gripe water question

[sweetheart]

Can you add gripe water to the bottle of milk or do you have to give it before hand?

No whatever you do don't do this old fashioned method, cound make a baby violently sick, if need be give 2.5ml before a feed

It should tell you on the bottle - how much and if to give before, during or after a feed, but I wouldn't add it to the milk.

you are supposed to give it either during or after a feed. why would adding it to the bottle make them sick though?

Before or during the feed was the time when my dd was little. She's 2.6 now. It should say on the packet/bottle how best to give it, but if in doubt, speak to your HV or MW.

could also try colief or windypops if colicky and gripewater or infacol don't work

wow hope you sorted this out feb 28??

Bump!

We bought a bottle of gripe water for DD2 this morning but we're struggling to actually get it into her - she's only 5 weeks old... I've tried using a syringe and giving it to her during and after a feed (2.5 ml during then the other 2.5 ml after) but she spits most of it out by accident. I'm convinced she likes the taste of it bless her!

Anyway, back on subject - anybody have any opinions/knowledge on this one? She has always been really windy and infacol doesn't seem to be very effective so far... I'd try colief but have you seen the price of it!!?? I was going to add it to her milk but I thought I'd check on good old mn first

Btw, I've checked the instructions and there's nothing on there about how to administer it.

we found giving it after a feed really helped, as that way you only need give it when you need to, rather than as a preventative each time IYSWIM. My friend tried colief, but it's a pain if BF as it needs to be mixed with the milk, so easier if FF, otherwise you need to express a small amount and mix it in and give that before the feed. however, the pharmacist in our village said that you can go to the Dr and ask for a prescription for colief if you really feel it will work and your LO is having probs genuinely. HTH.

Hi PLP - I always gave it after a feed, via a syringe. Different makes have different flavours btw. Boots do an apple one which dd accepted much more than the Woodwards dill one.

Hiya,

Thanks, I'm doing a combination of bf and ff due to the fact that she has had a few problems early on in life (she had a colostomy at 3 days old and now has a stoma). She kept falling asleep on the breast and it puts a strain on her heart (she also has a heart condition); so I'm topping her up with ff. Her wind was really bad even when I was just bf'ing so I'm sure its just that shes a windy baby bless her!

I'll stick with the syringe then but I might try and find a better one as it tends to stick, then it comes unstuck and spurts out too fast! I'll try giving it after the feed too and see if that helps...

I'm considering one of those dummies that you can buy to give them medicine but I'm worried she'll only accept the dummy after that if its got something in it iykwim.

I'll pop in tomorrow to report as to how its going - thank you for your quick replies!

PLP

xx

I used the syringe from the nct, and have been happy with it. Is yours anything like that?

Sorry, what does nct stand for? (having a 'baby brain' day here!)

National Childbirth Trust! Here it is.

i always gave gripe water after a feed never in bottle but have known people to add to bottle

Gripe water can make a few babies very sick because it gathers their wind so well that they can burp quite violently and bring their milk up with it. If this happens to you, make sure that you give the gripe water earlier on in the feed or even before a feed. Giving it before a feed is supposed to line the stomach.

I always give gripe water with an exactamed syringe that my mum bought from a local pharmacy (had to ask as they weren't on display). It lasts a long time if looked after well ie cleaned fairly promptly after using it for sticky medicine like gripe water. It didn't stick like other syringes and you can get it today if you are able to pop to the pharmacy!

You can order Nurse Harvey's from Lloyds Pharmacy for £2.02 per bottle. It might not taste as nice as the boots one but because it has added herbs it works better. And I don't care what anyone says - it's not the same as Woodwards! I also find that it helps for pains from wind trapped lower down and tummy ache from teething.

If you're ff anyway are you using a bottle? I put the teaspoon of gripe water into a clean bottle and give to DS after his milk feed. Seems to do the trick.

Thank you all!

I think we've got success in that we're now getting nice burps and it has definitely calmed down her wind.

I've tried a combination of all of your suggestions and what works for us is to give her half of her dose about two thirds of the way through her feed when I'm winding her; then she has the rest after.

If I've got a sterilised bottle to hand, she much prefers it from that but if not, I've now found a syringe that is 'smooth' enough to do the job - she's just got to learn to swallow a bit better now LOL!

Thank you again for you help!

PLP xx