wind and/or sore tummy - dietician no help!!

[Mazzimaz2709]

Hello, I have just started weaning my 6 month old who has been on neocate formula since Christmas and EBF before then. She had blood in her poo pretty much since birth and I had been on an elimination diet for 3 months to try and establish if she had any allergies (this was inconclusive but since on neocate the blood has stopped).
Now we are weaning, we have to take it very slowly with very simple food offered one at a time, however... After three days of happily taking sweet potato and pear (at dinner time) she suddenly got very windy at night. Waking every hour with her legs pulled up, crying in pain and difficult to settle. She would occasionally fart but that didn't appear to offer instant relief. After four nights like this we decided to stop solids and she was instantly better. We had a scheduled appointment with the dietician (due to previous blood in her nappy) later that week so decided to seek further advice then.

The dietician then advised us to start again with golden delicious apples and totally dissed sweet potato as an "Annabel karmel" fad (?!!) and introduce baby rice, chicken and white potato, quickly building up to three basic meals of these foods per day so we can try "challenging" her with other food one at a time, knowing her basic diet was not causing any problems.

So, after two days of golden delicious apple and baby rice for breakfast and then, another two days of adding just Apple at dinner time... The windy/uncomfortable nights have started again!

From your experience weaning babies without food allergies/intolerances... Is this just a normal consequence of weaning? Is it the baby rice (not offered first time round with sweet potato/pear)? Or does this sound like something related to her gut issues? The dietician's response to this question first time round was "who knows, with babies"!!! It was my idea to stop feeding at dinner time and just give her breakfast, so that it could give her system time to get used to solids without disturbing her (and my!) nights sleep but the dietician said she wanted us to be up to three meals a day within two weeks. So feeling a little lost and not supported by my dietician.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[Mazzimaz2709]

Can anyone help?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

The advice from your dietician isn't in line with the current NHS advise which is to "move to 3 meals a sat between 8 and 9 months".

Fructose can be an allergen. I think that giving her a coup,e of days off might help to heal her gut. After that try one food for 3 days before introducing another. Not entirely sure why she told you to mix 2 together.

Could you try her with something like a lightly steamed carrot sticks to chew on after her morning milk? She should be fine with finger foods at 6 months

I also think that your idea of offering foods at breakfast time is a really sensible one.

[fluffikins]

My dd has cmpa and we found that she's been quite windy with weaning. We've just chosen to rise it out and it has got better, I think it was just her tummy getting used to having non-milk stuff in it. We do blw though so the amount she's getting in is very small so it's quite a gentle approach in that respect

[Mazzimaz2709]

Thank you both! We have persevered and avoided acidic food as well as fructose and it seems to have helped. We are feeding puréed carrot and white potato which she loves and seems to be agreeing with her. Again still only breakfast although yesterday have her some carrots to munch on herself at lunch time.

Tried ready break mixed with water instead of milk (yuk!) and mixed in some carrot this morning for breakfast so fingers crossed this is better than baby rice!

Thanks again.

[MilkRunningOutAgain]

My DD had severe silent reflux. We were advised to wean early as she was failing to thrive. It didn't work, she got severe tummy cramps and constipation, even just on a few teaspoons of pear purée. We had to give up and go back to milk only for a few weeks. I think the dietician didn't believe about the constipation and problems solid food was causing, she got quite cross with us when we admitted we'd given up on warning. When we did succeed in weaning, after several attempts it worked at about 6.5 months, we had to stick to veggies only as any fruit caused tummy cramps. The dietician thought perhaps DD had an immature gut, she suggested easy to digest foods such as carrots, swede, white potato and chicken or white fish, plaice or haddock. To build up to 3 meals in 2 weeks does sound a lot. I used to feed solids at breakfast and lunch, but didn't add in tea/ dinner for ages ( can't remember when ) for the reasons you gave op, to allow her to digest solids in the day and try to ensure we all slept well. Good luck op, it can be difficult getting weaning to work for you. Just keep trying and adjusting what you do, you will gradually build up a list of foods she can have. DD really improved once weaning got going, grew loads and was so much happier. We stuck to white carbs for a long time, and really avoided roughage. She didn't have any allergies luckily and now she's 9 and enjoys a wide range of foods.

[Mazzimaz2709]

Ahh thank you for your reply! I asked the dietician if I could stop for a while and try again but as my wee girl is already 6.5 months she advised against that, especially as she is already showing signs of trying to feed herself and interested in food. Basically, similarly to you we found fruit has caused issues as well as oats / readybrek so we have cut back to carrot, parsnip and white potato. Thank you for your encouragement - right now it does seem like a long journey ahead but already your suggestion of white fish might be a good next option as chicken doesn't especially purée very well!! So feeling positive. That and the fact she slept through last night with no issues... Amazing what 7 hours sleep can do for a girl!!

[MilkRunningOutAgain]

If yours is on neocate is she dairy free due to actual allergies or fear of them? I had to go dairy free when bf, and it really helped DD, reduced her burping and tummy cramps, but luckily she had no allergy when I tried dairy when weaning. Her favourite food was plaice in a white sauce. And plain yogurt. Pasta in tomato sauce was another one she liked. She did eat loads of rice , in risottos, with mince and veggies, she found it easy to digest. Plus stews when a little older.