I Have Not Slept Properly For 9 Months – Baby Sleeping and Passing Wind

I cannot comment on the poo situation with your 9 month old, and I know our situation is different, but so much of what you speak of resonates with me, in terms of our experience, so I would like to share what has helped us.

1. A complete overhaul of diet. I do strongly think that my baby has food allergies or intolerance and it sounds as if yours may as well. I would definitely consult a doctor or nutritionist before drastically changing your diet (if you are breastfeeding) or the baby’s, but I think it has helped us. As I am exclusively breastfeeding, I did a strict elimination diet. I have found that when I eat a lot of sugar, wheat or any amount of dairy my baby has an awful night’s sleep. It has been two months of being very strict, but it has helped A LOT. Even small amounts of caffeine and alcohol are also culprits. Sugar is a surprisingly big factor.

2. Probiotics. There are drops for babies called “Biogaia” that you can put on your nipple, if you breastfeed. If you do breastfeed, you should take them too – a very good strain, not just cheap drugstore ones. They help good bacteria to flourish in your tummy and you will safely pass the benefits onto baby.

3. Changing sleep position. If you can catch your baby at the first signs of becoming uncomfortable, perhaps you could try switching her sleeping position to the left side. I know babies are to be put down on their backs, but if she is older she can roll over anyway, so…

4. Our baby has the stiff-legged resistance to ‘bicycle legs’ now, too. Now I help him get the wind out by lifting just the right leg up and in against the stomach. Always works.

5. Well-steeped Chamomile tea before bed. For you, of course… once again, if you are breastfeeding.

Good luck…

by: danielle

My baby is nine months as well and erything u describe with ur baby happens to mine. I work and am exhausted from no sleep since he was born in January! Doctors did an x ray and ruled out gerd but found a varicose vein on his esophagus I don’t know if this relates to the crying while passing wind\poop though. He sees a cardio vascular specialist next. He also was switch to good start soy formula to try and take care of any intolerance or allergy but nothing helps! Other than the symptems he expresses while doing those bodily functions he is overall a happy baby so I stay on my doctor to refer me to different specialist based off of whatever research I do online about his symptoms. She gave him zantac twice a day 1.5ml but I discontinued that after there were no gerd symptoms. I still don’t know what is wrong but I pray and will do the same for you and your baby as well. Keep me posted please if u discover the cause of this irritation with our babies which is not colic in my opinion.

This came and went and no better, he goes to sleep well, early evening by 7pm, but his pain did start in the early hours of the morning, where he seemed to be not only wriggling in pain but also straining as if trying to push out gas, he could do this whilst still trying to sleep but woudl evetually wake in cries, this has continued, right through him starting solids at 6 months, he was also exclusively breastfed and I thought it was maybe my milk, I changed my diet, I rotated his food incase of allergies. No change.

He had a 2 week spell of constipation at around 6 months/Starting solids and was prescribed Lactulose to soften the stools, that worked fior the hard stools, but the wind pain continued.

We were referred to the hospital in September of this year and they examined him,( felt tummy, checked anus for fissures, all ok) they were happy that he was a good weight and eats well, which he does, so were not concerned about lack of sleep/pain and said it will fade when he reaches 10 months, which I can’t see either, if anything, some nights seem worse than they did 3 months ago, where he now wakes with the pain as early as 10.00pm. He can go back off to sleep for an hour maybe 2 but sometimes he can wake every 15 minutes ( he doesn’t always fully wake up, but crying out in pain).

He is such a happy baby during the day and he does nap well most days ( a morning and afternoon nap of an hour to an hour and half each) he either copes well because he’s distracted or because he can release the gas, I don’t know, h ejust seems to be in more pain after being lay down and asleep for a while. I just know neither of us have had good sleep and I just feel so sorry for him, so I can totally understand where you are coming from!!

I stopped breastfeeding when he reached 8 months, just 3 weeks ago and was hoping that would help, but still no better, it’s a shame as you just get used to this being a daily thing, but it shouldn’t be and after several doctors apointments ( with 3 different Doctors) all of them not seeing this as anything serious/to worry about, a hopsital appt with a specialist paeditrician, I am kind of at a loose end as to what I can do to ease my sons pain?? Luckily I am taking a year out of work, but due back in Feb, so only a few more months to hopefully correct this otherwise I’m going to be useless when I have to work and think!!

Good to luck to everyone and their babies, lets hope we find a solution to this soon x

I just wondered how everyone who has posted here was getting on?

