suffering for a week w nw

[Jacob's Mommy]

hi all

i am at total loss!!!    DS just turned 5 mths and on a 4hr EASY, has about 150ml per feed.  usually in bed at 7pm, df at 11pm and has 1 feed at about 4am.  Usually if he is unsettled a little shh/pat or pu/pd will work and he will go right back to bed .  We have started solid food about a 1 week ago but only given in the morning around 8am.  Our routine is something like this
e = 7am bf
a = 7.30am bath
e = 8am currently it's just cereal
s = 9am
e = 11am
a = 11.30am
s = 1pm
e = 3pm
s = 3.30pm (this is usually his catnap)
a = 4.30
   = 6.30 bath
e/s = 7pm bed
df = 11

he still goes down at 7 but wakes up at 9.30pm and 11pm and after that evry 1hr - 1 1/2hr waking and crying (the screaming type of cry).  shh/pat will not settle him anymore and neither does pu/pd.  when i pick him up he just cries even louder.  the only thing to settle him is for me to nurse him.  I have been doing that so now it's become my accidental parenting thing which i have to fix.  last night and a few nights ago he actually woke up at 4am to play - he wasn't crying so i just left him in his cot and eventually he fell asleep.  as i'm still bf he refuses to take the bottle from me for df or for any other feed.  i have no idea what am i suppose to do now but i am getting exhausted.  a few things to add is that he is teething, i have tried cluster feeding and i know my milk supply has dropped.  last night was so bad dh and i got into a tiff at 4am in the morning!!!!

could anyone please share some answers before i become overtired and wired!!!!

thanks so much
sherry

[Kate A]

Sherry - this EXACT same thing has happen to me this week too.  Almost identical times. Playing too at 4 a.m. My dd is 6 months and just started solid foods. My milk supply hasn't dropped, but something else must be wrong.  Try taking fenugreek to boost your supply.

 I'm hoping there is someone that can help us figure this out

[Layla]

Hi Sherry - how long are the naps? The afternoon nap starts at 1pm but ends? The catnap is too soon & he is awake for a long time before bed.... any chance he could be overtired from this long stretch?

[Jacob's Mommy]

Hi kate - isn't it weird! i wonder whether it's the intro of solids combined with my LO teething.  
 
the afternoon naps are from about 1pm - 3pm .. i would have to say that most of DS naps are about 1 1/2hrs to 2 hours most of the times.  As for the catnap most of the time he's sleepy about 3.30 - 4pm his catnap last about 45mins to 1 hr.  it depends really but he's up by 4.30pm as we usually take him out for a walk about 445pm -5pm.  initially i thought DS was overtired but he seemed quite ok so i am a little puzzled.

anyway a quick update. last night for some strange reason he didn't get up every 2 hours. routine yesterday was the same as posted.  he still got up at 9.30pm and 11pm for feed, again refused bottle so had to nurse him but after that he slept all the way till 4am without waking.  Of course when he did wake up he was playing so i didn't go to him and he fell back asleep.

[Layla]

I would push the catnap closer to 5-5:30/5:45pm so that the last A time is not so long. Usually the last A time is shorter than other A times because the catnap is only supposed to take the edge off until bedtime & being that its the shortest nap..... the A time is usually shortest. I would also wake him from his naps if they are any longer than 1.75hrs & 45mins into the catnap. He could be waking up at night & wanting to play becuase he's having too much daytime sleep. So I would keep the naps to 1.5 (no more than 1.75hrs) & catnap to 30-45mins & make the catnap a little later..... see if that helps

If his afternoon nap is from 1-2.30/3 then he should be able to handle more A time than 1-1.5hrs. He is tired because he is not getting enough rest at night... try to hold him off until 5pm. Start adding more A time (15-20mins) every 3 days or so....

Layla