Unpredictable Nap Length- nearing 4 months

[runningwildly]

I really don't think it's reflux. She's not in any sort of pain with the burp. She's had this problem waking up to burp since the day she was born. Again, no crying at all with it. She takes it totally in stride which is why I'm not too too concerned with it. It's just more of an inconvienience when she happens to wake up from a burp. If she does happen to wake up crying with a burp it's usually due to OT. Sigh. Story of my life.

I do think she has a paci addiction. I just can't imagine what life (most particularily naps) would be like without it. Pure hell. What's the difference if she sucks on a paci or her hand/thumb......so why would I discourage one over the other? I suppose I'm just not clear why paci should be taken at 4 months if they'd just resort to their hand anyway? Perhaps you could give me more details.

I agree that she is OT. Interesting that NW can be due to being OT. Hmmmmm. So how do I rectify that if I can't get her to nap? I feel like I'm in a never ending cycle.  I will take note of the decrease in A time if she has a 45 min nap!!!! Good to know!

[sherry lynn]

Decreasing the A time after the 45 min nap might help.

The other thing I can say is that some moms just find that the 45 min naps get better at about 6 months, so don't loose heart. She might just be still struggling with learning how to sleep.

My son still takes a paci at 2, so by no means am I saying that you need to get rid of it.

The reason some moms end up getting rid of the paci at 4 months is because of the constant NW to replug. They find that the NW reduce significantly once they sleep train to get rid of it. However, I found that most of my NW were do to OT and once I got rid of that the NWs improved.

At about 6 months you can also teach her how to replug the paci herself.

Keep an eye on that last A time. If it is too long that can definitely cause NW and EW. If she is only sleeping about 45 min I would say you really need to have her in bed no later than 1.5 hours of A time.

[runningwildly]

Oh dear, I wish I would have read your reply earlier.
Last night.......was, well. Hell.
She slept a total of 15 minutes from 7pm-12:30am. Yes, fifteen. I cannot describe to you the OT crying that took place. I brought her into bed with me just to help calm her and encourage her to sleep. Why did this happen? Well, being OT all day and I gave her the soother to fall asleep with, then when it fell out I didn't replug. I wanted to see what she would do. So she cried. Screamed actually and I laid beside her until she fell asleep doing pu/pd. The poor thing. She was sooooo tired. But she slept until 7am with a few short cries, but no actual waking up in the night......and the paci was out the whole time. I never did replug and she slept! This morning at 7 she woke crying and falling asleep while BF, both of which are super unusual for her. So now, would you recommend that I reimplement the paci and just not replug during the night so that she figures out how to sleep without it? Also, now that I have about 5 hours of sleep to make up, how much A time do I give her today?

[sherry lynn]

I would just try to follow her cues as best you can, and just try to get through the day. I think she is going to be tired no matter what.

Well, since you already went through hell last night it's your choice about what to do about the paci. You've already been through the hardest part.

She's also a tad bit young for pu/pd. It might be over stimulating for her. I would try just soothing her the best you can, but pat/sh, cuddles, etc.

Do you think all the waking at night is from the paci?

[runningwildly]

During the night I've never gone to replug the paci and she's always been able to sleep. I think the NW are due to being OT. However, during the day naps I DO think she wakes up when the paci falls out. That and she can't seem to get past that stinkin' 45 min mark. So I hold her joints, replug, etc to do WHATEVER I can to get her to fall back asleep again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

This morning nap I've had to replug twice so far......and she's so tired from the hell that was last night she's slept 2 hours already. She had 40 min of A and was a bear so I put her down. Poor thing. Naps are such a touchy thing so as soon as I hear a peep I'm replugging ON THE DOUBLE!!!! I just want her to nap! I would like to get to a point where she can nap and have paci fall out and remain sleeping, but if she wakes she won't fall back asleep. The nights seem to be a completely different story.

I'm torn about the paci. I don't know what to do about it. Perhaps if I give her the paci to sleep and then make a point to not replug. Oh gosh. She'll just *never* sleep during the day. I dread doing that. I've got to figure out what to do.

[sherry lynn]

Honestly, if you think that the nights are not do to paci replugging then I wouldn't worry about it at nap times.

It is very common for LO to wake up during naps, and they eventually learn to go back to sleep on their own. Now my son might wake up, but he puts the paci in himself. Most LO nap better by about 6 months. For us it took until about 9 months.

I pinned a paci rope thing to his sleep sack so that it is always right there for him. Before that I just put a whole bunch of paci's in his crib.

[heidiruthie]

just reading along and wanted to chime in: yes, soon she will be old enough to re-plug herself. i have heard of sewing pacis onto a lovey so that its easier to find! and day sleep is completely different than night sleep, which is why she is having trouble when the paci falls out during naps, but not at night. i can vouch for OT increasing NW's! we were out super late last night for a christmas pary and i paid for it big time! samuel was up about 10 times within 2 hours. not fun.

anyhow, i never thought my baby would be SO addicted to the paci like he is, especially after ds1 never really took to it....but i think i'm gonna stick with it. i just think of the other things down the road like illness and more teething, or staying at someone else's house when it will come in handy to comfort. and i do think it is worth it, but that's just me

hoping that tonight is a MUCH better night for you. ((((HUGS))))