Am I doing the right thing? Please advise

[Lucie preciosa]

This is my first message. My dd is 15wks and was 5ws prem. She is Breast fed exclusively and weights 14lbs 9.5oz! We had her on EASy since week 2 and so far I thing is OK. I am currently trying to do a 3 1/4 hours routine, she always since day 1 was very sleepy after her feed, still does. After her feed she only manages a maximum of 1 hour awake time. Then she starts giving me the signals for sleeping! She has short naps and I end up with A before the next feed.

At night she has her DF at 10.45, she has a habit of waking around 2am(get her back to sleep), she seems to be gassy, or sound as if she has milk coming up. I feed her around 3.30 - 4 am.

She has always been a great eater, feeding last not longer than 15 minutes, no problems with her growing the doctors said!

She suffers of a mild reflux, brings watery milk even two to three hours after her feed, I have her raised up in her cot for S and she is swaddled all the time.

I always feed her after her bath, is this what I am doing wrong?

A day with her starts at 7.30 am and is more or less
E 15 minutes max
A 45minutes to 1 1/4 tops
S anything between 45 min to 2h
In the evening she feeds her last cicle of 3 1/4 EASY at around 5pm, has a cat nap at around 6 15pm then bath and I feed her she goes to sleep straigh after.
DF 10.45

Do I have room for improvement, I am expecting too much from her, giving the fact that she was prem? She is very content most of the time and rarely cries during the day for a feed! please advise.

She makes so much noise during her sleep. I am thinking of trying Osteopathy?

Thanks for reading this.

[em_here]

If she is happy and content I would say you are doing just fine! One feed in the middle of the night is good and normal.  The noise during her sleep may be related to the reflux issues, do you elevate the cot mattress, is she on meds? Sometimes little ones are just noisy sleepers. As I said before I think it looks like you are doing really good xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[vadensmommy]

I too think your routine looks great.  Her A times seem a bit short, but it sounds like it is working for you, and given that she was prem that may be perfectly appropriate for her.  We too battled 45min naps, and I really stressed myself out over all of it, and it really isn't healthy to do that for mom!  45min naps can sometimes mean undertired, and 30min naps usually mean OT.  So if you changed anything (and I am NOT saying you need to - personal preference, if it were me I'd probably leave it alone if she is happy - that is what counts!!) you could possibly try and stretch her A times just a very small amount and see if that might help the overall short naps issue.  I will say that when dd transitioned to the 4hr EASY that the short naps for us instantly disappeared.  I think she really needed more A time, and I just didn't realize it, BUT my dd was a week overdue.  Good luck, and remember to enjoy your lo.  If you are both happy and content, that is what ultimately is most important!! 

[Grace's Mom]

My lo had reflux and the raised mattress pad helped a ton, along with meds and sitting her up after each feed for a good 30 minutes.  Of course before bed and in the middle of the night we did not do that. 
-We did 1/2 a feed before and after her bath too.  I wouldn't worry about that.

30 minute naps usually = overtired
45 minute naps usually = in need of more A time

At 15 weeks most lo's are taking 3-4 naps a day...most don't move to 3 naps until 4 months and higher and the average A time is around 1.5-2 hours (including feeding times).

15 minutes is fine for a feed.  Some lo's are just really efficient eaters. Mine wouldn't eat more than 5-10 minutes on each side....I stressed so much especially when she was first born but I learned that she was getting exactly what she needed and to this day still eats like that...silly girl. 

Let us know how things go.
Melissa

[Lucie preciosa]

Hi, thanks for your replies, how can I get more A time from her, she really shows me S cues if I dont she starts crying and then takes me longer to get her off!

She was taking Gaviscon it helped now she only has mild reflux and it is more the watery milk plus cottage cheese like stuff that bothers her, specially after her 3 -4 am feed! She grunts a lot and when she wakes up 7 - 7.30 she is happy but the stuff comes out, she never complains though just smiles.

