I’m wondering if it’s time for an elimination diet for me and my son (9 ½ months). Or if I’m grasping at straws trying to improve his night-time sleep. Last night, he was up screaming (painful cry) for over two hours in my arms as I rocked him. I didn’t hear or feel any gas passed. This was a repeat of a similar instance on Monday evening. His top two teeth are breaking through and seem to be bugging him, so I gave him a dose of ibuprofen before bed. It didn’t seem to help. He was up every hour or so after going to sleep, restless, but settle-able until about 10:30p when the scream-fest began. My heart was aching for him since he seemed like he was in pain and the ibuprofen wasn’t helping at all. He hasn’t been a dream sleeper since birth; lately the night waking has gotten much worse. In my wee-hours theorizing, I’m wondering if a food allergy/intolerance is to blame or if it’s just teeth. The similarity between Monday and Wednesday was whole wheat pasta for dinner. He ate lots both nights. Could his crying spells 5 hours later be connected to the wheat? Or does a wheat intolerance present differently? He’s breastfed, recently started solids, and I’ve eaten wheat daily. Could an intolerance show up now? Or maybe intolerance to something else? He doesn’t have any skin issues. I wish there was a magic test that would tell me once and for all if he has any allergies. I did an elimination diet when he was 3 months old with no change in gassiness. If you do recommend elimination – do you go for the gusto and eliminate all common offenders at once – soy, nuts, wheat, dairy, etc or just one at a time?
Or maybe it’s just teeth since this doesn’t sound like an allergy/intolerance??? My daughter responded so well to teething with ibuprofen – are some kids not helped by ibuprofen? He was also recently treated with amoxicillin for a double ear infection. No signs of thrush (that I’ve seen) – but maybe an imbalance in his gut from antibiotics? Can you tell I’m grasping here…?
Any insight would be helpful. Sleep would be even better.
Or maybe it’s just teeth since this doesn’t sound like an allergy/intolerance??? My daughter responded so well to teething with ibuprofen – are some kids not helped by ibuprofen? He was also recently treated with amoxicillin for a double ear infection. No signs of thrush (that I’ve seen) – but maybe an imbalance in his gut from antibiotics? Can you tell I’m grasping here…?
Any insight would be helpful. Sleep would be even better.
if there are no other allergy/intolerance signs I wouldn't jump to that first. However, you could start keeping a food journal of what you eat and what he eats, and see if there is always a correlation with horrible nights and lots of wheat or dairy or whatever the offender seems to be.
