Gripe water being a trusted remedy for generations, for most of the digestive and tummy related discomforts in babies. The gripe water was initially but accidentally developed in 1851 by American Pharmacist, William Woodward who adapted the formula for treating infants sufferings with malaria. He found that the formula has calming and soothing effects on babies suffering with colic and gas.
The original Woodward’s gripe water contains sodium bicarbonate, dill oil, alcohol, water and sugar. This original formula has gained worldwide popularity among moms as it eases the discomfort and fussiness, gas, bloating and digestive issues in infants. In 1993 the alcohol based Woodward’s gripe water has got banned in US, but after 1993 it was again introduced as a dietary supplement which was alcohol-free version.
Many parents have no idea about the overall health benefits and uses of gripe water what actually it does and what are all symptoms that can be naturally healed or relieved with a proper formulated gripe water.
Regular gripe water may suppress symptoms, but scientifically researched and updated version of gripe water made by some reputed brands has many benefits and natural way of healing and soothing your baby’s gut and discomfort.
Top 20 Uses and Benefits of Gripe water
1. Reducing gas and tummy discomfort
The gripe water mainly contains herbs like fennel and dill which has carminative properties. This herbs helps in releasing gas and reducing bloating, flatulence and tummy discomfort. This also prevents any further gas formation in the digestive tract by reducing surface tension of gas bubbles, which leads to formation of single huge bubble.
This gets easily breakdown, releasing the gas and easing down your baby from the discomfort.
2. Relieving colic symptoms
Gripe water contains certain ingredients like fennel and chamomile which provides relief from colic or continuous crying in babies. This calming effect of gripe water helps soothe the gassy and fussy baby, crying unconsolably with colic symptoms.
3. Soothing pain and irritation due to teething
Teething in babies leads to pain and irritation, which is directly related to gut well being. Thus while teething babies suffer from frequent diarrhea and poor digestion issues. The presence chamomile and ginger in gripe water has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in overcoming the inflammation and irritation in teething babies and therefore provide relief to a teething baby.
4. Helps in improving digestion
The herbal components of gripe water specially ginger and peppermint are believed to help digestion. The baby’s digestive systems at very young age is still developing and immature. The digestive tract is in an under developed stage.
So, at the age of 1 month and below, the baby may show signs of indigestion and reflux which needs to be taken care of with other adjustments like dietary and sleeping and feeding patterns. With such younger babies, these herbal ingredients in gripe water supports their digestion.
5. Relief from unconsolably crying
The baby’s unconsolably crying with discomfort may be due to some mild indigestion or constipation, which may not be able to address. Or sometimes, may be some other reason which is difficult to identify. This continuous crying may severe the colic discomfort in crying babies and the restless parents as well.
At such a moment, the gripe water can give a calming, soothing and relaxation in crying babies and relieve them from discomfort to a great extent.
6. Promoting sleep
The relaxation muscles in the digestive tract and sedative effects of fennel and chamomile eases the discomfort in babies and promote sound sleep in babies. The presence of some sedative agents can lead to drowsiness body relaxation with calming effect, can promote healthy and sound sleep in babies.
Thus, fussiness and irritation can be managed with proper use of gripe water, but any excessive usage may lead to disturbed sleeping patterns in babies.
7. Improved feeding experience
Some parents believe that gripe water enhances baby’s appetite. This is due to proper addressing the mild symptoms of indigestion or colic or reflux, it can be managed at an early stage and thus maintaining the baby’s appetite and a healthy feeding experience.
Any discomfort due to mild symptoms of colic, gas or fussiness must be addressed sooner at an early stage. This can prevent any loss of appetite and severity in tummy trouble leading to severe case of reflux or colic.
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8. Calming nervous tension
The baby’s first few months are very stressful in terms of adjustments and routine changes. This can create nervous tension within babies while adjusting to routines. This stress, nervous and digestive distension requires relaxation which gripe water provides in form of calming effects from the chamomile and other herbs.
9. Heals indigestion discomfort
Peppermint and ginger supports digestion and helps in promoting better digestion in babies. It calm the digestive tract while relieving from indigestion.
10. Promotes regular bowel movements
By relieving and easing the mild indigestive symptoms, the gripe water promotes healthy bowel movements and thus preventing any future constipation related issues. The gripe water may not make your baby poop out. But it will promote regular bowel movements by promoting better digestion and relaxation of digestive tract.
