Why Your Baby Cries for Hours and Won't Sleep Through the Night
Understanding Infant Colic, Gas Pain, and Natural Solutions for Better Sleep
Your baby cries for hours, draws their legs up in obvious pain, and nothing seems to help. The crying starts like clockwork every evening. You've tried feeding, burping, rocking, singing, and walking circles around your home. But the inconsolable crying continues, and you feel helpless watching your tiny baby in distress.
If this sounds familiar, you're living through one of parenthood's most challenging experiences. Approximately 25% of infants suffer from colic, and many more struggle with gas pain and sleep disruptions that exhaust the entire family.
This comprehensive guide explores the real reasons behind infant crying and discomfort, why traditional soothing methods sometimes fail, and evidence-based natural solutions that can bring genuine relief to your baby and peace to your home.
Understanding Infant Colic: More Than Just Crying
Colic isn't just extended crying - it's a specific pattern of distress that follows what pediatricians call the "Rule of Threes": crying for more than three hours per day, more than three days per week, for more than three weeks in an otherwise healthy infant.
What Colic Actually Looks and Sounds Like
Parents of colicky babies describe a distinctive cry - intense, high-pitched, and continuous. It sounds different from hunger cries or tired cries. The baby appears to be in genuine pain:
- Physical Signs: Face turns red, fists clench tightly, legs pull up toward the belly, back arches, and the baby's entire body tenses with distress
- Timing Patterns: Episodes typically begin in late afternoon or evening and can last 2-4 hours or longer
- Inconsolability: Normal soothing techniques that work for hunger or tiredness don't provide relief
- Sudden Onset: The crying begins abruptly, often shortly after feeding, even when the baby seemed content moments before
- Gassy Symptoms: Visible bloating, frequent passing of gas, and obvious abdominal discomfort accompany the crying
The Real Causes Behind Colic
Despite decades of research, colic's exact cause remains debated. However, pediatric specialists now understand it's likely a combination of factors rather than a single cause:
Digestive System Immaturity: Your baby's digestive system is brand new and still developing. The muscles that move food through the intestines are learning to coordinate properly. This immaturity can cause painful gas bubbles, cramping, and discomfort.
Gut Microbiome Development: Recent research highlights the importance of beneficial gut bacteria. Babies with colic often have different gut bacteria populations than non-colicky infants. An imbalanced microbiome affects digestion and can increase gas production.
Food Sensitivities: Some infants react to proteins in breast milk (from the mother's diet) or formula. Cow's milk protein is a common culprit, but sensitivities to soy, wheat, eggs, or other foods can also trigger symptoms.
Swallowed Air: During feeding or crying, babies swallow air that becomes trapped in their digestive system. This creates painful gas bubbles and pressure.
Nervous System Development: Newborns are adjusting to life outside the womb, where everything was constant and controlled. Some researchers believe colic relates to sensory overload as the baby's nervous system matures.
Did You Know? Research published in the journal Pediatrics found that infants with colic had significantly different gut bacteria compared to babies without colic. This discovery has shifted how pediatricians approach colic treatment, emphasizing digestive support rather than just symptom management.
The Hidden Suffering: Gas Pain in Infants
Even babies who don't meet the technical definition of colic often struggle with painful gas. This is incredibly common and causes significant distress for both baby and parents.
How Gas Forms in Your Baby's Digestive System
Gas pain is one of the most common causes of infant discomfort, yet it's often misunderstood:
During Feeding: Whether breastfed or bottle-fed, babies swallow air along with milk. Improper latch, fast milk flow, or bottle nipples with incorrect flow rates all increase air intake.
Digestive Process: As the immature digestive system breaks down milk, gas is produced naturally. In adults, this gas passes easily. In infants with developing systems, gas bubbles get trapped, causing painful bloating and cramping.
Bacterial Activity: Gut bacteria produce gas as they digest food. An imbalanced microbiome can create excessive gas production.
Lactose Processing: Some babies temporarily struggle to digest lactose (milk sugar) efficiently, leading to increased gas, bloating, and discomfort.
Recognizing Gas Pain in Your Baby
Gas pain has characteristic signs that differ from other types of discomfort:
- Drawing legs up: The classic sign - baby pulls knees toward chest repeatedly
- Abdominal hardness: The belly feels firm or swollen when gently touched
- Squirming and arching: Baby writhes uncomfortably, unable to find a comfortable position
- Facial grimacing: Clear expressions of pain even between cry bursts
- Grunting and straining: Obvious effort trying to pass gas or have a bowel movement
- Temporary relief after passing gas: Baby calms briefly when gas escapes, then distress returns as more builds up
The Sleep Crisis: Why Babies Can't Settle
Sleep issues and digestive discomfort are deeply intertwined. A baby in pain cannot sleep, and poor sleep worsens their ability to cope with discomfort.
How Digestive Issues Destroy Infant Sleep
Pain Prevents Sleep Onset: Just as you can't fall asleep with a stomachache, your baby can't settle when experiencing gas pain or colic. They may appear exhausted but remain unable to transition into sleep.
Frequent Night Wakings: Even if the baby falls asleep, gas pain or digestive discomfort causes frequent waking. Parents often misinterpret this as hunger and feed again, potentially worsening the digestive issues.
Sleep Position Challenges: Lying flat can worsen reflux and make gas pain more noticeable. Babies may only sleep when held upright, creating exhaustion for parents.
Disrupted Sleep Cycles: Babies need to move through multiple sleep cycles, but pain interrupts these transitions. The baby startles awake each time they would normally shift from one sleep phase to another.
The Vicious Cycle: Poor Sleep Worsens Digestion
Sleep deprivation doesn't just exhaust parents - it affects the baby too:
Stress Hormone Elevation: Inadequate sleep increases cortisol (stress hormone) in infants. Elevated cortisol affects digestive function, potentially worsening gas and discomfort.
Feeding Challenges: Overtired babies often feed poorly - falling asleep mid-feed, taking incomplete feeds, or eating too frantically. All of these feeding issues increase swallowed air and digestive problems.
Lowered Pain Threshold: Sleep deprivation makes everyone more sensitive to pain, including babies. Normal digestive sensations become more distressing when the baby is chronically overtired.
Immune Function Impact: Sleep is crucial for immune development. Chronic sleep deprivation in infancy may affect overall health and digestive resilience.
When to Seek Medical Attention: While most infant crying is related to normal digestive discomfort, certain symptoms warrant immediate pediatric evaluation:
- Fever above 100.4°F (38°C)
- Vomiting (especially forceful or projectile)
- Blood in stool or unusually colored stool
- Refusing to eat or showing significant weight loss
- Lethargy or unusual sleepiness
- Extreme irritability with any touch or movement
- Signs of dehydration (fewer than 6 wet diapers daily, dry mouth, no tears when crying)
Trust your instincts - if something feels seriously wrong, seek medical care immediately.
Why Traditional Soothing Methods Sometimes Fail
You've probably tried everything: rocking, swaddling, white noise, car rides, infant swings. Sometimes these help, but often they provide only temporary relief or no relief at all. Here's why:
The Root Cause vs. Symptom Management
Most traditional soothing techniques address symptoms (the crying) rather than the underlying cause (digestive pain). It's like trying to comfort someone with a severe headache through gentle music - nice, but doesn't fix the actual problem.
Rocking and Motion: These can temporarily distract or soothe, but they don't address trapped gas or digestive cramping. Once you stop, the pain remains and crying resumes.
Swaddling: While comforting for some babies, tight swaddling can actually increase abdominal pressure and worsen gas pain in others.
Feeding More: Parents often interpret crying as hunger and feed again. If digestive issues are the problem, more food potentially worsens the situation.
Pacifiers: These can soothe through sucking comfort but may also cause the baby to swallow more air, increasing gas.
The Exhaustion Factor
Sleep-deprived parents have reduced capacity to try different approaches patiently or notice subtle patterns in their baby's behavior. Exhaustion also increases parental stress, which babies sense and can respond to with increased crying.
Natural Solutions That Address Root Causes
The most effective approach to infant colic and gas pain focuses on supporting the digestive system's natural function rather than just masking symptoms.
The Role of Herbal Digestive Support
For centuries, cultures worldwide have used gentle herbs to support infant digestion. Modern research increasingly validates these traditional approaches:
Fennel Seeds: Perhaps the most well-studied herb for infant colic. Fennel contains compounds that relax intestinal muscles, reducing cramping. It also has carminative properties (helps break up and expel gas). Multiple clinical studies show fennel significantly reduces colic crying time.
