When to go in and when to stay out!

[BabyBsMommy]

Thanks for all of the input and advice thus far.  This is turning into a really interesting thread!  I don't find playing in the crib in the middle of the night a problem.  My concern is that my lo is only 4 months old and, as with a few other posts, should I be concerned that he is missing too much night sleep if he is awake for a long stretches in the middle of the night at this age.  To clarify, he isn't cooing and having fun when he wakes up, he's grunting and fussing (but not crying).

[The Vern]

Well last night we tried a later bedtime, around 8 instead of 7. I know alot of you would think it too late, but I thought it can't hurt to try something different. She did wake up at 2, 4, and 6, but only for a brief moment and went right back to sleep with the paci. Then we were up for the day at 7:30. I feel better about this because at least she seems to be getting more sleep this way, so maybe we'll try it a few nights and see how it goes. I think what was happening was that she had a huge chunk of sleep the first part of the night and then just wasn't tired to continue sleeping, thus staying up for 2 hours and then going for a nap from 5 am to 7.  This way just seems like it's more of a thorough night sleep for her.

On another note - I'm trying to wean the swaddle, starting with her naps, so I left one hand out. I just checked on her and it looks like she fell asleep   She worked the other hand out too but seems to have been sucking on it after spitting out the paci. Could this be a first step towards ditching the swaddling? I sure hope so...

[Elphyrafire]

etmom-
Just to answer your question... the problems with chatting for hours for me is:
A) Is he missing too much sleep
B) Adults and kids don't do this (it's not "normal"): am I letting him create a problem that will get worse?
C) Is he slowly reveresing his nights and days?
D) It's loud and annoying to listen to- this is not normal talking- it's loud, on the verge of screeching- enough to send you over the edge

[BabyBsMommy]

Shannon, where in Manitoba are you?  We are in Winnipeg!
The Vern, let me know how unswaddling goes.  Brenden is still swaddled at 19 weeks.  About 4 weeks ago we tried for a week to stop but his sleep turned into a nightmare.  We're going to try again in a few weeks.
Last night we left him for 20 min at his first wake up, which began at 11:20pm.  When we went in he was out of his swaddle and wide awake.  He proceeded to fuss with gas for another 40 min until I finally fed him at about 12:40 and he was asleep again by 1. He woke up again shortly before 5 when I fed him and then and two more short wake ups between 6-7, waking for the day shortly after 7.
At our 4 month check up today the doctor said to start him on cereal.  We're beginning with rice cereal, once a day at about 5:30pm for the next 3 weeks before moving on to oats, barley and finally wheat.  No other solids until 6 months unless we find he really needs them a little sooner.  We'll see if this helps with night time wakes, too!

[shannon S]

BabyB's mommy,
Hey neighbor!  Yes we are in Winnipeg too! North Kildonan.  Small world.

I know it was right around the 20 week mark that my lo stopped needing to feed in the night. But it was also when she finally took a paci too and I switched to formula.  But there would be the occasional night even a couple weeks ago when my lo would not settle.  I realize now that it was a tummy ache and not hunger. She often has gas and can't settle.
Some advice that was given to me though was that perhaps lo wasn't hungry but actually had a belly ache and putting something in her belly  helped her to feel better, plus the bottle/breast would be soothing. Just something to think about.
They are so hard to settle when the have gas or tummy ache aren't they. We've been going through that a lot lately.
Do you give gripe water at bed or oval with meals?
Sometimes this helps to settle my lo.
shannon
The Vern, how did the later bed time work?

[etmom]

Elphyrafire:

Guess that makes sense!  I haven't had the trouble with the middle of the night.  Does your LO seem rested during the day? That seems like it would be the only way to judge if it's a problem.

Shannon S:

Glad you're deciding to worry less---easier said than done!  Especially with that first LO!  I always tend to think about the big picture, too and how every little decision I make will effect it.  We mothers probably exaggerate that---I know I do.

