Is this a problem?

[Mom2katiebug]

DD has always been a terrible sleeper - especially in the hours after midnight.  We've cut out the overnight feeds but she still wakes up.  When she wakes, she'll cry out a few times or fuss for about 15 seconds.  Sometimes she'll take a break and repeat.  And sometimes it'll be a few "outbursts".  These wakings get more frequent with more outbursts per waking as the hours tick by, so that by 5am or so she's waking every 20-30 minutes.  We don't go to her cuz by the time we wake up, get out of bed and get to our doorway she's quiet again. 

Like I said, she's always had unsettled sleep in the AM hours of the night, but I'm wondering if there's something we should be doing to cut out these cries or help her sleep better.  On the rare ocaission that she has just a few wakeups/outburst, she (and we) wakeup so much happier and better rested. 

[Lana]

Does she have  a lovey?

Like you say she is finished making noise by the time you would get to her so you shouldn't go. 

Is she gearing up to do something developmentally?

[Colin Macs Mom]

Get back to work Casey! 

Colin does the same thing when he's teething really badly. Is Katie teething, or like Lana days, developmental stuff?

[Mom2katiebug]

I had to laugh when you asked if she has a lovey.  I'm suprised there's room for her in her crib!  She share her crib with Lambchop (2 of them at the moment), Bluepup and her Lilly-dog beanie baby (yes, they are all named and, sorry, Purpie is in the wash right now!).  She also has about 6 pacis scattered around her crib so she doesn't have to go far to find one. 

She has been teething and I think it's bugging her a bit.  She's also getting pretty good at standing - although she still always holds on.  Not sure how much of an impact all that could be having since she's always struggled sleeping from midnight to 7am.  I guess this is an improvement since we don't have to go replug or feed her.  Just wondering if there was something more we could do.  I did give her a small feed around 5am a few nights ago and she slept soundly from 5am to 7am-ish.  But I just can't believe that she needs an overnight feed at 10MO and about 23 pounds. 

FYI - She was on antibiotics for about 3 weeks and she slept like a dream!  I thought we'd finally reached the promised land!  I was so thankful that it finally happened.  It's amazing what a good night of sleep actually feels like!  But, alas, the antibiotics were over and so were our good nights of sleep.  Oh how I miss them...

And Jessica, you missed the entire job drama.  I left my employer to take a job out of state.  Both DH and I really wanted to move, but he'd be here for 6-12 months and I'd be there.  We couldn't figure out how what to do with Katie cuz neither of us wanted to be apart from her.  Let me restate that...neither of us could be apart from her for any length of time and neither of us was eager to become a "single" parent either.  So, I ended up turning down the new job - on the day I was supposed to start it.  I still feel like a complete @ss about it, but it was the only thing to do and it was such a compressed time-frame.  So, now I'm totally unemployed!  A bit scarey but it'll only be for a short while.  I've already had 2 unsolicited offers in the last week. 

[Colin Macs Mom]

How long has it been since you ended the night feed? After we ended Colin's he still woke at the same time for a while    Have you tried wake to sleep?

IAnd Jessica, you missed the entire job drama. I left my employer to take a job out of state. Both DH and I really wanted to move, but he'd be here for 6-12 months and I'd be there. We couldn't figure out how what to do with Katie cuz neither of us wanted to be apart from her. Let me restate that...neither of us could be apart from her for any length of time and neither of us was eager to become a "single" parent either. So, I ended up turning down the new job - on the day I was supposed to start it. I still feel like a complete @ss about it, but it was the only thing to do and it was such a compressed time-frame. So, now I'm totally unemployed! A bit scarey but it'll only be for a short while. I've already had 2 unsolicited offers in the last week.

Holy crap Casey!!!!      I knew you wanted to do something different, but you took that to an extreme, eh?    That's great that you're already getting offers though, sounds like you'll be just fine. And maybe you can get something closer to home?

[Mom2katiebug]

Am hoping for something closer or at least a little bit different - just to shake things up a bit. 

Gosh...we quit the night feeds a long time ago (like a month).  Before the magical meds that had her sleeping like a champ, so I don't think she waking out of a feeding "habit".  Do you think W2S would help where the wakings aren't so long or involved that she needs attention?  Plus that means I actually have to drag my butt out of bed instead of just rolling over a few times!        I guess I'll just think of this as one more step on the road to independent sleep. 

[Colin Macs Mom]

No, I wouldn't bother with W2S if she's putting herself back to sleep.

[Mom2katiebug]

We've tried everything to get more food into her during the day and we just can't cram any more in!  In fact, a couple of days ago I got an extra 4 oz of yogurt in her (additional 140 cals) and it didn't make any difference.  I did a tally for the birth club thread and was suprised that she's getting roughly 900-1,000 calories each day.  That should be enough, right?

Should I start adding flax oil or something equally healthy and calorie-dense to her bottles or something?

[Mom2katiebug]

She takes her last bottle after her jammies and usually in her crib (AP at it's best, although she is fully awake and pushes it away when she's done).  We'll have to stop it soon cuz her first tooth is just pushing through so we'll have to brush. 

I've tried altering the spacing of her meals and she just isn't hungry and will actually eat less if I push them closer together.  DH says she'll outgrow this too and I think maybe I just need some sleep training so that the short cries don't fully wake me!

[Mom2katiebug]

Stacy - Katie fights us on everything.  I'd say she's a grumpy with all the crying she does, but it's really her stong, opinionated spirited side coming out.  I get tired of everything being a fight all the time.  It's a struggle for us to get an entire meal in.  After about a dozen bites, she gets mad and wants finger foods.  If we just cave in there, she'll play a lot and eat a little until she get bored and there's no way she's eaten enough.  So, we go through a lot of girations to get a meal in her.  Yogurt is the mainstay of her diet.  She eats it at every meal and I add fruits/veggie purees - sometimes some meat puree in the evening and then some finger foods at the end of every meal.  Like I said, she eats a little and plays a lot.  If I give her more, the kid is going to turn into a tub of yogurt herself!     I suppose we could try yogurt with breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a mid afternoon snack and dinner.  Then for lunch focus on some meat puree.  Not sure if that will change things or not.  Not sure on timing cuz we still have to separate bottles and solids to get good intake on both.  Seems like she'll be in the high chair all day and that will never fly with her spirited temperment.  I'll kick it around and see if I can figure a feeding plan out.  Am tempted to mix some cereal in her bottles to get more calories in, but it won't add many.  Maybe if I mix yogurt in - like a very thin smoothie - that would probably have more calories - and probably keep her satisfied longer. 

[Colin Macs Mom]

Casey, I have this cool book called the Baby and Toddler Eating Plan, would you be interested?

[Mom2katiebug]

Is it a cookbook or more of a scheduling, what to put in their diets - type book? 

[Colin Macs Mom]

It's both actually, but I found the schedule parts really helpful when we first started and I wasn't sure how much, when, etc. It has some good info.

[KellyC]

Hi Casey 

Zander wouldn't eat very much at all if it had to be spooned in.  If Katie's wanting to feed herself have you considered cooking her meals she doesn't need to be spoon fed?  I'm sure she could handle it after seeing the photo of her with spaghetti bolognese!  It makes it all easier too because you can just give her whatever you've cooked for yourself and DH (so long as it's healthy and without added salt).  For dinner Zander sometimes has a thick soup which always has plenty of potato in it and I make it with half water and half milk.  He wants to eat it himself so has a slice of bread torn up in it which he then feeds himself.  I think the combination of potato, bread and milk fills him up really well.  You could try making a batch of something like that and putting it in the freezer for her?

Kelly x