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Parenting

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Original poster

Colief - a couple of questions..

5 replies

MrsTMT · 19/07/2011 17:38

Hi,

I am new mum with DD1 who is 3 1/2 weeks old. Unfortunately she suffers from colic, but fortunately we were told about Colief which we have started using and has made a big difference. The only downside is that Colief is quite expensive (£10.99 in Boots) and we seem to use the bottle within about five days. (according to instructions you need to put 4 drops into breast milk, we actually use cooled boiled water though as I find it difficult to express any milk yet)

Has anyone else has got similar experience..? Ie that the bottle doesn't last very long at all? I did ask for it from my GP by prescription but he said that as it is available over the counter they don't do prescriptions.

Secondly, how do you use it when out and about? We are due to fly on Thursday and I am racking my brain how to give it DD1 at the airport and on the plane.

Thanks very much for any advice. :)

OP posts:

manchestermummy · 19/07/2011 20:24

Congrats on your DD!

My DD2 was colicky and it's not much fun for anyone, so you have my sympathies...

Can't answer the out and about question as I mixed fed, but we got Colief on precription no trouble at all. We got through it at a similar rater so thank goodness! Can you see another GP?

Original poster

MrsTMT · 19/07/2011 21:51

Thanks manchestermummy!

I will have to try and see if another GP would give the Colief on prescription! In the end of day I am willing to pay for it as it does help, but being on maternity pay every little helps! :)

Did you have to use it very long? My health visitor said that we should use it 4 - 6 months?!

OP posts:

EvianBaby · 20/07/2011 23:00

Oh colic is awful isn't it. I remember feeling awful I couldn't do anything to help DS and also upset for myself because I had been comforting a distressed baby for what seemed like hours. I feel for you.

We tried most things before we read about colief and like you, found that it did improve DS's symptoms. We didn't have a problem getting it on prescription. I think the GP was a bit reluctant at first but I told them that our health visitor had told me that DS needed it. We were only prescribed one bottle to start with but they soon increased the number of bottles on the prescription when they realised that it was a waste of everyone's time to have to have an appt for another bottle.

With regards to using it... well it is a bit of a palaver (is that even spelt correctly??). I used to take a clean, sterilised container and syringe out with me. Half an hour before I wanted to feed him (yes, this is where it gets complicated and it kind of interfered with the immediacy of breastfeeding) I hand expressed a really small amount of milk (i.e. about 10 drops or whatever I could get! ), added the colief and waited the required amount of time. I then fed it to him via the syringe and breastfed him as normal.

The reason I did it with breastmilk is that an acquaintance told me that then enzymes it contains only work when reacting (i.e. mixed) with the milk. Then once in the baby's stomach will mix with the rest of the milk. Sorry, that sounds so complicated, I'm not sure it makes sense now I've typed it!

I'm not sure if I have helped at all or confused you further!

You should be ok going through customs with it as it is such a small quantity of liquid (and you could just take sealed bottles, ideally with the prescription label attached).

I hope this makes sense!

It won't last forever, if it's any consolation, i've just had a second baby and although she suffers with wind she doesn't have colic.

Good luck!

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manchestermummy · 21/07/2011 19:46

We started to wean her off it at 4 months, and then at 5 months it all just suddenlt stopped and we had no need for it anymore.

clivesummer · 21/07/2011 20:03

My GP was a bit snotty about prescribing it, but I insisted - it really is expensive to buy over the counter. If your child needs it then you're within your rights to get it.
I used to sterilise a plastic medicine spoon and put a few drops on that, and just put it in DD's mouth then breast feed her. I don't know if that's any good to you but when she was so upset with colic I was happy to get the stuff in her mouth as quickly as possible.
If it's any consolation her colic went as quickly as it came and things got a lot easier. Good luck!

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