My 9 month old baby has very similar issues, and I feel like we’ve tried everything (changing my diet as I’m breastfeeding, changing/restricting my babies diet, osteopathy, and homeopathy) but nothing has made any real difference.

Have talked to Dr and to health visitor who are very vague but promise baby will grow out of it.

Would be really interested to know if your babies symptoms have improved over time or if you’ve found anything that has made a difference?

Thanks in advance to anyone who gets back to me.

I posted a couple of months back and just to update that there is little/no change really since my last post. We just have teething and the occassional cold adding to the rubbish sleep pattern now too :( Such a shame as he’s such a great baby during the day and to get to sleep and isn’t waking to be held, as half the time he’s still half asleep and eyes closed whilst groaning and rolling in pain. Doctors last said it would go at 10 months ( after saying 12 weeks, then 6 months etc etc) and he will be 12 months in a few weeks time, so will see what they say now. He is still having lactulose everyday and his stools are soft enough and he seems fine passing them It just after being lay asleep for a few hours that seems to set it off?? We are kind of used to the odd hour, 2 hours sleep here and there now but I’m due back at work in 2 weeks so not sure how that will pan out :(

Look forward to some good news being posted soon!!

I did the Dr Sears recommended total elimination diet (literally just eating 5/6 foods for 2 weeks) when she was much smaller (4 months) but this was really to see if it had any impact on her day time fussiness (she was a pretty unhappy baby for the first 6.5 months…possibly reflux?) and because the days were so hard I wasn’t really focussing on the nights so I have no idea if she slept any better during that time!

I’m about a week and a half into cutting out dairy, gluten, and caffiene to see if that makes any difference…not noticed anything so far…but would be really keen to get her tested for intolerances.

Thanks

by: Anonymous

We have had very similar problems and a very senior ped suggested we try cutting out dairy – overnight he was a new baby! Soya is also a problem for him – so mother and baby are on a limited diet.

-fill a sports sock with 1 cup of rice heat in microwave for 25 seconds. Heat helps lil tummys.

-hold baby in crook of left arm holding right leg into their belly. Upright almost sitting. With other had pat the back just above the bum. The farts fly out.

-when changing diaper if baby has gas press knees up to tummy gently and spread baby’s bum cheeks really gently open and closed. Usually get some out this way too.

-buy a crib wedge gassy babies hate lying flat

-Iberogas a homopathic drop helped her pass more gas and sleep.

Ok a few tips hope they help!
Cheers!

Even though she was managing to go to the toilet, some were hard like bullets and others being very soft and watery. The pain was different to wind, she did not bring her legs up like when babies have wind, she was doubled up with cramp and you could feel her stomach muscles contacting. She explained that the change between watery and hard poo was due to blockages in the colon and the pain was due to the muscles trying to contract whilst being overstretched from the blockage. She was prescribed MOVICOL that made her have a ?clear out? within 2 or 3 days. It did give her more pain to begin with and we sought medical advice, who said it was just the bowel regaining its normal pattern and would settle once all of the blockages had been removed. We give her half a sachet a day to help keep the stools soft and the pain has settled.

She is now like a different little girl. We were getting to the point where she was sleeping for 1 ½ hrs and then waking for comfort and a love going back to sleep for another hr…..and on and on throughout the night. If she had not been for a poo in the day it was even worse. She was becoming run down and ill and we were getting into a vicious circle.

Within 2 weeks we are getting 8hrs consecutive sleep and she is now in her own room!!!!!! She still wakes up in the middle of the night for 2 hrs or so, sometimes for a poo but we are hopefully on the mend.

Who would have thought something as simple as constipation could cause so much upset?!

OMG what happens with your little boy is exactly what happens with my 9 month old boy. He is happy enough throughout the day and eats well but when it comes to bedtime its a nightmare. He also sleeps for a good couple of hours at first and then the noises start and he is basically uncomfortable, twisting and turning, sleep crying/screaming until he manages to pass wind!!! He normally wakes up also every 45mins until around 4.30am but then like you he sometimes manages to sleep until 6am :( but recently its started to be every 25mins and i recently have returned to work too (so am shattered). He had reflux as a baby and was prescribe gaviscon for it which helped at the time but doesn’t help any with his night discomfort. He has now been refurred to a paediatrician by the doctors as they don’t want to give me anything else to try. Another theory that I have recently discussed with my health visitor and we suspect that he has silent reflux along with a slight milk intolerance. How did you get along with trying soya milk? Which I am willing to try or Rice Milk :)

Thought I was going crazy health visitor suggested attachment issues but she wants to see my little one writhing in pain.

