Benefits, Side-Effects and Reviews of Gripe Water for Infants

As a mother of three kids, the most difficult time was after the birth of my first born. While you try your best to be prepared for motherhood, nothing prepares you for the late cries and colicky behavior exhibited by your little one at night. Luckily for me my mom was a just a phone call away, and one of the remedies she suggested for calming these cries was gripe water.

I know, the name doesn’t sound too convincing, but a good brand of organic gripe water can help you get a good night’s rest. Contrary to what some women might think, motherhood is a true privilege that entails many trying moments, to see how you’ll react to the needs of your baby.

Before I get to the reviews of the top gripe water brands, let me shed more light on four of the most common questions asked online, which are; what is gripe water? What are the major ingredients used to make gripe water? Is it safe to give to my infant? Plus any known gripe water side effects.

What exactly is Gripe Water?

What is gripe water? That is the most common question asked by new moms with a colicky newborn. It is a well-formulated liquid that is given to infants going through colicky, gastrointestinal discomfort. It is also an ideal remedy for reflux, teething pain, and many other stomach ailments.

The ingredients used to make even the best gripe water has evolved over time. In the beginning, the medicine for soothing baby discomfort contained a high percentage of alcohol, which simply knocked the baby to sleep like a “drunk”.

Nowadays, while there are still brands that use alcohol as an active ingredient, most brands are doing away with that substance.

The original natural gripe water was first created in 1851 by a pharmacist named William Woodward. During those days, he was able to develop several effective remedies to deal with fussy babies going through pain, and one of the products he invented was gripe water.

No one knows exactly how he came up with the name gripe water, but moms seeking alcohol-free brands should buy American made brand of this soothing medicine for babies.

What is in Gripe Water?

Another common question from nursing moms is about the included ingredients in any gripe water brand. At one time, alcohol was a major ingredient in any gripe water brand but that is not true anymore.

While small alcohol use is still allowed in gripe water made in foreign countries, American made versions did away with that substance many decades ago. So if you want alcohol free gripe water, buy American made brands.

The exact gripe water ingredients are closely held secret by each manufacturer, but I can tell you most would contain ginger, fennel, dill, chamomile, and other natural substances. Most will contain bicarbonate to make the formula powerful enough to soothe baby discomforts.

I this gripe water reviews, you can find alcohol-free brands towards the end of this article. Know that gripe water is now sold as an herbal supplement, which means it is not actively regulated by the food and Drug Administration (FDA).

With millions of consumers demanding non-toxic ingredients in their medicines, the top rated manufacturers of gripe water now have sucrose and alcohol-free products for sale in the USA market.

 

Is Gripe Water Safe for My Infant?

If your little one exhibits gassy symptoms and suffers from colic during the day or evenings, gripe water might be one of the most affordable pain-soothing options one can easily use. But is it safe to give it to newborns or infants?

It is safe to use, but try your best to buy only American made gripe water, to ensure it contains no alcohol. Despite the many problems with our FDA, some foreign countries have even fewer regulations when it comes to over the counter medications for infants or adults.

As a mom of three kids, I soon learned that the best way to ensure your baby is less colicky is to breastfeed him or her on a daily basis. When I implemented breastfeeding on a regular basis, most of the colicky issues simply disappeared.

Even the teething issues is less of a problem with a breastfed infant. When it comes to reducing colicky symptoms the power of a mother’s breast milk cannot be underestimated.

In a nutshell, most of the gripe water brands I used with my kids worked as advertised, and they’re included in the gripe water reviews below.

Any Known Gripe Water Side Effects

The side effects of gripe water will depend on the brand you’re using to soothe your baby’s pain. To know more about gripe water side effects, I would suggest you discuss the issue with your pediatrician if you’re a new mom of a colicky baby.

My baby’s doctor must have taught I was crazy for the phone calls and visits within the first six months of my first born. I simply took no chances, and called for medical help when new symptoms showed up.

Having said all that, there are certain issues you should be on the lookout for when you give your infant any type of gripe water brand:

Gripe water is within the gray area of regulation because it is mostly marketed as an herbal supplement, which keeps it out of reach of FDA regular toddler’s medicine regulation.

