Please some advice.... dont know what to try next!!

[vbeck]

Well he just will not settle without a bottle or if i put him into bed with me, last night after 35mins of screaming i gave him a bottle and he fell back to sleep, sometimes he just wants his dummy but at least once a night he wont settle without a bottle! Tonight he had his bath, bottle and i literally could not keep him awake, he was so tired from fighting his naps all day, i put him in his cot and he hasnt even got his dummy!

He cut his first tooth last mon and i def think another one is on its way, i had also gone back to using tommee tippee bottles and i think he was getting too much air so today ive started using Dr Browns again and he drunk his bottle so much better!

This week he has started sitting up on his own, if he goes to grab something he might topple but his fine just sitting there with no support!

Im trying to relax about the whole thing but my problem is, i feel so crap, like am not a good Mum!!

x

[Bryony]

First of all - you are a GREAT mum!  You love your LO and want what's best for him - that's being the best mum you can be. I know exactly what you mean when you start doubting yourself - I have had a week of this too - but try to keep your confidence. He will pick up on it if you are stressed.

Now, let's see where you are now...

- how does he go to sleep for naps and bedtime - does he need any help from you?

- what is your current routine?

I am sure the teething won't be helping so I would also give him plenty of teething gel and some paracetamol or ibuprofen to try and help with any discomfort.

Hang in there!

Bryony

[vbeck]

Im sooo tired i cant concentrate long enough to right out his routine!! But his naps are either good or bad, sometimes he goes down fine and sleeps, other times its a fight and he wakes after 20mins! Yesterday he slept for 1hr10 in the morning, then another 30mins and 40mins in the pm and last night, well we have been up most of the night, he slept till 12 when i gave him a bottle then from then on he woke every hour till 4 when he would not settle and screamed till 4.40 (i was with him trying to settle him), fell asleep but woke again at 5.40 and has been awake since, i gave him a bottle at 6 and his wide awake? His feeding routine looks like this

Porridge and bottle (5oz) - 7am
Bottle (5-7oz) - 11am
Lunch - 12.30
Bottle (5-7oz) -3.00pm
Dinner - 5.00
Bath bottle - 6.30
Bed - 7.00 (if we have had a bad nap day this can be 6.30)

Obviosuly today cause of the early waking i have fed him earlier! We had the same night the night before, i am exhausted!!

[Bryony]

Hi there

HUGS!  I know how horrible it is to feel so exhausted!

Now, I think you have two things going on here:

1) he seems to be not having much milk in the day, and is having some of it at night.  I would give him a bottle first thing, when he first wakes up - then breakfast an hour or so later. And I really would go easy on the solids for now - he's still only young and needs the majority of his calories to come from milk.   Then when you feed him in the night, slowly decrease the amount of milk that you give him - eg if you have been giving him 5oz, reduce it to 4oz for a few days, then 3oz etc - then hopefully he will make it up during the day. 

2) I also think he's overtired. 20-30 min naps, NWs with screaming, and early morning wake-ups would seem to point in that direction.   What A times are you working on right now? My guess is that he needs to go down for naps a bit earlier if he's tending to do 20-30 mins. And if he does do 20-30 mins then he needs to go down for the  next nap a lot earlier. You might also want to put him into bed up to an hour earlier every night for a week to see if he will catch up a bit - I know it sounds crazy but in many cases it does work!

Now I may be wrong, and others may have other ideas - but that's what it looks like to me   

What do you think?

Bryony