Chamomile: Known for its gentle calming properties, chamomile soothes both the digestive tract and the nervous system. It reduces inflammation in the gut and helps relax tense abdominal muscles. Chamomile also supports better sleep once pain is relieved.
Ginger Root: In tiny, appropriate doses, ginger supports healthy digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes and promoting smooth muscle relaxation in the intestines. It also has mild anti-nausea properties that can benefit babies with reflux tendencies.
Clinical Evidence: A study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that 85% of infants with colic showed significant improvement when given a fennel-based herbal preparation, compared to only 49% improvement in the placebo group. The average crying time decreased by over 2 hours daily.
How Natural Digestive Support Works
Quality herbal preparations work through multiple mechanisms:
- Breaking Up Gas Bubbles: Carminative herbs help break trapped gas into smaller bubbles that are easier to pass, reducing painful pressure
- Relaxing Intestinal Muscles: Antispasmodic properties calm cramping and painful contractions in the digestive tract
- Supporting Digestive Function: Certain compounds stimulate digestive enzyme production, helping the immature system process milk more efficiently
- Reducing Inflammation: Anti-inflammatory herbs soothe irritated digestive tissues
- Calming the Nervous System: Some herbs provide gentle systemic calming, helping babies relax once physical pain is addressed
Why Natural Solutions Are Preferable for Infants
Gentle Action: Unlike pharmaceutical interventions, appropriate herbal preparations work gently with your baby's system rather than forcing responses.
Multiple Benefits: Rather than targeting just one symptom, herbal blends address multiple aspects of digestive discomfort simultaneously.
No Harsh Side Effects: When properly formulated and dosed, natural remedies have minimal side effects compared to conventional medications.
Long History of Safe Use: These herbs have been used for infant care across cultures for centuries, with extensive safety records.
The Importance of Quality and Safety
When choosing any product for your infant, quality and safety must be paramount. Not all natural products are created equal.
What to Look for in Baby Digestive Support
Organic Certification: Babies are particularly vulnerable to pesticides and contaminants. Organic ingredients ensure purity.
No Alcohol: Many traditional gripe waters contained alcohol as a preservative. Modern formulations should be completely alcohol-free.
No Artificial Additives: Avoid products with artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives. Babies don't need these and shouldn't be exposed to them.
Appropriate Herb Selection: Only specific herbs in appropriate amounts are safe for infants. Avoid products with long lists of unclear ingredients.
Clear Dosing Guidelines: Products should provide specific dosing instructions based on age and weight.
Third-Party Testing: Quality manufacturers test for contaminants, heavy metals, and microbes to ensure safety.
FDA-Registered Facilities: Manufacturing in FDA-registered facilities provides additional quality assurance.
Complementary Approaches for Maximum Relief
Natural digestive support works best when combined with other evidence-based comfort measures:
Feeding Optimization
For Breastfed Babies:
- Ensure proper latch to minimize swallowed air
- Feed in a more upright position
- Allow baby to finish one breast fully before switching
- Consider maternal diet elimination of common triggers (dairy, caffeine, cruciferous vegetables)
- Feed before baby becomes frantically hungry
For Formula-Fed Babies:
- Use bottles designed to reduce air intake
- Ensure nipple flow rate matches baby's sucking strength
- Hold bottle at angle that keeps nipple full of milk, not air
- Consider formula changes if sensitivity is suspected (consult pediatrician)
- Never microwave formula (creates hot spots and destroys nutrients)
Burping Techniques
Effective burping is crucial for releasing swallowed air before it travels into the intestines:
Timing: Burp halfway through feeding and at the end. For especially gassy babies, pause even more frequently.
Positions: Try multiple positions - over shoulder, sitting upright with chin support, face-down across your lap. Different positions work better for different babies.
Patience: Sometimes burps take 5-10 minutes to emerge. Don't rush the process.
Gentle Pressure: Pat or rub with gentle but firm pressure. Too light touch won't help release gas.
Tummy Time and Positioning
Supervised Tummy Time: When awake and alert, gentle tummy time provides abdominal pressure that can help move gas through. Start with just a few minutes at a time.
Bicycle Legs: Gently move baby's legs in a bicycle motion. This massage action helps move gas through the intestines.
Elevated Sleep Position: For babies with reflux (always consult your pediatrician about safe sleep positioning), slight elevation can reduce discomfort. Never use positioning devices without pediatric approval.
