7 week old, routine gone off rails?!

[skates]

My 7 weekold was doing the easy routine nicely (excluding cluster feeding) with 4 oz every 3 hours during day and sleeping well.
Schedule: 7.30, 10.30, 1.30, 4.30, 7.30 (bath then bed by 8.30/9), 11pm DF, 3am.

This last week he has become more fussy particulary after feeding even though i've tried 5 oz but just spat up more?! He seems like he's hungry more often, like 2 hours after last feed then only takes 1oz or so and falls back to sleep so EAS not happening, more like ESA but occasionally EAS. Night time sleeping is not yet affected. It feels like i've gone to a total baby led routine which is stressing me out, i need to get back on track.

Am i mistaking hunger for wind?!
Is he having a growth spurt?!

Any suggestions welcome?!

[Lolly]

It could well be a growth spurt, there is a big one at about 6 weeks or so. Wind is a possibility too - my two used to go a bit grey around their mouths if they had a bad case of wind. Have you tried a faster teat - that may be worth a try as sometimes they get windy sucking too hardon a teat that's a bit slow for them.

Is he a bit refluxy do you think? Have a look at this link Reflux 101 - General reflux information

Laura

[Alexian28]

Just some things I've noticed from my DD, who is also 7 weeks old:

We tried only 1/3 oz more formula at each feeding as she seemed hungry but she spit up even more.  After a couple of incidences we realized that her sphincter is so immature that she can't tell when she is full and it is very easy to overfeed her in terms of stomach capacity.  She's also been a lot fussier lately, fighting sleep and just generally crankier, waking up more during naps and needing to be resettled, but only during the day.

If your LO is only eating an ounce and going back to sleep you're misreading hunger for something else.  Have you tried to resettle him?  You may need to back off the 5 oz for a bit, to cut down on the spitting up. 

I think our LOs are becoming more aware of the world during the daytime and are just growing out of that newborn stage where it's just eat and sleep.

[skates]

Thank you for replies. he has calmed down a bit now. i think at times i was misreading his need for food but what i have also done is up to level two teats so he takes his feeds quicker so is less fussy after feeding and he burps much easier which i hope is a good thing?!

His sleeping is still more random during the day still not exactly in the EAS pattern each time it varies. Not sure whether i should just let him sleep whenever or try to force him into EAS pattern by keeping him awake after a feed so he then sleeps untill next feed?!

Alexian28 - Are you still feeding three hourly during day regardless of whether you see any hunger cues?

[*Kara*]

The daytime sleep issues are quite common at this age and some are very hard to keep awake... don't force anything at this age - he needs to sleep to grow at this itty bitty stage.  You can try keeping him awake a short time after a feed to make sure he doesn't feed to sleep though.  In the next few weeks, a daytime nap routine will emerge a bit better.

Hope that helps hun.

[skates]

Yes kara, thats comforting to know. Thank you