I’m exhausted. After initial reflux I really thought she would have grown out of it. She slept through from 10 weeks till a few months ago and is the most delightful child in the day. What happened.

I too end up taking her to bed with me to sleep upright ony chest just so I don’t have to keep getting up. When it gets to 4 in morning and you’ve already been up 4 or 5 times what are u supposed to do.

I feel so sorry for her. She’s desperately trying to sleep.

Nothing she eats seems to make it any better or worse so don’t want to start eliminating everything in her diet.

WE have given up trying to get her to sleep in cot cos she can’t. She sleeps in bed up on 2 pillows She is so pale.

Her symthoms are worst at night but some days and nights we walk the floor with her screaming and crying in pain. She is not always crying but she could have 2 bad days and 3 good ones. She is always twisting at night.

She has had blood tests and they did ultra sound on her kidney, bladder and liver (which are all fine) but advised that you cannot do this for stomach or intestine.

Myself and my husband are so sleep deprived. It’s soul destroying to see her in so much pain and nothing I can do. The paedrition is rubbish and even asked if maybe the twisting and turning and bouts of crying was a bad habit and she was getting spoilt. This is my second child.

I am still waiting for results of intolerance tests but I know what ever they are it won’t make a difference as she is alreay off milk, soy, all the grains and already on the hyperallergenic diet and it has made no difference. She had a massive nappy every morning at 5 am and it is so big it nearly reaches her neck(sorry for gruesome description).

She is always bad after spoon feeds and sometimes I hate feeding her but as she is not putting on too much weight I have too.

I would do anything for someone to offer suggestions or advice and am so distressed I’m thinking I have to train to be a paedrition myself!!! I have a review in 2 wks so going to demand action at that. If I get anywhere I’ll update you all but if any of you get a diagnosis please let me know.

All the same symptoms as most of you are experiencing with my first, as she is nearly 18years old the doctors couldn’t work out whether she was lactose intolerant and the only solution was to put her on Karicare infant Soy formula, which was wonderful for her as she would never attach to the breast right from birth and I had to express and feed from a bottle. She took to the bottle without a glitch, but she was already in the habit of needing help to go to sleep as she was already 4 to 5 months old by then, but as she wasn’t actually diagnosed back then we still gave her dairy later on and Ice scream etc, which resulted in her constantly feeling sick and always having a belly ache.

She gave up all dairy and when she was 16 finally was offered the lactose intolerance hydrogen breath test. Yes she’s lactose intolerant and has “liddels lactose free milk or cream” or Soy, Rice, Almond or Oats milk. She is very sensitive to everything she eats and we are considering getting more tests done regarding the milk proteins (A1 casein milk to A2 type milks) and perhaps preservatives, doctors said yoghurt would be ok for her still as it has the cultures in it that help with intolerance, but she can’t it still makes her sick.

Then 3 children later and no intolerances or sleep problems with the middle ones and my currently 6 month old Son is lactose intolerant and sensitive to the solids I introduce.

He had trouble from birth with colic type symptoms, explosive poo’s (mainly green) constant wind, constant crying, always unsettled and unhappy.

At 6 weeks we found he had Tongue tie so that was causing him attachment issues and we had that corrected to prevent him having speech problems later and it could have been causing him to swallow alot of air causing his wind pain. But still no relief to him.

After researching his symptoms, I found that regular green mucus type poo’s mean he’s getting too much lactose, he could not digest the milk properly and was getting alot of gas,

I then thought perhaps it was because I was feeding from both sides every feed whether it be from one side first then the otherside 2 hours later, as he always wanted feeding, ( but this would then create more pain for him) so I fed from the same side in roughly 4 hour blocks, this improved things slightly.

He occasionally had a normal poo. Still unsettled all day long and did nothing but scream everytime we went in the car.

Nuture sling (Nuturesling.com.au) was the only way to get things done, (after buying asnd trying 4 other sling types!) He would sleep everytime he went in it, I think it’s the cradle type position I put him in but he could still see and it was like I was holding him, but had free arms!

my psot was too long so I will submit it in 2 sections….

by: bec

I couldn’t believe my eyes when i was reading all of the posts you have all written. We were facing the exact same issues with wind probs in the night, not the day and he has just recently turned 10 month.

I was feeling desperate for answers as we had tried everything and maternal health or doctors would fob it off like it was nothing and either said he will grow out of it or it was for attention and do controlled crying….they dont seem to realise that he is squirming in pain and can barely seem to stay awake when we are up with him…ggrr.

