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Daytime sleep interrupted by dirty nappy - HELP!

10 replies

futurity · 26/09/2002 13:40

My 8 month old ds is breastfed, eating solids well and generally sleeps well but we have recently had a new problem!

He has a long sleep after lunch but when he stirs during the sleep he is ..well..to put it frankly..doing a poo! This then stops him going back to sleep as he has already had normally about an hours sleep (where as he used to have 1 1/2 to 2) but he remains very tired all afternoon and this has occasionally led to overtired screaming come bedtime.

Today he slept for about 40 mins and was not going back to sleep so I guessed the dirty nappy..gone in and changed him and put him back down. Not sure if he has gone back to sleep yet...

This problem, although sounding silly and trivial I know, is really really getting to me and I don't know what, if anything I can do about it! He does a fair amount of poo throughout the day..he always has which I am told is because he is a breastfed baby. His baby friends (who are all bottle fed) only poo once a day I am told!!

Anyway...not really sure what I want from this posting...just feedback I suppose to get any ideas. It doesn't really make any difference what food he has (although if people have any ideas as to what foods may be "better"?) and I have mentioned to my hv that he does poo alot and she said that it isn't a problem. Well it wasn't until now! It is just so tiring for him and me and I know that when he has a bad sleep that I will have to go out for a mega long walk in the afternoon to try and get him to sleep so that come the evening we don't get the overtired screaming (which also is very stressful!)

Sorry for waffling on!!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Bozza · 26/09/2002 14:03

Bananas!!

They are supposed to have the effect you are after! Its true about the breast/bottle thing too - DS got constipated when switching to half and half and also when going totally onto the bottle.

Could you try and exercise him (pull his legs about etc)to try and get him to poo before his nap?

futurity · 26/09/2002 14:05

He does eat alot of bananas....are you saying that it does make them produce lots of poo?!

Tried the exercise thing for the last couple of days..yesterday it worked (ie he did a poo before nap and then slept for 2 hours) Didn't work today though.

He didn't go back to sleep again..so has had 1/2 hour sleep this dinnertime..this afternoon is going to be looooong!!

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Bozza · 26/09/2002 14:51

No what I meant is that they can have a constipating effect. Obviously not for your DS though.

futurity · 26/09/2002 14:57

Oh right...I see what you mean. I just had a browse around the site and it said that bananas make some people constipated and some people the opposite...maybe I should cut them out for a few days and see what happens?

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Bozza · 26/09/2002 15:06

Worth a try Futurity.

Enid · 26/09/2002 15:08

Also bananas take a long time to digest so if he's eating them for breakfast that would mean he poos them out (sorry) at late lunchtime?

What does he normally eat in the day and when?

futurity · 26/09/2002 15:31

he has bf about 7. breakfast about 7.45..weetabix and fruit or ready brek and fruit (fruit being usually banana or sometimes apple/pear). Then he attacks some bread (wholemeal)!
Lunch at around 11.45..varies what he has but usually homemade chicken and veg meal (I use Annabel whatshername book!)..sometimes has pudding which would be yogurt or fruit or jar.
BF mid afternoon
Tea about 5...again varies but either an Annabel creation or potato with cheese/beans or fish with white sauce. Sorry a bit vague about food..the only pattern I can see with it is alot of bananas and possibly alot of potato?
Last bf about 6.30.
Sleeps well at night although does wake early due to poo!!

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futurity · 26/09/2002 15:33

Saying this he hasn't had banana today...did yesterday though. I am never quite sure when what he eats comes out in the poo (sorry to be so graphic!)

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futurity · 26/09/2002 20:49

Well went for a long walk this afternoon so he could sleep which worked for once! Lots of grumpiness during tea time though but none at bedtime.

Any other thoughts welcome!

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futurity · 27/09/2002 09:28

Well just spoke to the HV and she wasn't much help. Said that if he won't go back to sleep then to pop in pushchair or go for a drive...not exactly practical to do everyday and not a guarantee for my ds to go to sleep!! She said to leave him up longer so he goes to toilet first and that maybe cutting back on bananas might help. Generally though she was a bit lost so again any help gratefully received!

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