4.5 mnth old - we're going backwards!

[ruthy]

I'd be very grateful for some help with this one.  I noticed that my son was taking shorter naps (45 mins instead of 1.5 to 2hrs) and he was a week shy of 4 mnths old so I decided to transition him onto the 4hr EASY.  I had to supplement my breast feeding with formula to facilitate this as he wasn't getting enough to see him through.  His day time naps in general have settled back down but now he is waking more frequently at night (3 to 4 times instead of 2) and can take up to an hour to resettle each time, whereas before it only took a few minutes.  He was always very easy to put to bed at night but that has changed too.  He fusses and cries.  It's like we have a completely different child now, all in the space of 2 to 3 weeks. In desperation, we started giving him a dummy to settle him but now find that he wakes once the dummy has fallen out. Any suggestions?

Ruth

[caf_uk]

My dd is waking more frequently during the night and like you taking like an hour or two to settle.  I have realised that she may be teething.  She doesn't have any other signs other than that she is constantly chewing her fingers and a bit fussy during feeding.  I can now see lump on her bottom gum as well, otherwise I wouldn't have thought it was teething.  The only thing that settles her is teething gel on her gums...  Might be worth considering.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Ruthy, in addition to the teething possibility, you might try doing a 3.5 EASY rather than 4. Some LOs need a bit more time and a longer transition.

[ruthy]

Jessica and Caf,

Thanks for that.  I did ask the child health nurse last week if he was teething and she said not but I suppose he could have started in the last couple of days.  It's strange though that it would only effect him at night as he is fine during the day. In relation to the 4hr EASY, I have actually been surprised at how well he has adapted to it during the day.  As long as I keep activities low key, he lasts the 4 hours between feeds really well.  But last night was the worst one yet.  We normally put him down at about 7pm and don't hear a peep out of him until it's time for his DF, as he often wakes up in anticipation of it! Last night we had to go in to him a couple of times between 7pm and 9.30pm and when we finally gave him his DF he then took 45mins to settle which he has never done before. He was then awake again at 1.30am and took over half an hour to settle.  I'm wondering if it is food related as in the space of 3 weeks we have gone from two formula feeds a day as a top up to breast feeding to supplementing every feed with formula and in the last week we have put him on a thickened formula as the child health nurse thought that the reason for his frequent wakings might be due to reflux - so far, it's only made it worse.  I'm going back to regular formula today to see if it makes any difference. God, this parenting thing is hard work! Thanks for listening!

Ruth

[caf_uk]

i know, there are so many possiblities...

my lo doesn't show much discomfort at all during the day re: teething.  I asked the doc about this and she said its quite common as babies are easily distracted in the day but at night they have nothing else to focus on.  Also we don't want them distracted at night either...  Does that make sense?  But if the nurse said not then it most likely is something else.

Hope things are improving anyway.