Building a Soothing Routine
Consistency helps both you and your baby. Establishing routines provides structure and predictability during this challenging phase.
Pre-Feeding Preparation
Create a calm feeding environment: dim lights, minimal noise, comfortable position for both of you. Stressed parents and chaotic environments can increase feeding difficulties.
Post-Feeding Protocol
After feeding: thorough burping, upright holding for 15-20 minutes, then gentle digestive support if needed. This consistent sequence helps parents feel more in control and ensures no steps are missed.
Evening Comfort Routine
Since colic typically peaks in evening hours, establish a proactive routine: warm bath, gentle massage, digestive support as needed, quiet bonding time, then sleep routine.
Hope on the Horizon: Colic is Temporary
The most important thing to remember: colic is temporary. While it's incredibly difficult to live through, it does end.
Typical Timeline: Most colic begins around 2-3 weeks of age, peaks around 6 weeks, and significantly improves by 12-14 weeks. By 4-5 months, the vast majority of babies have completely outgrown colic.
Developmental Progress: As your baby's digestive system matures, their gut microbiome develops, and their nervous system becomes better regulated, the symptoms naturally resolve.
Not Your Fault: You are not causing your baby's colic. You haven't failed as a parent. Colic happens to babies of the most loving, attentive parents. Your job is to provide comfort and support while the condition runs its course.
Your Questions Answered
Have specific questions about using natural remedies safely? Wondering about dosage, timing, or what to expect?
Continue to Part 2 for comprehensive Q&A covering safety, usage guidelines, interactions, and achieving the best results for your baby's comfort.
Baby Colic and Gas Relief: Your Questions Answered
Complete Q&A Guide: Safety, Dosage, Usage & Natural Infant Comfort Solutions
Welcome to Part 2 of our infant colic and gas relief guide. In Part 1, we explored why babies experience colic, gas pain, and sleep difficulties. Now, we're answering your most pressing questions about using natural remedies safely and effectively.
Whether you're concerned about safety for newborns, wondering about proper dosage, or curious about how quickly results appear, you'll find evidence-based answers from pediatric experts below.
Yes, when properly formulated with appropriate ingredients. Quality gripe water specifically designed for infants is safe from birth. However, not all gripe waters are created equal, so choosing the right product is crucial.
What Makes Gripe Water Safe for Newborns:
- Alcohol-free formula: Traditional gripe waters contained alcohol as a preservative. Modern, safe versions are completely alcohol-free
- Organic ingredients: Ensures no pesticide exposure or contaminants
- Appropriate herbs: Only includes herbs with established safety records for infants (fennel, chamomile, ginger in proper amounts)
- No artificial additives: Free from artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives
- Third-party tested: Verified free from heavy metals, microbes, and contaminants
Age-Appropriate Usage: Quality products provide specific dosing for different ages:
- Newborn to 6 months: Typically ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL)
- 6 months to 1 year: Usually 1 teaspoon (5 mL)
- Over 1 year: Often 2 teaspoons (10 mL)
Always follow your specific product's instructions and consult your pediatrician.
When to Consult Your Pediatrician First: If your baby was premature, has any diagnosed medical conditions, takes any medications, has shown allergic reactions to foods, or you have any concerns about starting any new product.
When using quality, properly formulated gripe water, side effects are rare and typically mild. However, as with any product given to infants, awareness is important.
Possible Mild Side Effects:
Loose Stools: Some babies may have slightly looser stools when first starting gripe water. This is usually temporary and mild. If it persists or becomes watery diarrhea, discontinue use and consult your pediatrician.
Increased Gas Initially: Paradoxically, some babies pass more gas in the first dose or two as trapped gas is broken up and released. This is actually the product working, not a negative effect.
Mild Drowsiness: The calming herbs (particularly chamomile) may make some babies slightly sleepy. For most parents of colicky babies, this is actually a welcome effect!
Signs of Possible Sensitivity (Rare):
- Rash or hives
- Increased fussiness rather than decreased
- Vomiting
- Significant diarrhea
- Any signs of allergic reaction (swelling, difficulty breathing)
If you observe any of these, discontinue immediately and contact your pediatrician.
Drug Interactions: Natural doesn't mean free from interactions. If your baby takes any medications (even rarely), inform your pediatrician before using herbal products. While interactions are uncommon with infant-appropriate herbs, it's better to check.