We tried so many things like infocol, breurar colic relief, massage, oesteopath, probiotic, eliminating his and my diet but nothing was working. We got onto infants friend which made a big difference but still was not sleeping through.

Not to fear we have found a magic potion that works and i now have complete uninterrupted sleep…yay.

We give him gaviscon once a day at about 4ish (2 sachets with about 50mls of water) and infants friend before every milk feed (still breast feeding) which is 3 times a day. He farts like a trouper all afternoon and went to bed without any issues or tummy aches. Slept from 8.30 til 7am!!!

We initially tried gaviscon on sat night at about 7.30pm and we were up for about 2 hours. I think it was because we gave it too late and the wind was moving around when he was asleep causing pain. Giving it to him earlier when he moves has worked like a treat.

He is such a happy baby and very content. The only time he ever really grizzles is if he has wind. So i would get really frustrated and upset when so called professionals were fobbing me off. We are a mum and should always trust our gut instinct caus we know our babies. I hope this thread post helps all of you amazing mums out there and it can work for you too. I know how desperate you can feel when you have tried everything and all you want is to see you bub happy and not in any pain.

Bec

my lil boy is such a happy chap during day but at night he struggles with wind terribly!!and Colic Calm truly settles him and although unfortunately it doesnt work all night, once topped up works within minutes….

by: Anonymous

I’m back with nothing much more to add. I had my review with paedrition and it takes weeks for allery and intolerance tests to come back to we are still on hyperallergenic diet. She has started to put on weight and put on nearly 2 lb in two weeks which is fantastic. After 6 weeks on diet I can slowly start to see my little baby starting to settle. Her form during the day has improved 100%. The contact whinging and cryihng has stopped. Nights are also alot easier. She is still twisting and turning a small bit but not as much. Her nappies have settled which is great.

So to sum up I have her on hyerallergenic food diet and nutrimagen milk. She is on zantac (1.5mls x 3 times a day).

If anyone wants me to post details of her diet let me know.

From much happier Mammy!

by: Paula

Hi Mammy,

Yes, please post the diet details. Maybe someone else will find help through them.

Paula

For breakfast and tea she has pure baby rice with a spoon of apple or pear through it to add a bit of flavour.

For dinner she has sweet pototoe on its own or sweet potatoe with another veg – carrots/broccolli/parsnips/peas. I have given her lamb and chicken through the veg but her nappies are very bad when I added these so have now stopped. T

The dietican advised lamb is the most hyperallergenic meat so always try that first. I buy packet of Organic Carrot sticks (find these in baby section aisle) and she loves these and good for eating them and good practice for eating from her hand. I have given her beans/peas/broccolli and carrots as snacks also (not purreed) but just so she can eat out of a bowl.

She cannot have any grains or dairy in her diets so thats why it is so basic.

He now has only porridge in the morning and sometimes a wheat reduced slice of bread for lunch but nothing else wheat wise…. particularly after 1pm. I find now he pretty much sleeps all night every night for about 10 hours approx without any fuss and self settles properly now caus he doesnt have any tummy pains.

For dinner i sometimes give him wheat free pasta, veges, meat, and sometimes fish…all without any wheat products and he has no issues now. Hope it helps

So tired and frustrated that doctors will not listen to mothers who know their own baby. It is not normal for children nearly one to be screaming in their sleep and rolling around in pain. It is ridiculous that they do not take notice! Hope we can get to the bottom of this problem, i feel like the little man is being mentally affected by these stomach problems as he seems very anxious at night!

He has been on a very restricted diet for a number of months as the doctors suggested multiple food allergies. He has just been tested and this is not the case and it is more likely the cause is due to a digestive problem, possibly constipation even though he too has a mixture of hard pebble like stools and very soft pastey stools.

I would just like to ask Louise if your little girl is still having Movicol daily and if it is still working as I also recently tried half a sachet for my little boy and as you say he has a clear out and slept really well for a night or so after having it, but I’m worried about giving it to him everyday. The only way I can get him to sleep is to apply pressue to his stomach or lie him on a hot water bottle most nights.

I was also concerned about giving her a medicine each day but we found that when we did not give her the medicine the problems reoccurred despite plenty of fruit, fibre and water. Apparently the active substance in Movicol passes through the gut without actually getting absorbed in to the body. It helps by reducing the amount of water being absorbed making the stool softer.

We continued with it daily for approximately 10-12 months and then gradually reduced the amount, then gave it every other day, every three days etc. We currently don’t give her the Movicol daily and only use it when symptoms reoccur which are now few and far between. I think as she matured so did her digestive system and she no longer needed the extra help.

