Re: What is the Wake to Sleep Method?

[kins]

hi there.  i am new at this site and have loads of questions.  my little ava is 13 weeks old and seems to wake mostly at 10.30pm, and again between 1.30 and 3.30 for a feed.  and lately, she wakes at 5am pretty awake and settles again for up to an hour or so before i get her up for a 6.30am/7am feed.  what i have noticed is for the two night feeds - she is usually very windy (i.e. farting!) when i get into her room and when i feed her it is short and she falls asleep once the wind is sorted.  is she waking out of habit?  how can i tell if her wake ups are hunger related or to do with her wind / colic or just for a bit of love?  and what's with the 5am wake up??

[momofclaire]

Hi, and welcome!

Ava is such a beautiful name. 
Can you post little Ava's daytime routine for me? 
It is normal for a baby her age to need 2 night feeds although if she isn't taking a full feed maybe the wind is what is bothering her. Have you tried giving her mylicon drops before bed.  Many babies struggle with wind because gas gets trapped in their little system due to lack of movement. I found that bicycling Claire's legs throughout the day (at diaper changes) helped to "move things along."

When a baby wakes from hunger they generally will take a full feed and go right back to sleep.  Repeated waking, for example, if she woke at 10:30 and you put her back to sleep without a feed and then she woke again at 11:30 and again at 12:00 would also be a sign of hunger.

Generally early waking is due to overtiredness, which is why I asked to see your routine.  It could also be that she is hungry and can't quite make it to the 6:30 feed.   What are you doing that settles her at that wake as well as the 10:30 wake?

[kins]

hello - thanks so much for your reply (i am new at this sort of posting!).  well, the schedule to the best of our ability is as follows:

wake / feed 6.30am/7am
sleep 8am/8.30am
wake/feed 10.30/11am
sleep 12/1pm
wake/feed 2.30/3
short nap 4/4.30
bath 5.30
feed 5.30 - 6.30
sleep 6.30 / 7pm

this is the ideal schedule, but of course, in getting out and about in the afternoons - she doesn't get the ideal amount of afternoon sleep (and won't settle in the pram - only a sling).  i find that she really needs a good morning sleep and i tend to have to resettle her once or twice so that she gets a good hour / hour and a half.  she is a reflux and colicky baby  and has a preference for sleeping in the sling at the moment in the afternoons which drives me crazy because i get no 'me time' with her sleeping on me. 

i am especially tired today - last few nights she has been waking every hour and a half / two hours!!  i thought the reflux was under control (losec) and maybe it is, so not sure what is waking her. we hear her on the baby intercom - starts of grumbling, sometimes dozes off for a bit then wakes again crying.  so we run in each time she grumbles to settle her - she is in the hammock, so we put our hand on her chest and sssshhh her, and put her dummy back in. 

when she wakes at 10.30 and again later at 1.30ish for what i think is a feed - i keep her swaddled, put her on the breast, then when she pulls off - gently hold her upright with her head on my shoulder and pat her back gently for about 15-20 minutes to get any wind out and let her food settle.  she is generally asleep when she finishes her feed and so this winding process is done while she is dozing / asleep - then i gently place her back into bed. 

any advice would be so appreciated.  i am at my wits end dealing with little sleep and a very upset baby during the day!

kxxx

[momofclaire]

K,
I am not that knowledgable about reflux, but I do know that often babies have to have their meds changed or upped at they grow.  Could it be that she needs a new med or a higher doseage?

I wouldn't really be running in each time she grumbles.  When you do that you are essentially teaching her that she needs you to go back to sleep.  The goal would be for her to learn to self soothe.  Certainly if she cries and needs you, go to her but going to her to early might be interfereing with her ability to put herself back to sleep.

It is somewhat normal for a baby her age to wake and need resettling during naps.  Many babies struggle transitioning through sleep cycles.  What do you have to do to resettle her?  Again, are you going in too soon?

Have you had a look at sample easy routines for her age?  I would check out the Easy forum.  Your routine is ok but it might need a bit of a tweak.  At her age I would be aiming for 3, 1.5 hour naps.  It seems as she is already on a 4 hour routine.  Does she seem to be fine feeding every 4 hours?  When did she start going that long between feeds?  How many times do you feed overnight? 

Post back and I will try to help you.
Myia