Read the ingredients list carefully and try to avoid brands containing sodium bicarbonate. This substance can help upset the pH levels in your infant’s tummy.

Another questionable ingredient to watch out for is vegetable carbon. The substance can cause constipation, or help create blackened stool.

You should be on the lookout for allergic reactions from your baby to any new brand of gripe water you’re using. As a mother, I have learned that what works for my best friend kids might not be appropriate for mine.

Some of the common side effects include; itchiness, hives, swelling of the tongue or lips, vomiting, watery eyes, diarrhea, or trouble breathing or swallowing. If you notice any allergic reactions after giving your little one the gripe water, stop using it and try a more natural organic gripe water brand.

Update: July 2016

Recent comment from a reader brought our attention to the fact that Mommy Bliss Gripe water contains some form of sodium bicarbonate and it is listed on the ingredients list.

Further research showed that the ingredient might not be as bas as first thought and you can read articles (1) and (2) to get better information how it is used in kids medicine.

The debate about the potential side effects of Sodium Bicarbonate in baby’s medicine like gripe water is an ongoing one. We still stand by our assesment that if you can find gripe water brands without the ingredient buy it, but the Mommy Bliss gripe water brand is also a good product despite containing a little bit of the substnace.

Gripe Water Reviews

From this gripe water review, you’ll discover some of the brands I used to nurse three kids into adulthood. My favorite is the first one called mommy bliss gripe water.

1 – Mommy Bliss Gripe Water Reviews

 

One of the best organic gripe water you can find online is made by a company called Mommy’s Bliss. There are many different sizes you can choose from, including one created for nighttime use, to give your baby a good night’s rest.

Mommy bliss gripe water ingredients are sourced from natural sources. It contains no alcohol, harsh chemicals, parabens, or gluten. Mommy Bliss Gripe Water is also free of wheat, dairy, starch, binders, artificial flavors, sucrose, fillers or any petroleum-based byproducts.

This gripe water for infants is indeed gentle, while also effective against the symptoms from general fussiness, colic, gas, hiccups or teething pains. When I discovered this best gripe water from Mommy Bliss, I kept the others for situations when I run out of stock.

From my experience and the research I conducted for this gripe water reviews, mommy bliss gripe water side effects are non-existent, due to the natural sources of the ingredients used to make the product.

Having said that, the product also contain some form of Sodium Bicarbonate, a questionable ingredient with many positive effectts and possible side-effects.

2 – Woodwards Gripe Water Reviews

 

I know I promised to review the gripe water brands made in the USA, but this one is a decent product for many reasons. I found it effective at calming several baby symptoms that can result from teething, colic, or general fuzziness.

I initially bought it because it has the name of the original inventor of natural gripe water, Mr. William Woodward, After all this years of giving it to my kids, it was only during the research for this gripe water review article, that a staff member pointed out it was made in India.

Woodwards gripe water contains no alcohol, but it does contain Sodium Bicarbonate, which some of the nursing moms might not like.

Woodward gripe water helped me thru the difficult first six months of my first born. I probably gave him more than was required, but the product helped calm many colicky nights. It is also one of the cheapest gripe water brands one can find online.

3 – Little Remedies Gripe Water Reviews

 

Little tummies gripe water is another brand worth mentioning, and it fully made in the USA. It is well formulated, and from my experience nursing my kids, it did help me cope with many colicky nights.

Little tummies gripe water is marketed as an herbal supplement, with the active ingredients of natural ginger and fennel. It contains no alcohol; neither does it contain any gluten or parabens.

Little Tummys gripe water can help calm your baby’s stomach discomfort as a result of gas, hiccups or colic.

While it contains no artificial colors, flavors or dyes, further analysis of the little Tummys gripe water ingredients list proves it is not completely organic, like Mommy Bliss Gripe Water.

In conclusion

After spending many hours looking through available data about gripe water, and how they’re made, I can gladly say that your first choice should be the Mommy Bliss Gripe Water brand.

If you’re short on cash, the other two products are just as effective, since I got great results using them on my kids.