Crazy night times - What is causing the problem?

[rooby-rooby-roo]

Hello everyone, i am looking for some input, as our night times have just gone from bad to worse. When Red was tiny he woke a lot in the night , not only to feed but to fuss as well. Since he was 3 weeks old he has been a lot better, only waking once between 10.30pm and 7am (usually between 4-5am). The last few nights have been H$LL, he had a DF at 11pm and then has only been going to 3am, then waking every 1.5 hours from then on and not settling back to sleep, but fussing a lot.

This is his routine:

 :arrow: 7am wake and feed
8am Nap
 :arrow: 10am Feed
11am Nap
 :arrow: 1pm feed
2pm Nap
 :arrow: 4pm feed
5pm catnap
 :arrow: 6pm feed
Bath/ bedtime routine
 :arrow: 7pm Feed (bottle of formula)
Bed
 :arrow: 10.30pm Dreamfeed

He feeds very well and is gaining loads of weight, he has mild reflux and is being treated with a feed thickener. It is working well, but causing him to become constipated. He goes down ok for naps as long as he is not overtired, and sleeps for 45-90 mins

My only thought is that because i have been busy i have been doing the DF a bit later than usual (about 11pm-11.20pm). Do you think that this might be causing the problem? IN that because he is doing one long spell between 7pm and 11pm, and another between 11pm and 3am that he cannot go for another long period??

I don't think he is having his 6 week growth spurt as he is great during the day, eating and napping well.

When he wakes the first time i feed him, if it is before 4am he seems less interested, but will take an average feed. When he wakes the second time i am loath to feed him, it is not even 3 hours and he never does less than 2.5-3hours during the day, so i don't want him to do it at night. The times that i have offered a feed he takes a couple minutes and then goes to sleep, so in effect i am nursing him to sleep. He often just fusses, will not go back to sleep etc. During the day i can cope with this but in the night i just can't. Being awake to feed is one thing, being awake with a child who is fussy but not hungry is another!!!

PLease help, and ideas/ input welcomed!

[Noelle]

Hi Claire...Hmmmm...
This is a toughy...I can tell you're a BW mom as you have just about all bases covered :wink:

The only thing i can think of......do you think it is some sort of discomfort?  Change in temp?  Change in swaddling?

You may want to switch the dreamfeed to earlier like before.  With zoe...and this may be purely coincidental...but the NIGHT i quit the df she slept through.  It was almost as if the df was reminding her that she likes food..i.e...let's wake again in 3 hrs when I can usually go longer during the day :wink:

Maybe a bit of pat/ssshh during the second waking?

Sorry i can't be of more help...

[LindseysMom]

Hello.  Maybe he is getting to his growth spurt already.  He is almost 6 weeks old.  Is he pooping ok?  You mentioned that he has been constipated.  Maybe his tummy hurts?  Maybe you could try some simethicone infant gas drops?  Not sure if that helps but hopefully this is just temporary and he will be back to usual soon.

[Poppy & Lily]

Hi Clair,

Just a thought, did his night wakings get worse when you introduced the bottle of formula at all?

When we introduced a botle of formula to my dd at the DF she was pretty much up every 2hrs, it turned out that the brand we used SMA gold did not agree with her so we switched to Hipp organic and she got much better.  What brand are you using? it could be that it is too heavy for him and where he is also getting constipated, could be making his tummy hurt?

HTH

[rooby-rooby-roo]

Hi Claire...Hmmmm...
This is a toughy...I can tell you're a BW mom as you have just about all bases covered :wink:

Thanks Noelle - i feel very flattered!!

The only thing i can think of......do you think it is some sort of discomfort?  Change in temp?  Change in swaddling?

I think it might be because he is in discomfort with the constipation and/ or reflux. NO other problems/ causes that i can think of.

You may want to switch the dreamfeed to earlier like before.  With zoe...and this may be purely coincidental...but the NIGHT i quit the df she slept through.  It was almost as if the df was reminding her that she likes food..i.e...let's wake again in 3 hrs when I can usually go longer during the day :wink:

I have done this and it seems to have helped. He has done 10.30pm, 3am 6am one night and 10,30pm, 4am, 6,30am last night - Yay!!

Maybe a bit of pat/ssshh during the second waking?

I just cannot do pat/ shush in the night, i do not have the patience or level of awakeness/ sanity to cope with it!!

He is now having his 6 week GS, so we are all a bit messed up, but getting there - Thanks x

[Kayna]

I just cannot do pat/ shush in the night, i do not have the patience or level of awakeness/ sanity to cope with it!!

I'm sorry I don't have any words of wisdom but I hear ya on this one :!: I struggle with it during the day. :roll: