What can be wrong with my 6.5 month old baby? Please help!

[Kitsilano]

Sorry if this is wrong but I am reaching the end of my tether. My 6 month old DD2 has become increasingly factious in the day and has taken to waking at 2am (sometimes) and 4am always in the night and crying and crying for anything up to an hour and a half. This has been every night for the last 3 weeks.

Teething? - I have thought it could be teething - but only at night and EVERY night with no sign of a tooth? I give her nurofen/calpol in case but am worries whether it is right to do this every night.

Hunger? - She takes a 9oz bottle at 7pm, another 5oz at 10.30pm and isn't really hungry in the morning so I genuinely don't think she is hungry. I am stopping breastfeeding but if I feed her she calms down for a bit but starts again as soon as I take her off the breast.

Reflux? - She has always been a bit of a fussy feeder - wriggly when feeding and she has never slept very well - nothing like this though. This seems to be new. She has started possetting/vomiting a lot in the day over the past few weeks. Can relfux suddenly come on?

Allergy/Intolerance - she has been on solids since just before 6 months. Could this be the problem? If so what should I do? How can I tell?

Please does ANYONE have any ideas? I hate to see her so miserable and I am so tired from being up for hours in the night and have DD1 who is 3 to look after in the day. We have just had to cancel our holiday because we think it will be too much of a nightmare to be there with her and could disrupt her even more.

I have made a doctors appointment for thursday but am worried I will just be dismissed and told she is just a fussy baby.

Please help if you can suggest anything at all.

[Turniphead1]

Sounds very like could be reflux and/or maybe dairy allergy. Has this coincided with stopping b/fing and going onto formula? In which case she is suddenly getting a lot more cows milk than ever before. Reguritating can be a sign of allergy to cows milk.

The Dr should be sympathetic, a baby of that age shouldn't be that possetty etc. Don't be fobbed off, you know your own baby and the above doesn't sound right to me.

My LO had relux and the infant gaviscon sorted him right out. In the meanwhile try elevating the two front legs of her cot so that she is sleeping in a slight slope (obv head higher than legs) just to see if it helps. Poor little thing - hugs to you but am sure help will be at hand.

[auntymandy]

not liking the warmer weather?

[susiemj]

I can't explain it but I know some people have had success for 'unexplained' problems with cranial osteopathy.

[Kitsilano]

It does coincide with cutting down breastfeeding radically so I do wonder about the possibility of an intolerance.

We have an airconditioner in her room so I don't think it's a heat issue.

[Kitsilano]

I've made a cranial osteopathy appointment for tomorrow - I'm a cynic about it but willing to try anything now!

[auntymandy]

what food have you intoduced that may cause a problem?

[Kitsilano]

Yoghurt? (Greek, cows milk)
Minced beef - but just in the last few days and this predates it
Chicken?
Salmon - but she's only had it twice
Toast with butter?

Various fruit and veg purees - can't think it would be those:

Sweet potato
Carrot
Butternut squash
Mango
Apple
Pear
Brocolli
Courgette
Potato

Any of those likely to cause allergies?

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer

[Turniphead1]

If you are in London and have private health ins I know a fantastic Allergy consultant who also looks at the reflux issue, if it comes that. Best of luck.

[Wade]

Which formula? My friend had a 'fussy' baby and got on better with the Cow and Gate 'comfort' formula. There is also an aptamil for delicate tummies.

[Turniphead1]

Sorry crossed posts with you. The only items that you list that are COMMON allergens are the fish and cows milk. Bearing in mind the timing with you stopping bf'ing, cows milk looks the likliest culprit if it does turn out to be a dairy allergy. Whatever you do, don't give egg - and maybe avoid strawberries, tomatos and kiwi - for the time being til you suss out whats going on.

[Kitsilano]

I am in London Turniphead and have private health ins so would be v interested in the allergy consultant's details.

Wade I bought Cow and gate Comfort today but she wouldn't drink it (don't balme her, it smells rank). She's on aptamil at the moment so I will try to get the delicate tummy one.

Do you think it sounds like tummy trouble rather than teething?

[Wade]

Also, in my case, her sleeping improved when we stopped the 10.30 feed. Wondered if she had indigestion from all the milk?! She was starving in the morning then too which makes sense.

[susiemj]

I've had osteopathy (not cranial as far as I know) and it was amazing.

Hope it's a succes. Be good to know.

[Kitsilano]

Wade - Yes! I have been wondering that. Some night she has 15oz after 7pm (9oz at 7pm, 6 oz at 10.30) and she is not hungry in the morning til 8ish. But I'm scared to drop it because then when she wakes in the night I'll worry she is hungry and will feel I need to feed her thus adding another complication to the equation.

Did you gradually cut down the 10.30 feed or go cold turkey?

[Kitsilano]

I also give her weetabix and Plum Baby porridge. Is wheat intolerance common in babies?

[Turniphead1]

Hi - his name is Prof Gideon Lack and he is at the Portland 020 7390 8347. He is basically one of the top guys in allergy etc worldwide. You will need a referral from your GP but he is amazing. He treated both my DCs for allergies and reflux and I know one of his warning signs is the onset of sickiness when bf'ing stops (but obv. I can't diagnose!!).

[Wade]

I went cold turkey - I just thought 'it can't get any worse' and it didn't. Plus if she wakes and you have to feed her maybe it will settle her in under an hour and a half? I know no one wants to go back to doing night feeds but it may be better than 90 mintues of crying.

Not sure about the wheat intolerance but you could cut it out for a few days - bread, weetabix etc and just give her porridge in the morning and see if it helps.

[Wade]

btw - when my friend's baby had reflux, she was told it would resolve as he got older and became more upright instead of being flat on his back all the time. It did. I didn't think it was something that started at this stage.

[jafina]

kitsilano - my dd was a bit like this after solids started. I was advised (on Mumsnet!) to bring teatime right back to 4pm or so and keep it small. Their little tummies can easily be overwhelmed by solids and it really affects their sleep. In your case moving to formula is a big change too. Your dd doesn't need a huge range of food at the moment so keep it super simple and very small portions, especially towards evening.

Good luck!

[jafina]

also wanted to add that around 6 months many babies go through a very fussy stage what with teeth, growth spurt and separation anxiety looming. Add in weaning and some babies just get a bit overwhelmed.

good luck with the cranial osteopath....

[Kitsilano]

Thank you thank you all so much for responding. I don't feel quite so alone with this now. I will ask GP for referral to allergy specialst and I will cut the 10.30 feed, keep solids simple and not too much.

Grateful sob!

[Kitsilano]

Thanks so much to all of you who responded. I cut out the 10.30 feed last night and though she woke at 12 and needed resettling she then slept until 6.40!!

So maybe too much milk late at night was the issue if she has a slight intolerance. I also took her to the cranial osteopath yesterday - so maybe it was that.

Seeing the Dr today and will still try to get a referral to an allergy specialst