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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Dd very unsettled at night now she's on solids - help!

17 replies

aloha · 26/08/2005 08:06

This isn't supposed to happen! Since introducing solids (at six months) dd's nightime sleep has fallen apart. She clearly has an uncomfortable tummy (can feel her muscles convulsing) which is keeping her from falling deeply asleep and she is pooing at night, which she has NEVER done, even as a newborn.
She's not eating that much. Yesterday she had a bit of mashed potato at lunch and less than half a very small jar of some kind of chicken and potato-type mixture and a very small amount of banana.
She's still breastfeeding quite frequently and seems happy during the day though obviously her nappies have changed with the introduction of solids (the comparative horror of the nappies is best argument for later weaning I can think of tbh, but that's another story).
Any ideas? Would love to get some decent sleep again.

OP posts:
Flossam · 26/08/2005 08:09

Hi ALoha, I don't know how much this will help, but I found DS, who had never really suffered much wind before, suddenly became really uncomfortable after I started weaning. It didn't last long, I tried Infacol and that helped loads. Hopefully it won't last long for you eaither. Also I found mixing banana with another fruit (strawberries, kiwi) stopped it being so constipating. I hope things sort themselve out for you soon.

aloha · 26/08/2005 08:11

Thanks Flossam. She certainly isn't constipated! I do hope it doesn't last - I'm exhausted.

OP posts:
aloha · 26/08/2005 08:58

anyone else?

OP posts:
frannyf · 26/08/2005 09:13

If your daughter is still breastfeeding she doesn't really need much else at the moment. 'Real' food can be more for snacks and enjoyment at this age as your milk still provides most of what she needs. My son was very windy and wakeful at night after I introduced solids. I think I had tried to rush it all (I was scared by hv who told me he had to have beans etc. for iron as we are veggie and bf - have since been told this was utter rubbish as breast milk still does provide iron). I went back to really basic foods for some time until his system seemed to mature a bit.

Dr. Sears recommends bananas, rice cereal, and pears for a 6 month old, then avocado, peach, carrot, squash, potatoes, yams, barley cereal at 7 months, no meat, cheese, beans or peas until 9 months, with no cow's milk, other cereals or fruits until a year. I think we do rush weaning in this country and perhaps don't do our babies any favours. My son now eats a good mixed diet and is not fussy or particularly windy (well, ok, we are veggie after all ).

If you want to read more, this weaning diet is from The Baby Book by Sears and Sears. It's a good read if you are interested in their attachment philosophy and don't mind a fairly simplistic writing style.

I do hope things improve as it is miserable to be up at night if you are used to getting a full night's sleep.

yawningmonster · 26/08/2005 09:14

when I was weaning I was advised to hold off on the potato for a while as apparently it can be hard for some babes to digest, just a thought but it may be worth taking it out and trying some different first foods, maybe keep a bit of a record of what is eaten and behaviour at nite to see if there is any correlation, otherwise perhaps take her off solids all together for a couple of days and slowly reintroduce, maybe her system just isnt quite ready to cope with them yet?

Littlefish · 26/08/2005 09:15

Aloha, do you give her protein at lunchtime or in the evening? I always found my dd was more uncomfortable if she had protein in the evening. Since I switched, and give her protein at lunchtime and then something much lighter for tea, she's been much more settled at night. She tends to have just risotto, or pasta and vegetables at night. (she's 9 months old)

Littlefish · 26/08/2005 09:16

Oh, yawningmonster has just reminded me... she hasn't had potatoes, wheat or dairy yet either.

Tinker · 26/08/2005 09:18

I found banana was hard to deal with by my first one. That and Weetabix. Night time waking with griping pain cries.

aloha · 26/08/2005 09:49

I'm sure you are all right and I need to rein this back quite drastically. I think I was quite excited because she seemed to enjoy different foods, but they are clearly too much for her little system. Will get some rice cereal today. Your baby sounds a lot like mine Franny F - very happy indeed on breastmilk alone and food has been a bit of a shock to her digestion.

OP posts:
Feffi · 26/08/2005 09:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bakedpotato · 26/08/2005 09:57

Agree with Tinker, it's a shame because it is the ultimate convenience food, but banana should come with a warning notice. Poor DS was rabbit-pelleting when he was having it regularly, but things are back to normal now he has it maybe twice a week. No awful straining noises/raised veins on forehead.
Lunch is much more varied, but I tend to do the lighter-tea thing too. Baby rice/rice pudding with a few dollops of apple/pear/peach puree.

bakedpotato · 26/08/2005 10:03

Gina F (I find her pretty useful on weaning) recommends introducing each new food at lunch, and once you know the baby is OK with it, shunting it into the teatime repertoire. So at least you don't pay the price of a strong reaction overnight.

Eaney · 26/08/2005 10:13

I think, breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper. I have also heard that Bananna is very hard to digest.

Try Weaning and the breastfed baby for info.

piccolamamma · 12/09/2005 11:49

we've just starting weaning too about two weeks ago - and after over a week of terrible nights waking two or three times i've taken dd off most solids giving only a little fruit in the morning or carrot and baby rice. only milk at night time. yet to see if it works - fingers crossed!!

Psychobabble · 17/09/2005 11:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mears · 17/09/2005 11:07

Rather than getting her rice Aloha, you could stop them for a week or so then try again. Even though she is 6 months she might not quite be ready.

sweetbean · 17/09/2005 11:30

Hi i'm not sure if this has already been cover but you shouldn't give potates to babys when you first wean as i is realy hard to digest this also gose for bannanas as well.Its best to try then on root veg first.
My DD is 7 months and i started weaning at 6 months and she did just the same as yours not sleeping through and pooing in her nappie at night which she never did before either.
also some thing eles that worked for me was not feeding her solids after 6pm and only giving her rice pudding/porrige so no protein and that stopped her pooing at night.
i don't know if this will be any help but i hope things get better for you both

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