Somebody took my placid baby!(And left Miss grumpy...)

[Bronte'sMum]

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I have used this forum but feel desperately in need of some thoughts and advice. Bronte is 7 months old and began going onto solids about three weeks ago. She has always been a spirited baby but we felt that in the last few months we had really got the hang of the parenting journey...she was sleeping through the night from 4 months and since five months had also got the hang of the daytime sleep as well. I began to feel really confident about interpreting her cries etc and she was generally pretty placid. She began waking through the night so moved to solids as we thought it was a hunger issue and since then her nature has changed quite a lot. She is now waking 2-3 times a night ( often with pooey nappies), her daytime sleeps are chaotic and she often resists them and each day we have at least one unsettled period of over an hour crying and screaming. The last two days I have felt exhausted and have often ended up crying as well!! In amongst all this we have moved house!


has anyone had this experince around the 6 month mark? Could it be solids, growth spurt, the move or all three!

Would love to hear any thoughts as to how to get my placid happy baby back.

Thanks
Bronte's Mum

[pinkandblue]

It could even be teething. I think most babies get their first tooth around the 7 month mark.

[Kamaikia]

My son did this at around the 6 month mark - crying, waking at night (when he has always slept through) and pooing alot. Finally we (the doctor and me) figured out that he was lactose intolerant and apparently the change in formula - from birth to 6mths tin - had brought it out. Also a majority of baby food (tins) has milk in it - even the ones that you wouldn't think do. I changed his formula to a lactose free one (that is avaliable on health care card - $4.80 for 5 tins) and stopped feeding him any dairy and stopped the tins/bottles of baby food (he didn't have many anyway) and within 48 hours my lovely little boy was back. May also be teeth - I've found with my son there is usually something wrong when he cries and wakes - he isn't just going through a stage.

[Bronte'sMum]

Just a quick note to say thanks...I'll keep my eyes out for any teeth and the suggestion re lactose intolerance has given me some food for thought. The change has certainly coincided with the move towards the 6 month tins. It's also helpful to just hear that other Mums have had similar expereinces. Thanks again
Bronte's Mum

[Megansmum]

Just a thought about solid food. I had to introduce solid (pured food) to my daughter at about 3 1/2 months as I wasn't producing enough milk to feed her and she would not take to formula milk - mainly due to other stresses in my life. She is now 5 1/2 months old and quite happily drinks from a cup (missed the whole bottle thing). I am still breastfeeding her a few times a day but she is on solid food otherwise but I think the big difference is that I make all of her food. I stew apples and pears and then mix them with things like crushed weet-bix into a soup like consistency. She also enjoys things like pumpkin and tomato soup. It is certainly easier enough to make up the food for them and you know what they are eating unlike what goes into tin/bottled babyfood. So it might be easier to identify if your little one has a food intolerance.

I found that once I introduced her to these feeds she slept so much better and is a happier baby.

I certainly hope that this helps and I hope that things improve quickly for you. I can certainly understand the stresses that moving house can put on you. Take a deep breathe and smile and hopefully things will be back to normal soon.