cups water
- Strainer
- Sterile jar
