Weaning a colicky baby

[CantSleepWontSleep]

I know that most babies grow out of colic around 12 weeks, so don't know if anyone will have any experience that can help or not, but here goes. Bit of background....

DD almost 16 weeks, and has suffered terribly with colic. Thought it was better, then discovered last week that she reacts extremely badly if I eat dairy, so I'm now off it. She still struggles to bring up wind though, even with the aid of infacol. There are a whole list of other foods that I seem to have to avoid too (mostly veg, eg peppers, baked beans, onions)

She's a big baby (will be weighed later this morning, but was 15lb 9oz at 14 weeks, which is over 91st centile), and is exclusively breast fed at present (refuses to take a bottle so no choice there!). She has never really been very settled at night, but is now in a pattern of waking 3 or more times each night for a feed (she gets around 8 hours sleep a night). During the day she feeds for about 45mins from both breasts, and only goes a maximum of a 3 hour feed cycle.

Health visitor has given her blessing for us to wean her from 4 months, and says that this might help with her colic, but can't know for sure.

So my questions are

1. If you weaned a colicky baby, did it help with their colic?
2. Did your weaned baby wake less in the night for food?
3. If your baby was sensitive to certain foods that you ate, did you avoid giving them them when you weaned them, or did they take them and not react badly?

Thanks :)

Hi

No problem, ask away. You can get hypoallergenic formulas from the pharmcist but they are very expensive is it is better to go to the GP and get it on prescription and also it is the safest way to do this.

Just tell him that you have noticed her behaviour is alot better since you cut out the dairy, that you have done some research and that you want to try a hypoallergenic formula. There are several available and different babies react differently to them.

Hypoallergenic formulas are usually cow's milk based but the protein has been hydrolysed (broken down) so it is easier to digest and is better toleranted by intolerant, and even allergic, babies.

DD was on Nutramigen but she didn't tolerate it and went on to Neocate which is an elemental formula, but I won't go into all that detail just yet.

I know that some babies that haven't tolerated Nutramigen have done well on Pregestimil, it is all trial and error.

If you don't have any luck with GP, push for a referal to paed or ask you pharmist if you can buy one of the hypoallergenic formulas of the counter, and try it yourself (obiviously this isn't the best thing to do). My pharmist did it for me because I was so desperate and dd failed the Nutramigen trial.

Other alternative is Cow&Gate Onmeo Comfort, it is whey hydrolysed and is available everywhere. Some babies are fine with it but as your dd is reacting to dairy in your breastmilk, I don't think she will tolerant this one. Mine dd didn't and ds only tolerated it for 2 mnths.

OMG, i do waffle on, don't I?

Hope this all make sense but if it doesn't let me know.

Try this webpage hopefully it might make things clearer.

www.prodigy.nhs.uk/colic_infantile/extended_information/management_issues

God, DO NOT throw your milk away. I'm sure you can keep it frozen for 3-6mnths. She might have out grown the intolerance by then.

Also, don't be tempted to put dd on Soya formula. Even though the tins say from birth, the new EU guidelines is that soya should not be given to infants under 6mnths and even then as a last resort. There are other concerns re soya formulas, eg high sugar, high phytoestrogen content so it really shouldn't be used with out close medical supervision. And also the fact that it is a major allergen.

FFS.

Hi we weaned early on advise from doctor because of colic. im not sure how much it helped as we found out around this time that lizzie was intolerent to cows milk protien and lactose so these stopped may have also helped improve her colic.
So in a word yes it helped but i canht say her colic clearing was soley down to weaning.
we started with just small amount of fruit once a day after milk at lunch time. we had to stay on the same food and amount for 3 days- this helped us take things slowly.
i just tried recipes from here which works for me www.babyandnames.com/SteamApple.html
has a large collection. try one by one. Try fruits then move to vegetables and cerlacs
Hope it helps
If you have any help ask me