Absolutely yes! Gripe water is given directly to the baby and doesn't affect your breast milk or breastfeeding relationship. In fact, many breastfeeding mothers find gripe water particularly helpful.
Why Gripe Water Works Well for Breastfed Babies:
Complements Breastfeeding Benefits: Breast milk provides optimal nutrition and immune support. Gripe water addresses digestive comfort without interfering with these benefits.
Addresses Multiple Causes: Even exclusively breastfed babies can develop gas from swallowed air, immature digestion, or sensitivity to foods in mom's diet. Gripe water helps regardless of the cause.
No Impact on Milk Supply: Unlike some herbs that mothers consume (like peppermint or sage which can reduce supply), gripe water given to baby doesn't affect your milk production.
Supports Successful Feeding: When babies are uncomfortable, they often feed poorly or refuse the breast. Relieving discomfort helps restore normal feeding patterns.
Best Practice for Breastfed Babies:
- Give gripe water after nursing, not before
- Wait 10-15 minutes after feeding to allow initial digestion
- Use the dropper to place liquid in baby's cheek, allowing them to swallow naturally
- Follow with upright holding and gentle burping
Combining Approaches: You can simultaneously use gripe water for baby's comfort while also working on your diet if you suspect food sensitivities. Common triggers to try eliminating from your diet include dairy, caffeine, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage), and very spicy foods. Work with a lactation consultant for personalized guidance.
Both address infant gas, but they work through different mechanisms and have distinct advantages.
Gas Drops (Simethicone):
- How they work: Simethicone breaks surface tension of gas bubbles, allowing small bubbles to combine into larger ones that are easier to burp up or pass
- Action: Physical/mechanical - doesn't affect digestion systemically
- Speed: Can work quickly (5-10 minutes)
- Limitations: Only addresses gas bubbles, not underlying digestive discomfort or cramping
- Usage: Can be given with every feeding
Herbal Gripe Water:
- How it works: Multiple mechanisms - breaks up gas, relaxes intestinal muscles, reduces cramping, supports digestion
- Action: Addresses multiple causes of discomfort simultaneously
- Speed: Typically 5-10 minutes for initial relief
- Benefits: Also provides gentle calming, may help with sleep
- Comprehensiveness: Addresses colic, gas, AND general digestive discomfort
Which to Choose: If your baby's discomfort is clearly just gas bubbles and they calm quickly once they pass gas, simethicone drops may be sufficient. If your baby shows signs of colic (prolonged crying, obvious cramping pain, difficulty settling even after passing gas), the comprehensive approach of quality gripe water is often more effective.
Most babies show improvement within 5-10 minutes of administration. However, the timeline can vary based on several factors.
Typical Timeline:
Minutes 0-5: The herbal compounds begin working immediately upon entering the digestive system. Parents often report the baby stops crying or crying intensity decreases within the first few minutes.
Minutes 5-10: Gas starts breaking up and moving through the system. You may notice your baby passing gas more easily. Muscle cramping begins to ease as the antispasmodic herbs take effect.
Minutes 10-20: Most babies show significant improvement - calmer demeanor, less body tension, sometimes falling asleep as pain relief allows them to relax.
Factors Affecting Response Time:
- Severity of discomfort: Mild gas may resolve in 5 minutes; severe colic might take 15-20 minutes
- When last fed: Gripe water works faster on an empty or nearly empty stomach
- Individual variation: Every baby's digestive system responds slightly differently
- Consistency of use: Some babies show even faster response with regular use as their system becomes accustomed to the herbs
What to Do While Waiting:
- Hold baby upright against your shoulder
- Gentle walking or swaying motion
- Soft shushing sounds or white noise
- Gentle back patting to encourage gas release
- Bicycle leg movements after a few minutes
If It Doesn't Work: If you see no improvement after 20-30 minutes, your baby may need a second dose (if within recommended daily limits) or the discomfort may have a different cause requiring pediatric evaluation.
Most quality gripe water products recommend up to 6 doses per 24-hour period, but the exact frequency depends on your baby's age, weight, and the specific product formulation.