11. Helps in mild constipation
Once the baby starts experiencing mild constipation, parents should identify and eliminate the cause right from the mothers diet. Or it can be cause of incorrect feeding pattern and dietary habits. Proper hydration is the best thing one should follow before making any major dietary changes. Gentle digestive support provided with gripe water helps in regular bowel movements and helps in preventing constipation.
12. Managing Acid reflux
While acid reflux in younger babies are more common which gets resolved on its own at the age of 12 to 18 months. This is mainly due to immature and under developed food pipe (esophagus) in babies. The gripe water cant overcome acid reflux as a direct remedy, but it can soothe the irritation and provide relaxation with better sleep in babies.
While Acid reflux has to be managed with physical adjustments like position while feeding, sleeping position, head elevation, burping between and after feeding, etc.
13. Helps in transitioning from breast milk to formula
When babies are advised to have baby formula in their feeding routine, they may show some changes in their digestive patterns. In such a situation, gripe water can help in providing gentle digestive support to the transition, aiding in easier adaptation to formula based feeds.
14. Helps in adapting to solid foods
As the babies begins to take solid foods they may experience changes in their digestive patterns and some foods may not suit them initially. They may find difficult to digest few of them, but that can be addressed only when baby shows spitting-out or bloating or crying due to discomfort.
Therefore, when changing the food habit or transitioning or introducing solid food items to babies, it must accompany with gripe water to overcome any indigestive symptoms. Gripe water actually provides a gentle support during this transition and helping in easing any discomfort associated with it.
15. Comfort during post-vaccination period
During the post-vaccination period, the babies are in a great pain and discomfort. In such a situation, gripe water can calm them with relaxation and sedating effects giving them the most needed sound and healthy sleep.
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16. Helpful while travelling
While travelling, the infants may not able to adjust the changes in the climate when subjected to a different temperature, humidity and a different environment and atmosphere. To get familiar with a drastic change in the climate and environment, the babies may be given gripe water to maintain the healthy digestion and sleep patterns, while overcoming any mild symptoms of indigestion, gas or fussiness, etc.
17. Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
The gripe water has dill oil as the main ingredient which is very beneficial as it has got carminative properties, anti-bacterial properties and anti-inflammatory compounds that altogether makes them useful in preventing any infections and soothing the irritated digestive system. The dill has also found to have prebiotic properties that promotes healthy gut and overall digestive health.
18. Helpful for breast-feeding mothers
Most of the time, changing or transitioning to different feeding routine and dietary habit, the baby shows discomfort and reluctance to eat and a loss in appetite. Seeing this, the mother gets worried and as it demands changes in mother’s diet as well. She finds herself restless as her baby is not getting proper feed.
In such a situation, giving gripe water with mild symptoms of gas or fussiness, can relieve the discomfort and provide a gentle digestive support to the baby’s digestive system.
19. Helpful in treating flatulence and intestinal pain after C-section in mothers
Apart from baby, mothers also experience flatulence, gas and intestinal pain after delivering through C-section. The use of gripe water by such mothers, can relieve them with the discomfort due to gas, flatulence and intestinal pain. As the gripe water has dill oil which is found to be beneficial in this case has been proved by recent studies.
20. Supports general well being and healthy weight gain in babies
As, most of the gut and stomach related issues and troubles are relieved using gripe water, this reflects into a healthy well being of mother as well as baby. These tummy troubles when relieved on time, the baby is more happier and healthier with a better gut health and digestive system. This promotes healthy weight gain in babies.
Conclusion
The gripe water has many advantages and that’s the reason, it is being widely popular all around the world. Many uses and benefits of gripe water mentioned in this article, where gripe water is not directly helpful in achieving the stated cure or discomfort or symptoms, but it can helps or aid with gentle support, that reduces the mild symptoms that is more important, instead of giving medicines to the small baby.
Gripe water has become popular since older days back to generations, as it has many useful combination of herbs and spices. Nowadays, there are many brands and their own tailored formulations has created a buzz. Some contains activated charcoal, and some contains synthetic compounds. Therefore, selection and final results of the gripe water, being used depends highly on its formulation.
Any given gripe water formulation may not address all of the above benefits, one should take a look on the ingredients, before selecting a brand or its formulation.