[BabyBsMommy]

  We sure are, Shannon!  We live in Charleswood!
I agree with your suggestion that with a tummy ache maybe a feed will help them feel better and relax.  I always find a lot of the gas comes out the bottom end when he's feeding!  I think I'm not going to worry about how long it's been since he's eaten if he wakes up with gas and just feed him since he's up an hour and a half and ends up needing to eat anyways!  I tried that once a few nights ago when we were away on our trip visiting family in Toronto and he went right back down at the 1am wake up but then was up at 4 for an hour before I finally fed him again.  Guess as long as it's at least 3 hours apart, I may as well feed him anyways!
We go through lots of gripe water.  I usually give it to him before each feed on days he is especially gassy or when it's been a few days since he's pooped.  I haven't given ovol for a while only because the gripe water seems to do the same thing for him anyways, so it's just better having it in the house since it serves so many purposes!  Apparently, babies have even more gas problems flying so I gave Brenden a shot of gripe water before the take off and landing feeds I gave him on the plane and he did great (could be coincidence but I would do it again and not chance it!)  The doctor suggested we could also put a warm wash cloth on his tummy when he is having gas problems because they get very tense and it helps them relax so they can work it out more easily.  My mom gave us something called a "bed bug" when we were home which is like one of those rice shoulder pain things that you heat in the microwave or cool in the freezer except it's a small, round, fleecy, cute little bug.  I may try that on his tummy tonight if he has pains again.  He was straining a lot when I put him down at bedtime so I rubbed his tummy gently for a few minutes and that also seemed to relax him because shortly after he settled down, got some more out and fell asleep.
We're hoping we get a few more hours out of him after he had cereal for the first time tonight.  He guzzled it down, it was so cute!  He giggled with the first few bites and then being the spirited baby that he is, got mad because he wanted to keep his hand on the spoon and help guide it to his mouth each time!  I was very surprised that he actually got more down than on him!  Less than an hour later he took a full feed before bed so his belly should be nice and full.  I wanted to try wake to sleep for his 11pm waking tonight (it worked for us before for a habitual waking when I was doing the dream feed) but my hubby thinks (and I agree) that we should wait it out tonight and see if he sleeps longer with the extra food.  If he doesn't, then I'll do wake to sleep tomorrow.

[The Vern]

The later bedtime sucked!!! We tried it two nights. The second night, she was up every hour on the hour pretty much and I ended up feeding her at 5:30. Worst night in the longest time. So last night I went back to our more normal 7ish. She was asleep by 7:10 and didn't make a peep until 3. She took her paci and went right back to sleep. Next time I heard from her at 4:50, after which she could only do 20 min at a time and no deep sleep. She started talking to herself at 5:50, at 6:15 I got her up and she ate at 6:30. All in all a pretty good night. Now we just have to play with the early morning 20-min stints. Not sure how - any ideas anyone?

I was at the dr this week and he told us to start solids too, even though most things I read now do say to wait closer to 6 months. I'm really curious how little BabyB makes out with the cereal and the sleeping. He's only a couple of weeks older than my little snort so I'd be really interested to hear how things go.

The swaddling continues at night. She didn't break out even once last night!    This am nap I tried her one arm out again and she fell asleep great, woke up briefly at the 45 min mark, but right back for another 45 with the paci. So far so good. Next week, I'll add the 2nd nap too.

[BabyBsMommy]

The Vern - keep me posted on your swaddle saga!  I wanted to leave his arm out yesterday but DH intervened and rightly so - we've just had good naps FINALLY for the past week and he thought we should wait it out a little longer before trying something new - I think so too!
We started cereal 3 days ago but it's really too soon to say if it's stopped some of the night feedings or not because although we started the cereal on Wednesday, he hasn't pooped since Sunday, which is very normal for him but by day 4 or so (yesterday) he starts to get quite uncomfortable and doesn't sleep well anyways.  I should mention that on the first night, although he still woke up at 11 (habitual) he wasn't hungry and went right back to sleep until 2.  Progress!  We were going to do wake to sleep last night but he was unsettled and not in a deep sleep until almost 11 so there was no point!  DH finally got him fully to sleep around 11 and he went until 1:15, ok, I guess.  I'll update a few days after the poop comes to let you know the true impact of the cereal!  He is absolutely LOVING it, though!