help!!!!!

[magnum]

My 4 month old dd has so far been an absolute star. she always slept fine at night only waking once for a bottle and then going back off to sleep and she always was happy and smiling during the day, only crying when hungry/tired/windy. during the last couple of days she has been REALLY hard work. she is now spending all day just shouting and moaning (not crying). it is constant no matter how much attention and amusement she gets. she's even like it when we go out in the car and she used to love the car. This continues all day and at night she is now waking every 2 hours and not going back to sleep after 4am. This is not due to hunger as she is refusing bottles offered to her. Over the last couple of weeks we have started weaning and so far she has had just baby rice and some of the breakfasts from Farleys (the dried ones) so I wondered maybe if it was something she was eating that has completely transformed her. I am starting giving her my own food today (pureed root vegetables) to see if that helps. Has anyone else had a similar experience of this happening when weaning or is it completely unconnected. Please Help!!! I'm very tired!!!

[whymummy]

hi magnum,could it be colic,my ds had it when he was 3 months and it was hell for two weeks or she could have a wheat allergy,try and write down what she eats to see if is certain foods, also lie her down on her belly this used to help ds when he had colic
good luck

[magnum]

She used to suffer very badly from colic when she was younger, but she seemed to have got over it. When she had colic she looked like she was in pain and she doesn't seem to be in pain at the moment. But it could be so i will try laying her on her stomach. I do hope it is not an allergy to anything but it could be. Maybe i should have waited before weaning.

[LIZS]

Do check that the farleys you ar eusing are gluten free. I was surpirsed how many things labelled fo 4 months contained it despite the recommendations. It may simply be that her gut is too immature to digest the cereals. Stick to just baby rice and introduce one flavour at a time mixed in with it and see if it makes a difference.

It may also be coinciding with a period of development where she is looking for something different to do and is more restless. Reverse car seat positions don't offer much entertainment (can't see out or see anyone else unless they sit next to them) and if she is like our dd she needed something like a mobile to entertain her from that sort of age as she stayed awake longer.

hth

[aloha]

I remember the first time I took ds out in the car and he didn't instantly fall fast asleep - I was astounded and actually thought something was wrong with him. It wasn't, he was just older. If you are worried about the food, you could just cut it out altogether and stay with milk. As you say, she was fine on milk and she is actually young to wean.

[magnum]

Thanks for the replies. I have been giving her a farleys rusk soaked in milk over the last couple of days which i have just noticed contains wheat & gluten. Needless to say I won't be giving her any more of those. These things are recommended for babies from 4 months so you would think they would be ok. She does also seem to be frustrated most of the time (hence the shouting) so it could be she is just going through an unsettled phase. Hopefully it was the rusk that was the problem!!

[magnum]

Aloha, that is what I was considering doing. Is it okay to stop weaning once started. It was mainly on advice from everyone else that I started early but you're right she was okay on her milk. Won't she miss the food now she has started having it? She does actually have a healthy appetite and eats everything I give her!!

[Tillysmummy]

I don't necessarily think it is the food. Could well be but what about teeth ? My dd had her first two at 6 weeks and was hell during that time. Does she dribble a lot, have red cheeks, constantly shove things in her mouth etc or anything like that?

[magnum]

tillysmummy, thanks i hadn't even thought of that!! i naturally assumed it was the food as it has coincided with weaning. she is dribbling a lot and her cheeks are quite red come to think of it and she is about the right age i suppose. You could be right and if you are whats the best thing to give her for the pain, if anything?

[whymummy]

magnum i've just seen this in a magazine is called a mesh feeder is design for teething babies aged 4 months and over,it looks like a dummy but has a mesh that you fill with something cool and soothing such as frozen banana or chilled carrot,you can then give it to your baby to chew without any risk of chocking,costs £11.45 and you'll find it here
www.tinyfootprints.co.uk

[magnum]

Thank you for all the replies. I feel much better now I have a few possibilities as to what might be the problem. I will definately get one of those mesh feeders. Thanks very much for that, it sounds like a very good idea!!

[Tillysmummy]

Hi magnum,
If you think she is really suffering a bit of calpol is probably a good idea. If you don't want to give her medicine, I always found that a dummy or something for her to chew on helped. You can get teething rings from the chemist. A bit like what whymummy suggests except you don't use food just put it in the fridge to cool it and then they chew on it.
My friends had babies who didn't bat an eyelid with teething but dd always had problems and it always dirupted her sleep and made her difficult, it still does !!

[Tillysmummy]

Hi magnum,
If you think she is really suffering a bit of calpol is probably a good idea. If you don't want to give her medicine, I always found that a dummy or something for her to chew on helped. You can get teething rings from the chemist. A bit like what whymummy suggests except you don't use food just put it in the fridge to cool it and then they chew on it.
My friends had babies who didn't bat an eyelid with teething but dd always had problems and it always dirupted her sleep and made her difficult, it still does !! Good luck !

[Tillysmummy]

Hi magnum,
If you think she is really suffering a bit of calpol is probably a good idea. If you don't want to give her medicine, I always found that a dummy or something for her to chew on helped. You can get teething rings from the chemist. A bit like what whymummy suggests except you don't use food just put it in the fridge to cool it and then they chew on it.
My friends had babies who didn't bat an eyelid with teething but dd always had problems and it always dirupted her sleep and made her difficult, it still does !! Good luck !

[Tillysmummy]

Hi magnum,
If you think she is really suffering a bit of calpol is probably a good idea. If you don't want to give her medicine, I always found that a dummy or something for her to chew on helped. You can get teething rings from the chemist. A bit like what whymummy suggests except you don't use food just put it in the fridge to cool it and then they chew on it.
My friends had babies who didn't bat an eyelid with teething but dd always had problems and it always disrupted her sleep and made her difficult, it still does !! Good luck !

[Tillysmummy]

Hi magnum,
If you think she is really suffering a bit of calpol is probably a good idea. If you don't want to give her medicine, I always found that a dummy or something for her to chew on helped. You can get teething rings from the chemist. A bit like what whymummy suggests except you don't use food just put it in the fridge to cool it and then they chew on it.
My friends had babies who didn't bat an eyelid with teething but dd always had problems and it always disrupted her sleep and made her difficult, it still does !! Good luck !

[Tillysmummy]

oops ! Think you got the message ??!! Sorry bout that