General Usage Guidelines:
Timing of Doses:
- After feedings: Give 10-15 minutes after feeding when digestive discomfort typically peaks
- During colic episodes: Can be given when baby shows signs of gas pain or colic crying begins
- Before sleep: If your baby consistently struggles with gas at bedtime, proactive dose can help
- Spacing: Generally wait at least 30-60 minutes between doses
Daily Maximum: Most products specify 6 doses per 24 hours as the maximum. This provides coverage for multiple feedings and breakthrough discomfort episodes without overuse.
Adjusting Frequency Based on Need:
Severe Colic Days: You might use the product 5-6 times - after each feeding and once or twice for breakthrough crying episodes.
Moderate Discomfort: Perhaps 3-4 times daily - after particularly challenging feedings or when you notice gas signs.
Mild/Preventive: Some parents use 1-2 doses daily during the typical "witching hours" to prevent colic before it starts.
Best Practice Pattern:
- Morning: After first big feeding if baby seems gassy
- Midday: As needed based on symptoms
- Late afternoon: Often a good preventive time as colic peaks in evening
- Evening: During or after colic episodes
- Before bed: If nighttime gas disrupts sleep
- Middle of night: Only if baby wakes with obvious gas pain
Can I Use It Every Day? Yes, quality gripe water is safe for daily use during the colic period (typically 2-12 weeks of age). As your baby's digestive system matures and colic improves, you'll naturally use it less frequently.
After feeding is generally best, though timing can be adjusted based on your baby's specific pattern of discomfort.
Why After Feeding is Usually Optimal:
Digestive Process Has Started: Gas and cramping typically begin as the digestive system processes milk. Giving gripe water after feeding addresses discomfort as it develops.
Doesn't Interfere with Feeding: Giving gripe water before feeding might temporarily satisfy baby or cause them to feed less enthusiastically. You want them to take full, proper feedings.
Allows Initial Burping: You can burp your baby first, then give gripe water to address any remaining discomfort or developing gas.
Timing Specifics:
- Immediately after feeding: Good if baby shows distress right away
- 10-15 minutes after: Optimal for most babies - allows initial digestion to begin
- 30 minutes after: If discomfort typically develops later in the digestive process
Exceptions - When to Give Before Feeding:
If Baby Refuses to Eat Due to Pain: Some babies are so uncomfortable they won't latch or take a bottle. In this case, gripe water first can provide enough relief for them to feed.
Preventive Use: If you know certain feedings (like evening feeds) always cause distress, giving gripe water 15-20 minutes before can be preventive.
Reflux Concerns: Babies with reflux might do better with gripe water before feeding, as their stomach isn't already full when you add liquid.
With Bottle or Breast? Use the included dropper to place gripe water directly in baby's cheek. Don't mix it with breast milk or formula in the bottle, as this changes the concentration and you can't be sure they consumed the full dose.
Yes, but indirectly. Gripe water isn't a sedative or sleep aid - it helps babies sleep by addressing the pain and discomfort that prevents sleep.
How Digestive Relief Improves Sleep:
Eliminates Pain Barrier: Babies can't sleep when experiencing gas pain or colic cramping, no matter how tired they are. Once physical discomfort is resolved, their natural tiredness can take over.
Reduces Night Wakings: Gas pain often wakes babies from sleep. By addressing digestive comfort, babies stay asleep through natural sleep cycles rather than waking each time they shift positions or gas moves.
Enables Sleep Onset: The evening "witching hour" when colic peaks is often bedtime. When gripe water calms this distress, babies can actually fall asleep at a reasonable hour.
Gentle Calming Effect: The chamomile in quality formulas provides mild, natural relaxation once pain is gone. This isn't sedation - it's allowing the baby's system to naturally calm down.
Creating a Sleep Success Routine:
- Full feeding 30-45 minutes before intended bedtime
- Thorough burping
- Warm bath (optional but often helpful)
- Gripe water dose if baby shows any discomfort signs
- 10-15 minutes upright holding
- Quiet, dim environment
- Gentle settling to sleep
Realistic Expectations:
Gripe water won't make a baby sleep through the night if they need nighttime feedings due to age and hunger. What it can do is eliminate the false wakings caused by gas pain, allowing your baby to only wake for actual needs (hunger) rather than discomfort.
Night Feeding Protocol: If your baby wakes at night, assess whether it's hunger or gas. Hunger cries sound different from pain cries. If it appears to be gas, offer gripe water first. If it's hunger, feed then give gripe water after to prevent post-feeding gas from waking them again.
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