6 month old - waking for no reason...pls help!

[Syedoo]

Hi,

Im new to this board and it's the first time I'm posting.
I'm really struggling with dd. I'll give you a little background information so hopefully you can help me figure out what's going on!
She's 6 months, 1week. She's a reflux baby and is on 15 mg of prevacid a day, which seems to have it under control. She has bad gas and burps a lot after a feed. She has started solids. Due to her reflux, her schedule wasn't completely set for a while but it has slowly been set in place.
Her day naps are great - but come nighttime, and she's a different baby! I can't understand it!
Because of her burping, I have done the following: she was waking about 5 times a night to feed, but the burping would take forever and she would wake up another 6-7 times to burp. She was using a paciand because she wanted it replugged, she would wake but then not sleep until fed. As a result, about a week ago I decided to give up the pacifier and feeds.
The first night was tough with shush patting for an hour and a half, which gradually lessened over the night. The next night was less and even less the following night. However, she is still waking up those 5 times to be to sleep and once in the night that crying is inconsolable and lasts an hour.
She has had EW as well - 5.50 and 5.30 the last 2 days.

Here is a sample EASY

Eat - 5.55 (bm) 7.30 (solids)
Activity - 2.5 hours
Sleep - 8.25 - 9.45 (1hr 20)

Eat - 10 (bm)
Activity - 2 hrs 35 mins
Sleep - 12.20 - 1.30 (1 hr 10)

Eat -  1.40
Activity - 2 hours
Sleep - 3.30 - 4.25 (55 mins) 

Eat - 4.30
Activity - 1.5 hrs
Sleep - 6 

Woke at 7.25pm - shush pat (burp)
8.45pm woke - burp and prevacid
10.35pm dreamfeed
12.45 woke 
1.48 till 2.50 crying
up at 5.30 screaming, gave prevacid. 
Fed - 5.50

I'm struggling here snd at my wits end. I'm losing patience - pls... Help me!

[amom526]

Are some of her wakings at the exact same time each night? If so, it could be habitual waking, and you could try wake to sleep. I know it's hard!

[Mom-o]

I have just come through a bunch of days with screaming and bad naps and bad nights. Turned out I wasn't stretching her.

Its seems her A time is quite short and CN is long. Maybe try stretching out her A time and work on cutting out her CN. There is advice on that in the FAQ sections. When LO is tried enough the nw start to sort themselves out. Some of our have become HW so I am going to try wake to sleep too.

[Ima shel Alon]

Regarding the EW, if you put her down at 6:00 in the evening it is normal for her to wake up at 6:00 the next morning. Because your last nap is kind of long as Mom-o said, you could try and put her to bed a bit later and pray that it will affect her EW as well. I don't think you can expect her to sleep more than 12 hours.

I agree with PP about the A time, this might need tweaking. It's not an easy one, at least for me, but it does make a difference when you get it right.
The other thing is that it's still early days. You only started a few days ago, and took her paci from her. As Tracy said - you ought to meet some resistance. 
Let us know how you're doing.

[Syedoo]

Thanks for the replies. Feels so good to be able to talk to ppl about this. Well the 6am waking was just in the past few days. Her actual wake time is 7 and bed at 7.
I tried stretching her awake time today, but she seemed OT at bed time and I had to help get her to sleep w shush patting.

I'm hoping to try pu/pd tonight. I tried it one night but I had 2 main issues w that - 1) she thought I was going to feed her which made her cry more when I didn't. 2) she's wakes up and screams a lot more than when I leave her in her crib. Is that a normal reaction?

Thanks so much for your help - it's truly appreciated!

[Ima shel Alon]

PU/PD is not easy at all. I did it for two days before going on a more gentle approach after an advice I got on the forum.
You should use PU/PD as a last solution after other things didn't work. If pat/shh works for you don't change it.
If you do choose to go for PU/PD I would suggest you don't start at night time, but at the first nap of the day. It is really really tough and can take a lot from you.

I stopped with PU/PD from the reasons you mentioned, and I know that other moms as well, it could be that she thinks you are picking her up and rescuing her and it can also be stimulating. As I said this is also something I faced in the last few days and got some good advice from Shiv52.

I am not sure about this, maybe the other moms can help, but isn't there a GS at 6 months? Could it be that she is actually hungry?

[j.and.e]

My 6 mo is also waking a lot. I have tried stretching a times, droppimg cn an a long windown to bed. Hasnt workd yet thou... Last nite i fed 3times and have just posted on pu/pd board for advice! Following along xx

[Ima shel Alon]

Syedoo, how is it going?