Reflux baby, wakes at 45min., to pick up or not to pick up?

[SHIRIN]

hi,
DS is 3months and 20days; he's had a reflux problem and so until few days back I was feeding on demand, feeding to sleep, naps until about a week and half ago when we started working on independent sleep to which we've had good results so far.

We follow the 3 to 3.5hr EASY keeping it flexible depending on his reflux after the preceeding feed. Regarding his naps he wakes up around the 45min mark, I've tried shh-patt'ing back to sleep but so far it's not worked; past few times I picked him up; shh-patt'd while in arms and then back to the crib.

Question is, I'm never sure if he's woken up because of a tummy ache, a need to spit up or burp OR it's only biology and have a doubt that if I pick him up everytime he wakes up at the 45min mark it may take away from the independent sleep we're trying to build. So what's the right thing to do here? Should I pick him up and shh-patt and put him back or keep shh-patt'ing while he's in the crib even if he fights back like crazy?

Any thoughts would really help give some light and help me teach him the right way!
TIA
Shirin

[Peek-a-boo]

bumping this up for you to catch more eyes

[SHIRIN]

super, thanks!! Waiting to know while we're still battling with 45min naps!

[*Jo*]

hi there, are you able to put up your routine for us to have a look at? sometimes a 45min nap can mean undertired so we just want to rule that out first, wiht reflux it can be tricky so lets take a look at what you are doing at the moment and see what we can come up with

[SHIRIN]

hi,
thx for replying! we're trying to follow the written 3.5hr routine but really are all over the place because when E consumption is too little, it's followed by A and then E again which is leading to feeding to sleep.
The short naps are also sometimes due to hunger as he gets up for E time.
All this said, we're 4m on 11 april and usually his consumption is not more than 1.5oz per E time which seems less to me his age!

[*Jo*]

how long is he awake for? remember the A time is "eyes open to eyes shut"

[SHIRIN]

hi,
sorry I couldnt complete the last email properly:

first to answer you about his A time: the first yawn comes at 1.5hr mark at which point I would take him to the nursery; he would finally fall asleep within 5-10mins at the max. with shh-pat on shoulder and finally fall asleep in crib.

wake up: usually between 6 and 7
E: I try to hold him off until 7 but really hasnt worked so far so somewhere around 0730.
A:
S: 1.5hr from when he wakes up.

Now after this, since it's usually a 45min nap, he wakes up hungry and everything starts to fall before it actually should and that's how our days become a mess!

[*Jo*]

ok, yes the feeds do sound really low, is he medicated for hte reflux? do you feel its under control?

have you tried feeding him again before naptime, not right before sleeptime but maybe about 20mins before?

[SHIRIN]

hi there,
so this morning fed up in between A time so yes, we could avoid the pre-S hunger. Having said that yesterday the naps went down to 30mins and no more; don't think it was reflux because he woke up cranky as if his sleep was broken but didnt have the need to spit up or burp or any sign of discomfort. Finally he wasn't willing to go back to sleep either and I brought him outside; he then played for about an hour before again showing signs of tiredness.
Naps are such a mess; am not sure if it's reflux or the developmental stage or perhaps both?