lo waking at night with crazy leg kicking - what to do?

[nevviemama]

Looking for some help here - lo is 17wks (13.5 adjusted) and since being in the womb has been quite a kicker. During her A times she also kicks quite a lot, active little legs! BUT, the last few nights she's had many wakings (dealing with other potential issues on the short napping and nw boards), and quite a few of those wakes she cannot settle to get back to sleep and kicks her legs frantically. She is gassy and it seems to bother her more at night, so is she kicking to get the gas out? Sometimes I hear her pass gas but other times I don't. If I gently hold her legs she will start to drift, then jolt. I'll hold down, she's drift, jolt, cycle goes on. A few times last night she drifted until she fell into deeper sleep, other times she'd get close then start thrashing again and even my hand on her legs couldn't settle her and had to do sh/pat and paci, then same thing over again. Did that last night for an hour 2-3am, then again 5-5:30.
Has anyone else experienced this? She is swaddled but in a swaddle blanket so there is room in the little pouch for her legs to move. Usually have a small blankie on top up to her waist only and tucked in, tried last night to tuck more snugly to add some pressure to the legs but she kicked it right out of the tuck. She is on a 3hr easy, doesn't seem quite ready for a 3.5 and is a chronic short napper. In addition to the paci likely becoming a prop (but at least it's usually been pop it in and back to sleep for all), these night wakings with me needing to settle her 10-20 min at a stretch is really wearing on me. Last few nights also been crying long stretches at bedtime. Could it be OT rearing its head in the middle of the night?

[anikaix]

Your baby sounds just like mine!!!! He is 16 weeks (12 adjusted). Do you think it's a preemie thing? He has acid reflux and is on medication, which has helped some. Does your lo have acid reflux?

My lo also doesn't make bowel movements often. He goes about 9 days!! The doctors assure me that for a breastfed baby this is normal. But, I notice that the longer he goes w/o poop, the gassier he gets! Is this the case w/ your lo?

He is also a chronic short napper and can't stay awake for too long. He gets overtired for his afternoon nap, and won't nap long. That makes him fussy and OT until bedtime. I'm really worn out as well! Today I tried having him stay awake longer in the morning by 10 minutes. He slept about 10 min longer. I tried the sh/pat but it didn't work. So, put him in my sling and took a walk. He fell asleep for another 25 minutes. I know a sling can turn into a prop, but I want to see if more quality sleep and more active time will result in less fussiness tonight.

I noticed that when he wakes up gassy, it also usually means he's also hungry. I heard from a lactation nurse that babies get gas or will often poop when they feed because their intestines are making room for more milk. Not sure if that's true??


I'm sorry to hear you are having such trouble. I'm right there w/ you!

[nevviemama]

well glad I'm not the only one, maybe it is a preemie thing, who knows? She doesn't have reflux but when she was younger she struggled VERY much with gas - tried ovol, gripe water, colic tablets but the only thing that really helped was leg bicycling and time.
Funny - about 2 wks ago her poops went from one every day or other day, to about 7-8 days. Called ped, said it was normal as long as she was comfortable, and checked her too and there seems to be no issue. She is gassy every day though, not sure if more/less that before when poops were more regular. I think it is true what the nurse said - I read other sources that say their systems get a cue to 'move' when more is coming (and that's why in early days she'd be so miserable, they say some babies don't handle that feeling well).
She's now doing the aggressive kicking thing for naps today - signaling either OT or not ready for a nap, don't know which. But I don't have strength to struggle so abandon and then give another 10min and try again.

[rob1lu2]

Hi Lucy,

Have you tried swaddling her legs before you put her in the miracle blanket? Making it tighter in there, as opposed to the blanket on top of the MB?

What does your schedule look like? Tracey says that LOs lose control of their body when they are OT. Does that make sense? Instead of being like adults, that we get lathargic when we are tired, they get spazzy. It's possible that she's OT...

Let us know,
Lu

[anikaix]

I also wanted to ask you if you lo is hard to soothe? Cries uncontrollably after feeds or shortly thereafter? If so, play w/  your diet. I discovered that Anthony was allergic to milk (I'm also avoiding eggs & nuts). He is not so gassy, easier to soothe, and sleeps longer. Just a thought...

[nevviemama]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. Anikaix, she doesn't cry after feeds so I don't think that's the issue, although I do try to avoid a lot of dairy for that very fact, and also avoiding gassy veggies, and limit eggs/nuts. I think for her it may be a coping issue, she seems quite able and unperturbed when she's gassy during the day. But for ex. this morning she woke at 6, crying, and when I was soothing her, she passed gas and then relaxed. Maybe it bothers her more b/c she was in a more relaxed state so she feels it more? It's weird to me.

Lu, I didn't think of an 'inner' swaddle, maybe worth a try. I know Tracy says that kicking legs is OT, but in the middle of the night?