Hello, I am totally new to this forum. Not totally I guess, I have been reading the nap boards and FAQs for the last 3 days, while I go crazy trying to get my DS to nap. I am losing my mind. I need help or just reassurance that this shush pat will work eventually.
I go into my previous feeding issues below because they may be relevant to the napping issues.
My DS is 10 weeks old and was a great sleeper and was sleeping 5ish hours at night at 5 weeks. Naps were great too. I would put him down drowsy and most of the time he would just go to sleep. Sometimes he needed to be settled once or twice before dropping off to a full 1.5 -2 hour nap. During this time he was getting a mix of breast, EBM and formula due to my breast feeding issues. (very inverted nipples)
My DS is now EBF. I think, partly this is where my problems began. I was taking Domperidone to keep my milk up when I was unable to touch my nipples. After a week or two on Dom. I had lots of milk but noticed it seemed like my LO wanted to eat constantly, over an hour to feed then 45 mins later he wanted to eat again and barfed it up constantly. I had been doing EASY loosely. In the correct order but hard with BF issues. Finally, got back to the Lactation Consultant after Christmas and she saw how much he brought up when eating and how engorged I was. She told me I had way too much milk, and he just wanted to keep eating because he never felt satisfied I and should not be painfully engorged by every feed. She said he never felt full because he was not getting to the hind milk. She also said that was why he pooped so much and it was green and runny mucus. I think his constant need to eat, at short intervals through this 3 weeks, has totally messed him up. That is around when the 45 minute naps started because he was hungry. I had been keeping up the routine in the EASY order with a few extra feeds, while my milk regulated, because my LO was hungry while I was coming off the Domperidone.
I have been off the Dom. for nearly 2 weeks and alternate breasts at each feed, exclusively breast feed to regulate my milk to what he needs. I think it is sorted, so I am on EASY in earnest now.
One breast is still a bit too full, and the overeating and large amounts of food coming back up are still an issue. I have to change his sleeper after every feed because it is soaked in barfed up milk. But feeds take less than a half hour instead of 1.5hours. He is full and is putting on weight just fine. Even when I had too much milk he was putting on nearly an oz a day.
He is a big, long boy. 12lbs 8oz at 9weeks.
Now he is an OT monster. Only napping 25-45 minutes. Sometimes (rare)I can shush pat to sleep another 25-45 minutes after a pick up and settle. It may have nothing to do with the milk issues I had could just be the 45 minute trap. Mostly he cries when he wakes and I need to pick him up to settle him, over the shoulder shush in the ear, with pat till drowsy then put down, and shush pat till sleeping. I spent all naps yesterday, investigating (sitting in his room and shush pat or just hand on chest watching to see what happens or to see if it makes a difference if I pat through the 20 or 45 minute mark). The times he will wake up, being there, shushing with my hand on his chest on one over (not touching) his eyes, it did nothing. He cried I picked him up, and settled over again. If he becomes too agitated (cries the minute I try to put him in the crib) or after 20 mins of shush pat (in crib) he is still fidgeting like crazy and darting his eyes around trying to look past my hand and not settled we get up leave the bed room for a change and to reset things. Then we do the wind down routine again. Swaddle, quite story, shush over shoulder and put down drowsy. I do occasionally put him down a bit late because BAM he is out in two shushs. He still wakes up 20-45 mins later.
I started writing this last night, today I had some progress. I shush pat in crib he was nearly crying and quite agitated and I calmed him down without picking him up and got him to sleep, only for a few minutes but I saw progress!
Nights are pretty good, detailed in shedule.(starting to unravel I think due to OT)
Props – paci, sleep sheep with rain sounds for white noise.
Sleeps in crib ( only the last 5 days) the nap problems were evident prior to the move from the bassinet to the crib. The NW is newish, but that is for another board.
Daily Schedule 3 hour cycle
Wake up and
E 7 - 7:30ish, 15-20 mins lots of spitting up.
A 30 minutes (tired cues, I have shortened it to this two days ago) lying on playmat under toys dangling for about 10 mins then chat with me in his bouncy chair or settle in swing. Just changed this today to sitting in my lap and chatting, to stop over stimulating him in the morning.
S when looks tired or just before. 45 minutes of sleep, or less, change of sleeper when diaper change. I try until next cycle in this case 10am. Put down routine, swaddle, story, shush pat with face in my neck, put down drowsy.
E 10 am 15-20 mins lots of spitting up.
A looks tired quickly about 30 mins. Already tired from missing last nap. some tummy time, songs with me sitting in bouncy chair.
S about 20-30 mins. Shush pat, pick up Shush pat if crying. Put down routine, swaddle, story, shush pat with face in my neck, put down drowsy.
E 1pm 15-20 mins lots of spitting up
A already OT, low key activity, look for cues about 30-45 mins
S same as before
E 4pm 15-20 mins lots of spitting up
A sit with Mom swing to settle, look for cues(tired eyes and frantic looking) about 30-45 mins
S Same same, getting harder to settle and visibly OT ( I do not generally cat nap because he needs the sleep if I can settle him for a bit)
E 7pm 15-20 mins lots of spitting up
A Bathtime, he likes it. A quick little baby massage.
S goes down best at this nap/bedtime usually stays out till dream feed at 11. Same routine (Swaddle, story, Shush pat with face in my neck put down drowsy)
E 11pm, he used to be impossible to feed at this time I could not dream feed or wake up. Now he wants to eat and is ready and wakes up.
3 or 4am, ( he eats like a crazy starving little piggy, and take a full feed. sometimes takes an hour because if I let him over eat he barfs all over and I need to change and settle him. He is just starting to not sleep well and need settling throughout the night. He is new to his crib and room, could be from being OT?
There is a wet diaper at every feeding except the night time, I do not change him at 11 and only sometimes at 4. there are 3-4 BMs a day.
I hope I have put down everything I am supposed to.
I noticed today when I spent each nap in his room, that he jolts a lot. When it starts it happens over and over again, but like I said above I think I made progress today.
So am I just having typical 20-45 minute nap issues? Will the pat shush eventually help me get him through the 25 minute mark? Is there some glaring issue that anyone sees? Is he perhaps not full enough? Do they just change and stop sleeping?I am tired and rambling and may not be making sense. I need some support, it feels lonely. Have great husband, however we live on a big farm and he works full time. Lots of work and I am doing the sleep schedule/training. I feel very alone.
Please help.
Chrystal
