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Herbs to Help with Baby’s Gas

 

When your baby has a severe case of gas, you can become very frustrated. The fact of the matter is, she’s probably very frustrated and uncomfortable, as well.

There’s a good reason for this; your baby has gas because his digestive system is still growing and developing. Unlike older children, it’s easy for gas to get stuck in your baby’s digestive track, which can cause painful side effects.

There are some medications, such as simethicone, that are often used to treat baby’s gas. The fact is, however, you might want to steer clear of such medications. After all, while simethicone has been shown to be safe for babies, why choose an artificial solution when there are perfectly natural ones?

The good news is that there are herbs to help with baby’s gas. Here are some things to keep in mind when using those herbs to help your little one feel a little better:

  • Common herbs that are believed to help with gas and similar issues of the digestive system are fennel, chamomile, ginger, and peppermint.
  • One way to deliver those herbs is via herbal tea.
  • If you give your baby herbal tea, you need to be very careful of the temperature. It should be no warmer than formula you’d feed her.
  • You should start your baby on small amounts of herbal tea to begin with. One ounce is a good starting point. This helps you determine whether your baby might have a reaction to the tea.
  • If your baby doesn’t have a reaction to the tea, you can generally give your baby about four to six ounces of tea a day. More than that may keep him from being hungry when it’s time to eat.

Of course, you should discuss any herbs or natural remedies with your doctor before you administer them to your baby. There may be specific health concerns that apply to your baby that you need to be aware of.

There are also a number of other natural ways you can try to relieve baby’s gas, including probiotics. Some parents even use aromatherapy to try to address baby’s gas.

Posted in About Your Baby |
Weeding Through the Baby Advice Jungle

When you’re expecting a baby, especially your first baby, you can expect to be bombarded with more baby advice than you’ll ever be able to use. It will seem like everyone has an opinion, and everyone seems to regard their opinions as Gospel fact.

You will receive advice about everything from what kind of baby supplies to buy, how to discipline your child (as if a baby could understand discipline anyway), how to handle night time parenting, and any number of other aspects of taking care of your baby. Much of the advice you receive will be contradictory, even when experts are giving it.

Of course, there are some things which are widely accepted. The vast majority of experts agree that breastfeeding is best for your baby if you are able to do so, especially during her first six months. It is almost universally agreed that you should lay your baby to sleep on her back to prevent SIDS. Your baby’s pediatrician will have the latest information on what is believed to be best for your baby, and she will usually be right. You should always follow your doctor’s advice.

The Internet can be a great place to get parenting advice, but be careful what sources you use. If something sounds really unusual, ask your pediatrician before trying it. Whether you seek parenting advice on the Internet, in books, or anywhere else, your best bet is to get as much advice as you can. Usually when several sources are giving the same advice, there’s a reason for it. Often that reason is because the advice works.

One thing you’ll want to remember (and possibly gently remind others) when people are giving you advice about how to take care of your baby is that she is your baby. Trust your instincts when it comes to incorporating other people’s advice, and ignore advice that doesn’t work for you, unless it comes from a qualified medical professional.

On the other hand, remember that most people who give advice are only trying to helpful. Even if you don’t want the advice, you’re generally better off staying pleasant, especially if the one giving advice is someone you’ll have to live with for a while(like a mother in law).

Posted in About Your Baby |
When Baby Won’t Sleep

Some babies have a hard time falling asleep. Whether it is their natural reflex action that spurs them to be away just as they are falling asleep, or whether it is because they suffer from colic, there are babies that just can’t seem to rest well. Sometimes, however, these babies will do all right if they are riding in a car, in their car seat. As a matter of fact, there are some babies that will only fall asleep in their car seat.

This can be particularly frustrating to parents. It just isn’t reasonable or convenient to think that a baby will always get to ride in a car seat any time they are tired. The newborn baby, especially, is likely to need to sleep several times each and every day. Fortunately for parents, there are some things that you can do when your baby will only fall asleep in his car seat.

One thing that you can do when your baby will only fall asleep in his or her car seat is to use an infant soother to recreate the constant motion and sound that comes with a car ride. An example of this sort of device would be the “SleepTight Infant Soother.” This device, and others like it, provide a recreation of the car seat environment. They provide both the motion and the sound that the baby would experience when traveling in a car. Generally speaking, an infant soother is used just for the first few minutes of the baby’s sleep time, as once the baby is asleep he or she doesn’t need to continue to feel those motions and sounds. These sorts of devices have even helped colicky infants to get to sleep.

There are, of course, other things you can do to help your baby fall asleep. Sometimes rocking your baby may help. For other babies, a white noise CD, or even just the sound of your voice singing to them may do the trick. Some babies sleep better when they are swaddled, using a swaddling or safety blanket. Ultimately, you will have to go through a process of trial and error to determine what exactly will be the most help for your baby.

Posted in About Your Baby |
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