| |  | | Baby Sleepless after Introducing Solid Food
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: No Name Given
Posted on: February 16, 2005
My baby is 6-1/2 months old, I am still breast feeding and have recently introduced her to organic vegetables as a side dish, but she is not sleeping. She sleeps in her own crib, next to my bed, but sleeps for 5 minutes then wakes up and just screams. I haven’t slept in 4 nights. Please help me. What if any supplements are safe to give her so that we can sleep?
Assuming that your daughter is getting sufficient breast milk for her needs, she may be reacting to her new diet. A child’s digestive system doesn’t fully develop until age 1 or 2. Any food other than breast milk can cause digestive problems. You should introduce only one new food at a time, and introduce it slowly, a very small amount every 2 days, and watch for reactions. When one food has been safely introduced, you can try another. If you are purchasing baby food, check the labels for any additives. Some additives can be toxic, particularly to the undeveloped digestive system.
The following foods can cause infant colic, and should be avoided in both baby foods and in the breastfeeding mother’s diet until the problem has resolved: soy product, dairy, onions, garlic, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, cucumber, red & green pepper, melons, spicy foods, eggs, corn, wheat, chocolate, alcohol and coffee. To avoid future allergic reactions like eczema and asthma, dairy and soy products should not be given to your daughter until her digestive system is fully developed.
To speed healing, both you and your baby can take digestive herbs in the form of teas: chamomile, fennel, spearmint or catnip. Make the tea by infusing a teaspoon of the dried herb in a cup of boiling water. Steep, covered, in a ceramic cup or teapot for 15 minutes. Strain. Give the baby 1 teaspoon of the tea - unsweetened - in water, three times a day. The breastfeeding mother should drink a cup of the tea three times a day. The digestive properties of the tea will come to your baby through your milk.
If the problem is not resolved within two days of changing the diet and taking digestive herb teas, check with your doctor for other possible causes of your daughter’s crying.
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