Do you thing I should keep up with my 3 1/4 EASY? I would like the change to 4 h as smooth as possible. Planning on doing 3 1/4 for another week the 2 weeks of 3.5 EASy then 2 weeks of 3 3/4 EASY and tyhen finally the 4h EASY.

Do you think I should always take into account that she is 5 wks prem and although her weight is great! (15ws: 14lbs 9.5 oz) she will always be 5weeks younger?

Last night, same routine, she slept till 4.20 am! then grunting all the way till 7.30 am, after her 4.20 feed i feel like I need to reposition her to feel comfortable. Do you think Osteopathy could help? Has anyone know if this really helps?

[Samuel's mum]

Not all exclusively breastfed babies do make it to 4 hour EASY so don't put too much pressure on yourself if it doesn't feel right - especially because of her adjusted age.

I have 2 good friends who absolutely RAVE about the difference cranial osteopathy made to their babies. In both cases it was pretty dramatic (although it can take a couple of sessions). Cranial osteopathy is usually what's used with babies as it's very gentle. Cranial sacrotherapy has some similiar principles.

[Grace's Mom]

For moving to a 4 hour EASY I would just be sure to follow your lo.  My lo didn't move to a 4 your EASY until closer to 5 months, so no rush unless you feel she is ready. 

Have you implemented a wind down time and nap routine?  That may help with 1. getting your lo down before becoming overtired and could help 2 with extending A time as your lo will be more relaxed and not overstimulated, etc. 
-With extending A time you usually go about 10-15 minutes at a time and then do another 10-15 minutes a few days later.  You don't want to do anything too drastic all at once or your lo may become greatly OT.  Baby steps.  Your plan to move to a 4 hour EASY sounds fine.  Some go cold turkey and move right to 2 hours of A time while others need a gradual transition.

After her 4:20 feed, how is she sleeping..on her back, stomach? 

Melissa

[Lucie preciosa]

Hi, she sleeps on her back after her night feed but after 1 hour or so she starts her very disturbing grunting and I can hear wet sounds coming from her, so I reposition her to her side, shich seems to help, but the grunting does not stop there!. Most of the time when she wakes up at 7 7.30 she has this watery clotted milk coming up.

I will try your A suggestion, thanks

The last two nights she's slept from 7 30 till 4 (inc DF)!

[Grace's Mom]

Have you checked out the reflux thread yet? 

They will have some great info for you on there.  I would reccommend checking it out.  It's under Heath, Medical and Special Needs, then click on Colic, Reflux and Crying.   

-Melissa

[Grace's Mom]

How are things going?

-Melissa

[Lucie preciosa]

Hi melissa, thanks for asking. I will soon statrt a new topis as last night after only the fisrt doing 3.5 h EASY she did not want a feed all night. She still woke up uncomfortable with wind though, at 3 and the at 6. And when I fed her at 7.30 she seemed just like a normal morning feed 10 min max, and then a lot out!
Today we'll go for her 2nd appoi. with the ostheopath. She still brings milk back, watery stuff.
I will carry on the3.5 and see how that goes, still a short napper although I am trying to extend her A and no matter what we do she still wakes up after 45 min nap.

[Grace's Mom]

Glad things are going a bit better. 

Have you tried W2S for the 45 minute naps?

[Lucie preciosa]

No I have not! I will try that today! Thanks

[Grace's Mom]

Sometimes it can take a few days for it to work well as it's all about timing. 
When I did it I actually took a few days and sat in her room while she slept and took notes.  That helped me know exactly when to go in, but that was a bit draining as I didn't get any Y time.  So, if you already know exactly what time your lo wakes then you are good to go. 

Let me know how things are going in a few days.

Melissa

[Lucie preciosa]

Thanks, not luck so far but I will keep trying.
But!!!!! she has started to sleep from 7.30 till 7! Was it the ner 3.5 EASY or the treatment with the C. ostheopath? Or just herself? I will start a new topic about this. Maybe her short naps is all she needs? I won'r give up though. I will keep trying with her naps. Thanks for support.