This is only our experience but it did help our little girl and we have not seen any ill effects from using it.

However, I would speak to your GP for further information or if you have any concerns as they will be able to give you more advice.
Hope this helps

Day sleeps are terrible 20 mins in morning and I sit and rock him for up to 2 hours whilst my toddler has her day nap. So frustrated with drs telling me he will grow out of everything, waiting for that magic day I will wake up and he will have slept thru the night for first time in his life!

Thanks everyone for posting their stories I feel not so Aline now!!

All I can say is hang on in there, things do get better. Our boys first year was the worst for sleeping/pain and then as if overnight turning 12/13 months ( as the Doctors had said, although they did give many age milestones!!)it all seemed to just STOP. I have no idea why or how, so, I’m sorry I can’t really offer any further advice and can only imagine his tummy was sensitive when young and just took a while to mature and deal with the passing of wind/gas etc?? I really don’t know, as he has always eaten well and had no toilet troubles.

He is now 3 and half, still eats well, is a great, happy kid and sleeps GREAT!! from 6.30/7 for 12 hours, it’s been a long time coming and never thought we’d get there after having the odd 2 hours sleep on and off every night…thankfully there are no long term effects from this weird pain/lack of sleep in his early year :)

I now have a daughter and noticed similar signs but no where near as extreme as my son, but with the rolling, lifting legs etc with wind pain, but somehow she seems to be able to ‘release’ the wind easier and sets back off to sleep, she’s now 16 months and where with my son, his pain disappeared at 12 months, she does still have nights where she has this pain, but obviously all children are different. I’m just hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
Hoping all your babies find comfort ( and sleep!!) soon xx

The crawling has really really really helped getting the wind out and again that’s time.

I will keep you all posted on outcome. Just waiting for appoint.

Hopefully a specialist will know more.

by: Anonymous

Can’t believe this problem is affecting so many people. This is my 2nd child and I had no problems with my 1st. She is 5 months now and had silent reflux as a baby so was prescribed Gaviscon which did nothing. Then we we advised to out her on lactose free milk which has helped with her reflux but she still gets an incredible amount of trapped bottom wind, even though she burps fine at each feed. She is very contented during the day and will settle at around 7pm but then in the early hours she will start crying as she is so uncomfortable. She is wriggling and tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. I have to pick her up and rub her tummy until all the wind goes before she will settle to sleep again. The doctors just keep saying she’ll grow out of it but have been saying this for a few months now and I can’t see it. I was advised to wean her early as she is not tolerating milk but now I am worried this is going to make her worse. She certainly isn’t any better for it. The doctors just don’t want to know as she is gaining weight ok and always appears happy and smiley. Wish I could make them spend a few nights with her s they could see the problem. Why don’t they listen to the people that know their child best and spend 24 hours with them, not 5 minutes?

by: Kellie

Ohhh I feel your frustration! My son suffered with silent reflux to the point he hadn’t slept in 24hrs without rocking so I took him to emergency as it was weekend. The dr looked at him said he looked fine and actually printed me off some googled info about reflux and tried to send me home!!!!! Later they did the dye berium test that proved he had reflux… Could have throttled the dr! We tried gaviscon but it constipated him causing worse gas then zoton which seemed to help (he’s just come off it now at 13 months).

The trapped wind didn’t get better until he crawled and could push it out. Not sure it it’s helpful but after dinner we gave him infacol and gripe water and laid him on his tummy to push out gas. He didn’t sleep thru until 8 months without waking every 40 mins to 2 hrs in pain. In the night I would put his knees to chest and rotate in clockwise circle and that helped… We also wore out 3 rocking chairs to get him to settle during the 8 months.

Also just to top it off both of mine are lactose intolerant and the reflux was secondary to this issue. I breast fed for 9 months by changing my diet and also giving a lacteeze tablet before every feed. One then went to neocate and the other is happy on soy formula now, but it all seems to be intertwined! Best of luck and I say always demand a second opinion as like you say you know best

by: Nasiha

Hey ladies… I have visited the pead and a simple solution was to change my formula from Novalac AR to Infacare which is the lightest formula on the market right now. I have been giving woodlands gripe water 4ml in water throughout the day they drink it then 4ml before bedtime and for the past 3days no screams , no crazy gassy nights. I hope this helps someone.

by: Anonymous

My two little ones both breast feed woke to screem every ten minutes. It took 14 months to work out but it turned out to be gluten intolerance. The older girl sleep through now and the baby wakes every four hr like a normal baby.