Weaning a gassy baby - best foods to start with?

[Holdsworth]

Hi all, I have just joined this amazing forum so please bare with me on the technicalities of posting etc.

My 1st question is, what foods would be best to start my LO on considering the below information .
My LO is now 6 months exclusively BF but through the 6 months I have had to be careful with my gassy food intake as it's had really bad effect on my LO. ( cannot eat Broccoli, Brussels, cabbage )
She is a bad sleeper unfortunately and through her wakeful patches does a lot of pop off's and also is regular nighttime poo'er which means a large wakeful patches in the night for me .
I would really like to BLW but currently I'm thinking that this approach would be harsher on her already  sensitive digestive system . Suggestions and your experiences would be appreciated - Heidi x

[Buntybear]

Hi there and welcome to BW 

I think you are right to be careful with introducing solids. I would definitely advise to go slow and introduce one thing at a time. Waiting 3-5 days between each new food. Sounds like she is sensitive. Olly was very much like this at night and turned out to be allergic to egg and wheat through my milk! Don't want to scare you!

Foods that Olly couldn't eat until he was nearer 1 were sweet potato and banana. They both bunged him up  They are goods foods to start with though as mush easily and are tasty so worth a go maybe and just watch carefully.

Do you have any Annabel Karmel books? I used them mostly to wean.

Good Luck!

[Holdsworth]

Thank you so much Buntybear for your super quick response! I will absolutely try to intro things slowly 
Any views on BLW vs normal route or should I just start with blander bits ?? TIA

[Buntybear]

Not sure on BLW - good question  I wouldn't have thought it would make a difference as it is still the same food going in. Maybe someone else will have more knowledge of BLW and help.

I wouldn't start with blander food necessarily, just foods that are known as being tricky - like the cruciferous vegetables.

Have you noticed any other pattern in foods that you eat and how she reacted?

[ZacsMumme]

Bb advice as always is amazing
Just popping  on with my thoughts and learning from my boys - one had severe acid reflux, the other has reflux and intolerances.

If you can bear it avoid grains. They are hard to break down. If you need to give a grain try something like quinoa over wheat. For us safe finger foods were things like homemade potato chips, pumpkin chunks, cooked carrot, legumes like chickpeas (though some babies may find these make them gassy T was fine), pear, apple and avocado are 'usually' well tolerated. Chunks of chicken or lamb to suck or chomp on. But if blw then watch your LO like a hawk!

Personally I think blw is really difficult with LOs that have sensitive systems and potential allergies/intolerances as it's often hard to know what causes the problem. You could try some purses, then use blw on the ones once you know they are safe. Ie pumpkin purée then chunks of it.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Just listening in! Currently I am dairy/beef/soy/egg free while ebf...and Sara it had not even occured to me to do blw with foods that are okay as purees! Lol good thing I have a while to figure it out. I agree with leaving a few days between new foods, did that with DD1 & 2.

[Holdsworth]

Morning and thank you so much of the learnings and advice ! With my 1st LO I wanted to be a BLW purist as you do with your first, it worked well for him but you have all confirmed what I was thinking re BLW with Evie and I am loving the use of purées to work out what her system will tolerate or not !
On sat before I posted  I had already gone for toast, which she loved but it's still working its way through ! we have had several looser and more frequent nappies since but not at night, they have switched to around the time I fed her ! So one possible good thing  it's going to be so hard to keep to one food every 3 days .... It's such an amazing interactive part ! But I know I need to slow it down for her.

Question - when introducing any new food would you expect her poo's to be looser anyway ?
She doesn't seem to be in any pain with poo's or gas and the NW is no worse .... What would an adverse reaction to a food be ?

Thank you all again x

[Buntybear]

Hi,

How is she doing today?

Reactions to foods can be more gas, runny poos or constipation, bloating, eczema, rashes, vomiting, NWs.

TBH - anything that isn't normal for your LO could be caused by a reaction YK.

[ZacsMumme]

Sometimes you don't pick up problem foods till later on either. Intolerances, unlike allergies can show themselves over time as the digestive system starts to respond/struggle to digest the food. That said, sometimes the reaction is as quick as 20 mins I think.

Here's a good sticky
Does my LO have food intolerances?
And this is just from dr google but mentions what to look for with allergies. http://www.medicinenet.com/food_allergy/page3.htm#what_are_the_symptoms_and_signs_of_food_allergy

Tbh given you have tried toast I would prob give it a few days then maybe try again (not same day as another new food) and see how she goes second time around. x

[Holdsworth]

Hi All,

Great to hear from you again ! We are doing okay thank you .
We have now tried sweet  potato as it is a staple in our household diet and she seemed to cope well with it, we had no more that usual gas and definite poo's because of it ! Slightly looser but no worse than what I call her teething nappies !!
We then tried a bit of porridge with Banana and she didn't seem to like the texture of that at all when offered toast or sweet pot would rather chomp in these.
The night that we intro'd porridge she had a very up set wakeful period between 11-1 pm where she seemed unable to get comfortable on her back and just wanted to be held. She had had a slightly elevated temp so I had given her calpol and she had one very red cheek so I think the porridge was not the culprit but more than likely teeth.
Went to see my homeopath today due to her sleep and she recommends I went straight to 3 meals a day ? Is this wise ??

Speak soon Heidi x

[Buntybear]

Hmm, did she say why to go to three meals a day?? Seems an odd response to a baby waking in gastro discomfort YK?

I am not saying there is anything wrong with going to 3 meals but I would just take things slowly as otherwise you may end up confusing yourself with what is causing the NWs.

Has she ever any other symptoms than the gas and poos? Reflux, eczema?

[ZacsMumme]

At 6 months the advice by peads and plunket in nz would never be to 'jump' to 3 meals a day. Particularly a baby with sensitivities. The 3 day new food rule is std in many countries I think, and here the recs are to stick with 1 meal until LO consistently takes a couple of tablespoons at that meal. Then move to the next...but I'm not 100% sure anymore! and if it applies to blw - probably not.