Frida Baby Windi Gas Reliever

"5.0 out of 5 stars" - LET'S TALK POOP, GAS & TUMMY TROUBLES... because, face it, oce you have a baby, talking about poop is no different from talking about the weather. :)We had an EXTREMELY colicky baby... we thought she was just angry and colicky, but we learned she had a SEVERE allergy to dairy. Her allergy is called CMPA - Cow's Milk Protein Allergy. A rare allergy to CMP that passes through the breastmilk, and causes swelling and tears in the baby's intestines, stomach and bowels. This caused MAJOR GI issues, gas, diarrhea, and belly pain - and SCREAMING. Oh, the screaming!!!!Ahead of delivery, I ordered this because I'd heard great things about everything by FridaBaby (oh, how I love their booger sucker!). Sure, these were bizarre in concept, but I thought, "well, if I do need it, I'll be happy I have it." And man, were my husband and I happy to have these.We LIVED by these, and did so with our pediatrician's approval. You don't want to use this too much, because the baby can become reliant on it for BMs. But, her system was so bad off (to the point she had micro-tears in her GI, so we were doing hemoccult tests regularly at the doctor until we knew she was healed), we were desperate at times. Usually around 2 or 4AM every night, she would scream nonstop. The same happened at least 2 other times during the day. We always tried tummy massages (we took a class at the local hospital) and leg crunches. When those failed, along with tummy-time, we used these things. This went on for 3-4 months... so for the first few months, especially the first 2.5-3 months when we didn't know she had the allergy, these were the only thing that would temporarily relieve her gas pain.Where these get wider, that's what stops it from going too far into the baby's bum. It's exactly the same concept as the well-known thermometer or q-tip method parents & doctors have been using for years. When a baby's constipated or gassy, using one of these things (thermometer or qtip) were often used to 'stimulate' some activity. These are better because not only are they disposable (really - don't try to reuse these), but they go a little deeper than just the edge and really help to relieve (and channel - the MESS!) what's going on in there.Sorry FridaBaby, but I have to share this with fellow parents.... there is another brand that makes these (though, the invention credit goes to FridaBaby) for a little cheaper. Let's face it, these aren't cheap... but you can save a little bit by Aizara Gas Relief Baby, Gas and Colic Reliever for Babies Doctor-Invented Hollow Tube Natural Solution for Colic 10 pcs. These work EXACTLY the same as Windi's version. They may even be slightly better made, but it's negligible. Really, there's no functional difference just a few dollars in savings.As a tip, we used Vaseline, or grape-seed oil as a lubricant when using this and combined these with tummy massages. Remember when you give a baby a belly massage, you MUST go from the baby's left to right... I suggest the "I Love You" massage - google it. Then do some leg crunches to their belly, add a little lubricant, (have a diaper or pad ready for the mess) and use this. Net, this works 99% of the time and worked exactly as well as Windi. If you prefer the name-brand (Windi), I still recommend it and the same tips above. This version is just a little cheaper.To use, (after you've tried tummy time, massage, etc.), you hold baby's feet in one hand pulling them to their face, (baby's on their back), use a lubricant to ensure you don't create any fissures or damage, insert and wait. You can apply gentle pressure or have your spouse gently rub down and counter-clockwise (from your POV, so counter-clockwise to you while you're facing baby), which often helps. I wouldn't say it really "whistles", not in the sense I think of when someone says whistle. It sounds like what you'd expect gas to sound like... and poop often DOES come out. So be ready to catch it with a diaper.As some people have commented, these do not work for everyone. In fact, there were times when I thought, "WTH... why isn't this working!?!?!? It always works!" So, don't be discouraged, and don't push it (figuratively)... sometimes the baby's bowels just aren't ready. Use common sense, and don't use this 5 times a day, but when you need it, you'll know. Sorry if TMI - just hoping this helps someone else on their journey.