Brooklyn Got Tricked!

So there is this stuff called Gripe Water that we have to give Brooklyn every now and then when she is gassy or has an upset tummy. This stuff is absolutely WONDERFUL. It was recommended to us back when Brooklyn had problems with Colic. She has been using it ever since. Anytime she is extremely fussy, we will give her a little bit of this herbal supplement, and she calms right down. I don't even have to give her the dose that the bottle recommends. Just about half a medicine dropper full, followed quickly by a binky and holding her tight and rocking will put her right to sleep. We go through probably one, maybe two bottles of this stuff a month. I don't know what I would do without it!

Well last night, Brooklyn was going through one of her really upset crying spells again. I couldn't get her to calm down for anything. Her diaper was clean and she wasn't hungry. So all that left was upset tummy and just plain cranky and tired. So I sat there and tried to rock her and rub on her tummy in case it was gas. That just seemed to make her worse and make her scream even harder. So I got to thinking... I wonder if I could just give her the medicine dropper with nothing in it. I was about out of the gripe water and hadn't made it to the drug store to get more yet. So what the heck, I tired it.

I gave Brooklyn the medicine dropper with nothing in it. She stopped crying and sucked on it a couple of times. I took it out of her mouth before she realized there was nothing in it, and put her binky right in her mouth and held her tight. Low and behold, she stopped crying and started to calm down and go to sleep!!!! She was tricked!! I guess she thought there was actually something in the medicine dropper. Not even 5 minutes later she was fast asleep. Her daddy and I were sitting there trying not to laugh and wake her up. I couldn't believe tricking her like that had actually worked.

So later that night when I was trying to rock her to sleep she started to get fussy again. Thinking that same trick might work, I tried it again... Brooklyn didn't fall for it this time though. I actually had to put a little bit in the dropper and let her drink some of the gripe water for her to calm down. I didn't have to use as much as I usually do though. Soon after that she went right to sleep.

After all is said and done, I think Brooklyn has a crutch. I think she is now addicted to the gripe water and I think half of her problem is just a mental thing. She gets herself so worked up and so upset sometimes that the gripe water, or simple action of giving her the gripe water calms her down. From now on before I actually give her the gripe water, I am going to try to trick her to see if she actually needs it or now. I have tried water as a substitute before, but she didn't fall for it. Brooklyn is way to smart for a trick like that!!

Love,
Jennifer.