When your baby has gas, it can be a frustrating thing for the both of you. Unlike adults or older children, a baby’s digestive system is still developing, and is still working out some of the kinks. Gas can very easily get trapped in your baby’s digestive system, causing painful symptoms. There is even some speculation that colic may be, at least in part, caused by gas. While there are medications, such as simethicone, that you may be able to give your baby for gas, many parents worry about giving these sorts of medications to their little one. Fortunately, there may be herbs that can help relieve your baby’s gas.

There are several herbs, in fact, that are believed to help out the digestive system. For example, many adults have taken tea made with fennel, peppermint, chamomile, and/or ginger in order to relieve gas and other digestive issues. You can certainly try a herbal tea to help relieve your baby’s gas, but if you do, there are some things to keep in mind. For one, you will want to make sure that the tea is no warmer than the formula you would give to your baby. You will also want to start your baby on the herbal tea with small amounts to start with. An ounce or so is a good measure to begin with. The reason that you want to start with the smaller amount is that you want to make sure that your baby is not going to have a negative reaction to the tea. If your baby does not react negatively to the tea, you can give your baby up to four to six ounces of herbal tea in a given day. Giving your baby more than four to six ounces in a day creates a risk that your baby will not be hungry when it comes time to get the nutritious breast milk or formula that your baby needs to grow and to develop.

As always, you should probably speak with your health care provider before giving herbal tea to your baby to help relieve your baby’s gas. You might also consider exploring other alternative ways to relieve your baby’s gas, such as with aromatherapy or with supplements such as probiotics.

Related Links:

Colichelp.com – Support for families dealing with baby colic issues.  Site includes colic / reflux support message boards and colic remedy reviews.