Dear Bob Liebert,

I have a nine week old baby who has had problems with acute colic since birth. They have found out she is lactose intolerant. She is now on soya milk. This has given her constipation. We have her on lactulose, but this doesn't work too well. anything else I could try her on? Also even though a lot of the problems with colic have subsided she is very hard to get off to sleep. When she finally goes she is good, but the problem is she screams the house down first, for hours, I sometimes see the sun coming up before she falls asleep, the rest of time it is between 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock. This is ok but I have to be up at seven. Any ideas gratefully received.

Cathy

Dear Friend,

The extracts of such herbs as Chamomile and Catnip are very safe herbal calmatives that relieve tension and irritability in general and colic. Please see our Child Soothe Formula (Chamomile, Catnip, Elder Flower, Melissa, Fennel Seed). The drops are added to 10 drops or so of water in a spoon, taken up in the dropper and gently placed in the baby's mouth; a dose can be given earlier in the evening and a dose before bed; as well as any time a calmative or colic relief is called for. Relieving tension can also act to normalize the colon. A dose of Dandelion Root extract can also be given now and then to help digestion and in constipation.

Yours in healing,
Bob Liebert, herbalist

You can buy these herbs and many more in the Formula and Single Herb sections of the Teeter Creek Herb website. Herbs that don't appear in the Formula or Single Herb lists can usually be requested in the "Message" section at the bottom of the order page.

The information expressed is the personal observations of Herbalist Bob Liebert based on his personal experience and his studies of folk and traditional herbalism. These observations are not meant to be a substitute for qualified medical diagnosis and treatment. Uses of many of the herbs have not been scientifically verified.