GENERAL
FAQs

Here to helpAnswers to common questions

If you’re an existing client of Willby’s, you can access in-depth information about colic, our products and how to best use them here.

ORDERING

How do I purchase Willby’s products?

New Customers

  • Fill out our online form here to make sure our products are right for your baby.
  • If you are ordering a compounded prescription, either fill out our form or call us on 1300 794 232.

Existing Clients

  • You can purchase all our products in our shop here. Login required.
  • You can also order over the phone by calling 1300 794 232
Why can’t I add some products to cart?

Some products on our store require you to login to your account to purchase. These logins will be emailed to you after completing your initial consultation.

You can book your consult here

Where do I get my login details?

Login details will be sent to you via email after completing your initial consultation. Use these logins to access the entire store and Existing Client FAQ’s.

For existing customers call Willby’s for login details.

Can I purchase colic products without a consultation?

Some of our tailor-made products require you to fill out a form with your baby’s details to determine if they are right for you

Why do I need to fill out an online form?

All babies are different and have different needs. We need to know your baby’s requirements to ensure you get the best result from our products and service.

Do you store my credit card details?

No. Your credit card details are never stored on our website. If you choose to save your credit card details for a faster checkout experience, your card details are encrypted and stored securely with our payment processor, Stripe a PCI compliant and SSL protected gateway.

You can remove any stored credit cards by logging into your account and clicking on Payment Methods.

OUR PHARMACY

Where is Willby’s Compounding Pharmacy?

We are located in Melbourne, Victoria at 536 Whitehorse Rd, Mitcham 3132.

When is Willby’s open?

The Willby’s pharmacy and customer support is open Monday to Friday 9-5pm. 

DELIVERY

What do I do if my medication is not delivered in the estimated time period?

During COVID-19, your delivery may be delayed by Australia Post despite express postage. If your order is delayed, please call Australia Post with your tracking number on 13 11 18 for expected time of delivery or to lodge a customer enquiry.

To avoid delays in delivery, make sure you order in advance.

How do you post Willby’s products?

All orders are express posted through Australia Post. Tracking details are provided to you once your order has been shipped.

Can I collect my mix in person?

Collection is available from our Mitcham pharmacy from 9-5pm Monday to Friday. We will notify you by SMS once your order is ready to collect.

COLIC AND REFLUX

Does my baby have Colic? What is colic?

Colic is crying and fussing behaviour that occurs frequently and that lasts for a long time. It usually starts when babies are a few days to a few weeks old. It is defined as recurrent and prolonged periods of infant crying, fussing or irritability that occurs without obvious cause and cannot be prevented or resolved.

Babies with colic can have long periods of unsettled, fussing behaviour and crying, especially in the early evening. Some symptoms may include drawing legs up, arching back, squirming, grunting and turning red. It is very difficult to settle or comfort babies when they are in this distressed state.

Colic will affect up to 20% of otherwise healthy infants. The cause of colic is not well understood. Recent research suggests that babies with colic may have an immature gut with reduced amounts of essential bacteria necessary for them to effectively digest milk. Research has found that babies with colic do have differences in the types of bacteria found in their digestive systems compared to babies who do not experience colic symptoms.

Colic symptoms occur when undigested milk protein is not completely broken down by bacteria in your baby’s stomach. If not fully absorbed, undigested milk protein produces gas that forms pockets or bubbles of air that can become trapped.This will cause your baby’s gut to spasm and contract causing pain and discomfort.

Food allergies or intolerances, overfeeding, underfeeding or infrequent burping can contribute to symptoms.
If you are breastfeeding, changing your diet is unlikely to reduce crying unless your baby is diagnosed with an allergy to something in your diet, for example cow’s milk, egg or soy.

If an allergy is diagnosed as the cause of your baby’s excessive crying or colic, your baby will usually have other symptoms in addition to colic.

These may include significant vomiting ,feeding difficulties, diarrhoea with mucus or blood, poor weight gain, extensive eczema, and a family history of allergy.

What is reflux?

Reflux can also be a reason why your baby is unsettled. Reflux is often an underlying symptom of colic. Gas in the intestine can cause pressure on the contents of the stomach, which may be vomited or come up into the throat with stomach acid causing discomfort. This can happen when the closure at the top of your baby’s stomach is not fully mature and easily opens after feeding.

Sometimes the contents of your baby’s stomach can come up into the throat or mouth and be swallowed back down. This is called silent reflux. This can be confusing as there may be no obvious sign of the symptoms and may not include vomiting.

Babies may cry after feeding or make a screwed up face like they have tasted something bad. Coughing, gulping or breathing difficulties may also indicate silent reflux.

Babies with reflux often vomit a lot even between feeds and they are sometimes fussy feeders or like to feed a lot due to their discomfort, they can also be slow to gain weight. Some babies are unfortunate enough to suffer from both reflux and colic and it can also be hard to tell the difference between the two conditions.

What causes colic and reflux?

Colic symptoms occur because of trapped wind. Reflux occurs where the closure at the top of the stomach and the opening of the oesophagus is loose and allows regurgitation of stomach contents back into the oesophagus. The stomach contents are acidic, and this can cause pain and discomfort.

