Hello All,
My daughter is 5 months old next week and she has started to cry in her sleep and I'm not sure what I should do. She sleeps in her own room, so each time she does it I go into check on her and find that she is asleep. So far, I have left it for 10 minutes or so (I do keep going in to check she is still asleep), with her crying out on and off (no tears), but then I feel I need to comfort her. Trouble is that this wakes her up and I end up having to give her a feed as nothing else will get her back to sleep.
She has always been a good sleeper, most nights she sleeps 7pm ish to 7am ish. I often hear her talking in the night, but she can get herself back off to sleep. The last couple of days though she has not been taking enough food during the day and I don't know if this is what is causing her to cry out in the night and need food to re settle. I know I am probably making things worse by feeding her, but it's really difficult when I am worried she's not getting enough to eat. She used to have between 6oz and 8 oz 4 times a day, but it has been a struggle to get her to take 4 or 5oz this last few days. She clamps her mouth shut and will not take any more. We have always had feeding issues and on the advice of the GP and HV we have strated her on solids (reflux). She seems to like it, but I worry that is partly why she won't take her milk.
A typical day used to look like this:
Wake between 6.30 - 7.00
7.00 -E (8oz)
8.00 - A
8.45 - S (between 40 minutes and 2 hours)
11.00 - E (6-7oz) and A
12.00 - S (time depends on length of last nap, length usually 40 - 60 mins)
1.00 - A and try to get a nap in here if possible so not too tired for next feed, usually only 30 mins or so though.
3.00 - E (7oz plus solids of 2 cubes of veg and maybe some fruit after)
4.00 - A
5ish - S - Go for a walk for cat nap
6ish - E (4oz)
6.45 - Bath
7ish - E (4-6oz)
This was a massive improvement on a few weeks ago, when we had no clue what was going on. Just as I started to get used to it, she seems to be changing the rules again! Yesterday she had 4.5oz for her first 2 feeds, the 4oz at 3pm and wanted lots of solids, then she took 10oz between 6.15 and 7.30 and was asleep by 8. She then cried at 11pm and 3.20am. I gave in and fed her and 11.30 and 4.00 am. Should I have left her to cry as she wasn't awake? Am I causing the problem? How will I break out of it is I have? How can I get her to take more in the day when she refuses? So many questions - I'm sorry!!
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks