Our newborn daughter {the Little Lass} gets gas that seriously rivals that of her father’s. And each time she has a gassy episode, she wiggles, grunts, and screams in pain. Naturally, I don’t want my sweet little girl to suffer, so I started researching which herbs are helpful at fighting against gas and colic {and consulted my doctor to see if they were okay to give to her}. Then I made her some homemade gripe water. Today’s recipe is that easy-to-make and highly effective gripe water.
Here’s a break down of the ingredients and why I chose them:
- Ginger. This soothes tummy troubles like gas, indigestion, colic, and diarrhea.
- Chamomile. This calming flower reduces inflammation and may help baby relax.
- Fennel. This helps to prevent or reduce gas.
- Coconut Sugar. This adds sweetness to mixture, making it easier to get you wee one to drink it. If you don’t have or don’t want to use coconut sugar, you can use another natural sweetener {but no honey until baby is over a year old} instead to sweeten the mixture {I also would NOT use any sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, or erythritol as these might only add to the problem}.
- Cinnamon. Combats indigestion and gas.
- Clove. Helps against bloating and indigestion and also has a mild pain relieving effect.
A couple tips to help baby with their gas or colic:
- Feed the baby in a manner that their head is above their stomach. This way, the air that they may swallow will stay on top in their belly and be easier to burp up {rather than fart out later}.
- Always burp baby after each feeding. I’ll also burp the Little Lady in between switching from one breast to the other. To burp a baby, you don’t have to thump on their back {although you can}–just holding them upright and gently rubbing their back is enough to get them to burp. If baby doesn’t burp immediately, give it a couple minutes and try again {and sometimes they won’t burp at all}.
- Make a warm compress and massage baby’s tummy. To do this, dampen a clean washcloth with warm {be very careful–you don’t want to burn baby} water and place it over baby’s tummy. Let it sit there until it starts to cool then remove it and gently massage their tummy in a clockwise fashion to work out the gas. Clockwise is important because of how the intestines lay. Some sources say you can use a little olive oil as you do the massaging. Thanks to my friend Farrah for this very helpful tip!
- Diffuse essential oils. Essential oils like peppermint, lavender, or Peace and Calming {my favorite–zonks me out, too!} are great to diffuse to help soothe and calm baby.
- Don’t overfeed baby. Try to keep around 2 hours in between the beginning of one feeding session to the next. I’ve also found sources that say to feed more often {talk about contradiction}, but I personally have found that keeping 2 hours between feedings seems to help more {you’ll need to experiment to see which is best for your wee one}.
- Bend your baby’s legs. Gently bend their legs up and down and to the sides. This lightly squishes their tummy and can help to push gas out.
- Keep an eye on your diet. Some triggers for gas in breastfed babies are the caffeine or dairy that mom eats or drinks. You may need to experiment by cutting out foods or beverages for a week or so at a time to see if they are the culprits behind your baby’s upset tummy.
- Switch formula. If you formula feed your baby, they may have a sensitivity to the formula {or brand of formula} you’re using, so try switching to a different formula {I would personally steer clear of anything with soy}.
- Soothing and sound. Try rocking or cuddling your baby to comfort them or play music or sounds to calm and distract them from their tummy troubles.
- Get your baby on a schedule. This is a very controversial topic, but many wee ones thrive on a schedule. Having a schedule can help baby to relax because they know what to anticipate {and relaxing helps soothe their pains}.
- Talk to your family doctor or pediatrician. They might have other ideas you can try. Talk to them before using any remedy {including the one featured in this post}.
What are some different ways you help/helped your baby with gas or colic?
Homemade Gripe Water
Ingredients
- 2 c. purified water
- 1 slice (about the size of a quarter) fresh ginger
- 2 tsp.
dried chamomile (or 1 tea bag's worth) - 2 tsp.
dried fennel, crushed - 1/2 tsp.
dried cardamom, crushed - 1/2 to 1 tsp.
coconut sugar or other natural sweetener to taste {no honey until baby is over a year old; also avoid no- or low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, erythritol, or artificial sweeteners} - 1/4 tsp.
ground ceylon cinnamon - 1/4 tsp.
ground clove
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan or tea kettle.
- Put the ginger, chamomile, fennel, and cardamom in a cloth tea bag.
- Remove the water from the heat and add the tea bag. Allow to steep for about half an hour.
- Remove the tea bag. Add the coconut sugar or other non-honey sweetener, cinnamon, and clove to the tea. Store in an airtight, glass container in the refrigerator or freeze into ice cubes.
Notes
This mixture will work best for about 1 week after it is made {hence the reason you'd want to freeze at least some of it}. Shake thoroughly before using. Here are dosages {do not exceed 6 dosages in a 24 hour period}.
● 0-3 months: 1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL)
● 3-6 months: 1 tsp. (5 mL)
● 6-12 months: 2 tsp. (10 mL)
● 0-3 months: 1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL)
● 3-6 months: 1 tsp. (5 mL)
● 6-12 months: 2 tsp. (10 mL)
This sounds so good even for older kids and adults with “nervous stomach.” (*note: “nervous stomach” is an old wives’ [that would be me] diagnosis and not a medical one)
Some babies like the swings or bouncers to help relieve colic. My uncle swears that a ride in his car or placing my bassinet near the running washing machine helped when I was a baby–a long time ago 🙂
what would the adult dose be?
