Hi there.
I have posted this problem on EASY forum but did not get any reply. I am really desperate for advise please.
My baby is now 5 mos old. I previously had problems with her feeding (which affected her sleeping) - first, she refused the breast @ 3 mos. preferred the bottle, then later, feared the bottle. Later I found out she had silent reflux - so I had taken steps to rectify (gaviscon, elevated the mattress, etc) and she is now feeding better (on 3 hourly interval still though bec. her digestive system is still underdeveloped) but her sleep is still a problem. She wakes up numerous times at night (at least 3) - there is no pattern to her wakings / it is erratic.. I've been sleep deprived for 5 mos now (since she was born) and I am soo exhausted!!!
I wonder if the cause of the problem is her routine. She is on A.E.S.Y. I've been trying to change it into E.A.S.Y but I could not get her to feed when she's alert even though she is clearly very hungry. She is fussy with the bottle, gets easily distracted, and if I could successfully get her to feed whilst alert, she only feeds very little (less than 4 oz), and as a result, more waking at night to feed.
She feeds better when she is tired / sleepy (can finish 6 oz per feed but not anymore than that) => total of around 25 oz. milk intake on ave. from 7am to 7pm (total of 30 oz on ave. in 24 hours). But after the feed - she immediately falls asleep. I try to keep her up/drowsy when I put her to bed and I've witnessed her falling asleep on her own (although not consistently).
When she wakes up at night - it's either she is hungry (so I feed) OR needs help going back to sleep (and on such occassions I try the P.U. / P.D. method). She still wakes up so many times at night though (not much improvement since she was born). The worst is after 2-3am as she could be crying every hour. And at around 5am she is sometimes fully awake and up for an hour or two. I've been trying the P.U/P.D for a month now but this still has not worked for us.
What else can I do so she can sleep better??? This is our typical day:
7am wake up - not interested in feeding (I try soo hard! If she does not want it, she does not want it. This is despite having last feed at 12pm the night before. I've tried waiting for half an hour before feeding breakfast but she really does not want it).
7-9am Activity
9am Eat then Sleep/nap for around 45 minutes
10am-12pm Activity
12pm Eat and Sleep/nap for around 2 hours
2-4pm Activity
4pm - Eat and Sleep/nap for around 45 minutes
5-7pm Activity (6.30 Bedtime routine:- Bath, lullaby, feed)
7pm - Eat and Sleep.
Depending on how much she fed @ 7pm, she may have another feed between 10pm - 12mn.
If her lunchtime nap is short then I feed her 2 hourly from 3pm, i.e. 3pm, then 5pm and then 7pm. (Tanking).
Here are other points:
- I could not get her into 4 hourly routine bec. of her reflux. She would not take more than 6 oz / she vomits if I force it. I once tried extending it to 4 hours (gradually), she gets sooo hungry but stil did not take anymore than 6 oz of milk.
- If I could manage to feed her whilst alert, she only feeds little. As a result, she wakes up many times at night hungry (there was a time where she took almost half her daily requirements, e.g. > 12 oz, during the night)
- I feed her in a quiet room
- I don't think she is teething
- She would only take the feed from me -she does not feed from others since she was 3 mos regardless of how much we try.. Hence no one can help me with the night feeding
- She only settles fast with me... if my husband try to settle her back to sleep, she gets worse... she cries and cries and fully wakes up. She immediately stops crying / fall back to sleep as soon as I rescue.
Please - your advise would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance
