Could my diet be affecting baby's sleep?

goatstew

Hey guys. I just started this a week ago, and I LOVE it, I've lost over three pounds already. It's awesome. One thing I have noticed in the past few days is that my (almost) four month old baby has gone from dream sleeper to nightmare sleeper and I don't know what happened. I don't think she's teething, my older daughter didn't get teeth until 9 months, and I don't think she's sick, although there is a lot of crap going around. Could my diet be affecting how well she sleeps? If so, any suggestions? I really want to keep losing because I feel so good, but I also feel like I'm getting sick from exhaustion. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

arlenob83

I think on the CONTRARY.....I think the fact that you are eating better (especially avoiding things like caffeine, unhealthy/fatty choices of food, etc....) is definitely better for her. Your body is going to produce a good milk supply (look at the women in poverty stricken countries....they still produce enough milk for their babies even when they are not getting enough....I found a post that said this:

"your body needs to have enough nutrients to produce milk. If you cut down too drastically on what you eat, you'll be robbing yourself. Your body will maintain the quality of your milk at your expense by cutting into your lean tissues (your muscles), your bones. This means that you could lose muscle tone and bone density, and become anemic. Then, if you become very undernourished, you'll produce less milk, so you'll be robbing your baby of her essential nutrients."

I guess, I think that Ele's just going through a stage....but, who knows? I think you are good to keep eating healthy and exercising BUT, you do need to make sure you are getting enough sleep and water and good calories to keep you going with your two beauties!

love you! let me know what i can do to help!!

chrissym78

Could be. I nursed all 3 of mine. I can't see your food diary though so I don't know what you're eating Breastfeeding burns alot of calories so you may not be giving her enough, or maybe now there's not enough good fat in your milk. I don't know what your doctor says but here most docs say four months is a good time to introduce cereal. I did at 4 months with my boys b/c they were pigs and I couldn't keep them full more than 2 hours at a time, but my daughter didn't get solids til about 7 or 8 months. Hope that helps! Good luck, lack of sleep is the worst!

NoAdditives

If you're nursing you should not be trying to lose weight. Some will come off naturally, but it should not be your goal. Now that you aren't pregnant your body will take care of itself first, not your baby. Which means that your body gets all the nutrition it needs before anything is put into your milk. You need about 300 calories on top of your maintenance calories to breastfeed successfully and not compromise the quality of your milk.

For now, just make sure you're eating fresh, unprocessed foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy) and are getting at least 8 glasses of water per day. Log everything you eat so you know how many calories you are consuming and if you exercise, eat your exercise calories.

netsirk419

Baby's sleep patterns change all the time. Just when I think I have it all figured out my 8 month old proves me wrong. I had an awesome sleeper until about 3 weeks ago, then she started waking up 2 or 3 times a night. Her top two teeth came in and now she is getting back to her normal sleep pattern and only waking up once a night if at all. Hang in there! Hopefully she's just teething and she will be back to her normal self soon ( or at least until the next round of teething.) As far as your diet is concerned, I don't know if would affect her (I'm assuming you breastfeed?) but you might want to talk to her doctor. Good Luck:)

chelsifina

Doubtful. More likely that your baby is 1) needing more calories before bedtime or 2) on the cusp of a physical or cognitive growth spurt! Its very common for babies to have a tougher time sleeping right before make some sort of developmental leap. Your breast milk (I'm assuming that's the connection with your diet) is not only formed from recent meals, but will pull from your body as a whole. If there is not enough fat in your diet for baby, then the fat will come from your stored resources (bonus!!). Just try to ensure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals for you and baby, but don't be too worried about fat!

From my own experience, your second baby will be COMPLETELY different from your first in a number of ways, and sleep pattern is certainly one. Especially if they are different genders. Boys tend to need more mommy than girls, and mine (now 6) still wakes up in the night just wanting cuddles. Good luck and take good care of yourself! Two can more so much more tiring than one!

NoAdditives

I think on the CONTRARY.....I think the fact that you are eating better (especially avoiding things like caffeine, unhealthy/fatty choices of food, etc....) is definitely better for her. Your body is going to produce a good milk supply (look at the women in poverty stricken countries....they still produce enough milk for their babies even when they are not getting enough....I found a post that said this:

"your body needs to have enough nutrients to produce milk. If you cut down too drastically on what you eat, you'll be robbing yourself. Your body will maintain the quality of your milk at your expense by cutting into your lean tissues (your muscles), your bones. This means that you could lose muscle tone and bone density, and become anemic. Then, if you become very undernourished, you'll produce less milk, so you'll be robbing your baby of her essential nutrients."

I guess, I think that Ele's just going through a stage....but, who knows? I think you are good to keep eating healthy and exercising BUT, you do need to make sure you are getting enough sleep and water and good calories to keep you going with your two beauties!

love you! let me know what i can do to help!!

I do not agree with this at all. Women in poverty stricken countries are not the same as American women, first of all. Chances are they have evolved to cope with getting less nutrition and they have had a consistent low level of nutrition throughout their pregnancy. That is not at all the same as a women getting enough nutrition (or getting more than enough) suddenly going on a diet and cutting calories. That can and often does result in a decrease in milk supply and decrease in the quality of milk. It can and often does affect the baby's cognitive development and behavior, before it affects overall growth.

lxspollack

Yes, what you eat can affect your baby.... you are making healthier choices but be careful with gassy foods like brocolli, brussel sprouts, anything in the cabbage family or fruits like cantelope. Too, I would stay away from things that are hard to digest like mushrooms, onions, and peanuts. All of these can cause gas and upset your baby's belly causing her a rough night. Spicy foods can also cause her stomach upset. Pay attention to what you eat and when she feels bad and you can probably pinpoint more directly what is affecting her.

Keep in mind your caloric requirement is considerably higher while you are breastfeeding and higher still if you are exercising. hopefully, you're not like me, I retained the a lot of the weight I gained in pregnancy until I stopped breastfeeding. Talk about frustrating. Be patient. Enjoy your children while they are small. It won't last forever. Take the time to snuggle on the couch with them. Clean the house tomorrow... be with your children today.

Lexy

goatstew

Thanks everyone for your input. I have been adding the, "breastfeeding mother," calories back into my food diary, so I make sure to get enough for her. I also try to use up the exercise calories I deduct. Really, I'm eating a lot of food, it's just much healthier choices. I do think maybe all the veggies are making her gassy. And she may be on the verge of a growth spurt. I've been much better about getting enough water since starting this, which is good. I'll just keep watching carefully. She, and my toddler, are my number one priorities. If she starts losing weight or my milk seems to slow down, I'll take it easy for a while. Thanks.