Your uncle is a wise man and must of been a good dad and or babysitter..
Thank you so much for this post! I ended up adding some dill weed (which actually did not make it taste horrible, contrary to how it sounds), after reading a few other Gripe Water recipes that called for it. I sweetened it with pure cane sugar. It has been working so well for my little guy!
I do have a question though, and would love your input: if I freeze some, will it last a week when thawed or shorter?
Thanks again!
Hi, Regina. It should work for about a week after thawed. 🙂 It’s a very freezable thing. Should be just as effective. I wouldn’t store it in the freezer for too long though, maybe 3 months. 🙂
How much dill weed did you use?
You’d probably want to use between 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dill weed. 🙂
Could I use ground cardamom in this recipe?
You sure can. 🙂 Try to remove any clumps or grainiess that it might produce (by physically removing it or squishing it) to prevent the wee one from choking on it.
Just wanted to say thanks so much for your timely response. Very much appreciated
No problem. 🙂 You’re welcome!
Hi TJ,
Thank you for sharing this. Is it 2 cups of water that I need to use for the recipe? Just wanted to clarify.
Thank you,
Mb
Hi, Mb. Yes, 2 cup purified water. 🙂
Thank you, this recipe is great, very effective. So glad I found it.
Good to hear. 🙂
Hi TJ,
My grandmother swore by these “serums”. I couldn’t find cardamom. What can I replace it with?
Hi, Mia. 🙂 You could get cardamom through Mountain Rose Herbs or Amazon if you can’t find it locally (I have to order it online because we live in the country and there are zero sources). Otherwise, I’d just leave it out. 🙂
Can I use cardamon essential oil instead? It’s DoTerra brand so I trust it complelty…
Honestly, I would not use essential oils in something that a baby takes orally. It’s too strong.
OK thank-you! Ya i guess that’s true, I don’t know why I asked actually. I don’t give her any orally for that reason…
Does this have to be refrigerated
this is it. I have been giving her store brought gripe water, but the other ingredients are just not what i care for.
thank you so much for this.
question: you did mention:1/4 ground cinnamon
is that 1tsp or 1/4″ ground cinnamon.
thanks again.
Thanks for pointing that out! It’s 1/4 tsp. 🙂
Thank you. I did use honey, as my daughter is 15 month old. I can still freeze it?
Also i used tge fresh dill herb. I beleive that shuld be fine?
Yep, should freeze just fine. And dill is good too. 🙂
Can Chamomile powder be used?
I suppose it could. I’d use less since it would be staying in the liquid.
Great recipe ive pasted on this page to my daughter which recently had a baby girl, this will help her. Some babies like the swings or bouncers to help relieve colic. My uncle swears that a ride in his car or placing my bassinet near the running washing machine helped when I was a baby–a long time ago
Worked wonders for my baby! Thanks a ton!
Hi! Is this gripe water super mild? I made it and I didn’t use any sugar of sorts cause I tasted it and it’s super mild. The store gripe water is so pungent to me for a infant. I didn’t use cinnamon and I used Britta water that I boiled. Is that ok? Thanks !
Hi there, I tried this last night, but didn’t seem to help. Does this usually take time after several doses? Thank you.
What can I do if I don’t have a reusable tea bag?
I made this and just put everything in a French press to keep it without clumps/ grit. Here’s hoping it will help my little one. Thanks for sharing.
I would like to use raw cloves and cinnamon, instead of using the powder.
How many cloves ?and how big piece of cinnamon length & width?
Thanks
Could you clarify- is it 2 tsp of whole dried fennel seed, THEN crush it, or is it 2tsp of already crushed fennel? [Same q with the other herbs written like this…]
Thank you for this recipe. All brands of Gripe Water has been recalled months ago. Only 1 drugstore in our city has a brand, but wants $30 for it. Was so excited to find a recipe.
When you say to rub the baby’s belly clockwise – just to be sure, does that mean looking at them, as if the clock were on their belly? Or like if they were looking at a clock? Sorry dumb question I know, I just want to be sure I’m going in the right direction!
Hi, thanks a lot, my daughter has been battling gas since newborn….she’s now 9months.
Was wondering if I can use date syrup or molasses as sweenter since she cant use honey yet.
Thanks
I was told any sweetener would serve the purpose . I bought Sugar in the Raw liquid and it worked just fine. My grandson is now 2 and any time he has what my daughter calls a” meltdown “ she gives him a teaspoon of his “ medicine “ and he usually calms right down. Whatever works. , I guess.
Life saver recipe for my grandson. When you say fennel do you mean fennel seed?
This is really awesome post. I like this topic and also I like the way you have written this post. This site has lots of advantage. I found so many interesting things from this site. It helps me in many ways. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing post.
Hi, my new born niece has got a colic problem but she uses dry milk instead of her mum breastfeeding so is this remedies good for new born baby too she is 1 month old and continuously crying even when she isn’t hungry, can you help me please !!! Thanks
Would boiling the mixture make it too strong? I accidentally boiled it for about 8 minutes not realizing it was supposed to be steeped like tea.