Babies with colic tend to have an immature digestive system, which means that they don’t have the right type or amount or diversity of bacteria necessary for them to be able to fully digest and absorb all the milk that is passing through their system at any one time.
It tends to be the protein in breast milk or formula that babies have difficulty breaking down. If this protein remains undigested, it will move from the stomach into the bowel where it will start to ferment. As it ferments, it will produce pockets of gas that can become trapped in the bowel, causing it to spasm and contract. This spasming causes babies a great deal of pain and discomfort, and results in colic symptoms and unsettled behaviours.

Babies often swallow air during feeding. Air that is swallowed may cause bloating, burping, gas and abdominal pain. Babies will try to move gas that is not far enough along the digestive tract for them to pass as wind by squirming and arching. It is important to burp your baby during and after feeding to prevent exacerbation of colic symptoms. When babies are uncomfortable, they may want to comfort feed which can compound the problem by overloading the system with excess milk.

What are common colic symptoms?

Babies with colic can have any or all the following symptoms. They may draw their knees up towards their chest, clench their fists and go red in the face. Sometimes they can arch their back and go stiff through their body and legs. Their tummies can be hard and bloated and they can be very gassy or windy. Your baby may wriggle and squirm. They may be noisy and grunt and may let out little random screams or squeals if asleep or resting quietly. Surprisingly, babies with colic do not always cry excessively but can be unsettled for long periods and be hard to soothe.

How can Colic remedies reduce colic and reflux symptoms?

Our products can help to lessen the pressure in your baby’s stomach by dissolving trapped gas and preventing pain caused by gut spasming and cramping. Once gas is effectively cleared your baby should be able to feed and settle better without discomfort.
Initially it will take 48 hours to clear gas that has been built up over time.

Once settled, babies can potentially drink greater volumes of milk and this can lead to stomach overload and possible vomiting.
It is important that you do not overfill your baby and allow enough time between feeds for adequate digestion.

Our solutions also have some antacid properties that can reduce the effect of burning pain caused by acid reflux.Other reflux medication may be required.

Will burping help to relieve colic?

The main discomfort caused by colic is from gas that is trapped in the gut that cannot easily be passed as wind and cannot be burped. This can be worsened by air that is swallowed during feeding or during crying. Air will mostly come to the surface when burping your baby but can slowly pass into your baby’s gut and cause discomfort.

It is helpful to reduce the amount of air your baby swallows during feeding. If your baby is breastfed make sure their lips have a good seal on the nipple at all times. A lactation consultant can advise you if your baby’s latch is uncomfortable, or if you feel they are gulping air while feeding.

If bottle fed, your baby’s mouth should seal around the base of the teat, not just the tip. Tilt the bottle so there is only milk coming into the mouth and no air. A teat size that is too big may also contribute to more air being swallowed.

It can help to burp your baby midway and after feeding to prevent air passing into the intestine. Immediately after feeding, keep your baby upright, this will help them to burp. If they are already uncomfortable, try lying your baby on their back and move their legs in a bicycle motion or give them some time on their tummies.

How long does Colic last?

Generally Colic symptoms will resolve within a three-month period, but it can be weeks or months depending on the baby. Research suggests that babies with colic may have an imbalance in the bacteria in their digestive system. This may be the reason that they produce excessive gas and have difficulty digesting their feeds effectively. Colic may occur more frequently in babies born by caesarean section as these babies do not benefit from gut bacteria transferred from their mothers in the birthing process. Bacteria from breast feeding and the birth process can help to seed the baby’s gut with essential bacteria necessary for the digestion of milk. Current evidence suggests that the use of probiotics to encourage the development of gut flora, significantly reduces the time a baby suffers from colic symptoms.

Is it good to use a probiotic if my baby has colic?

Probiotics that are made from single strain human breast milk bacteria interact better with your baby’s gut, and have been shown to improve digestion and to strengthen the immune system. Probiotics create bacterial balance and diversity in your baby’s digestive system, and help your baby to digest milk protein efficiently without producing gas. Once they can do this colic symptoms will pass.

There are many probiotics on the market. The quality and type of probiotic you choose is important as it will address the primary problem and help your baby get over this colic period faster.

Should I see a see a doctor about my baby’s symptoms?

Every baby with symptoms of colic should see a doctor to rule out any underlying conditions.

Babies who have feeding difficulties or frequent vomiting, with difficulty gaining weight and or a family history of allergy, should be properly diagnosed before dietary changes or medications are considered.

Does overfeeding my baby cause colic?

When babies cry continuously, there is a tendency to want to settle them by feeding.

As an immature gut may be the underlying reason for colic, overfeeding and feeding too often can worsen colic symptoms by placing more strain on a baby’s immature digestive system. Lengthening the time between feeds can help your baby to fully digest before their next feed.

Some babies may get too much of the lactose rich foremilk and not enough of the nutrient rich hind milk when feeding. The sugar in foremilk can cause increased gas, pain, irritability and green frothy bowel motions.

Lactose overload can happen in situations of breast milk oversupply or a fast let down reflex. A large volume of low fat feed (foremilk) will go through a baby’s system quickly producing gas and making bowel motions more acidic. This can lead to nappy rash and the baby being more unsettled. Consult your doctor or lactation consultant if you think your baby may have lactose overload.

Can changing my diet help?

Colic may be partly the result of food intolerance. Dietary changes can make a difference in some babies with colic. Limiting the intake of gas producing foods may be beneficial. True lactose intolerance or milk protein allergy is rare and should be assessed for by your doctor.