Teeth, swaddle, or routine?

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

So I'm thinking our hellish nights the past 4 nights are teething-related but I wanted to get some more eyes just in case there's a routine tweak that might help since I'm going a little insane.  Last night we were up for 3.5 hours and he mostly screamed bloody murder the whole time.  I would get him to fall asleep and then he was right back up again.  Meds didn't seem to help.  We did go to one arm out of the swaddle last week but he's been napping fine with that so I don't think it's the issue.

Yesterday... (night before went down at 6:15, NW at 10:15 for 40 min, 1:30 for 5 min, 4:30 for feed)

6:50: Awake
7ish: solids
8:45: BF
9:45: S
10:55: A
12: solids
1:45: BF
2: S
3:50: A
5: solids
6:30: BF
6:50: S (maybe this last A time should be shorter when he's not settled at night?)
11:50: A, madness ensued - I honestly haven't seen him this upset for this long since when he was a colicky newborn - tried APOPing after a couple of hours but even rocking and nursing wasn't working or worked for a bit until I tried to lay him in the crib again
3:30- finally S

Today....

6: Awake, happy as a clam, seriously like nothing at all happened last night!
6:45: solids
8:15: BF
9: S
10:30: A (I was suprised, thought he would sleep longer since he's been sleeping 2h+ in the mornings after a bad night)
11:45: solids
1: BF
1:30: S

And that's where we are.  Thoughts?  I'm sure I'll just hear this is teething and that's how it is but I had to ask since I'm kind of at the end of my rope.    I felt so terrible for him since he was just so unhappy but at the same time I was so unhappy too and I just wanted to go to sleep!   

Thanks ladies.

[Tweakster]

Hi there Kate, yes it absolutely sounds like what we go through with teething.  'Colicky newborn' is about the extent of it.  When Finn was ill recently he was both ill and teething and there was a night we had to bring him into our room in the pack n play and I had to hang over the side of it shushing and patting. 

It does seem to manifest more at night for some LO's and pain meds don't always seem to do the trick, at least not for us.  Although we have had the best success with Motrin given as a DF between 10-11 because it normally lasts 6-8 hours.

Hugs!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Sigh.  Thanks, Wendy.  I figured the teeth were to blame but I was hoping there might be something else to try!  Maybe tonight I'll bring the travel crib into our room, that's a good idea.  At least then I can lay down. 

So Finn doesn't wake when you give the Motrin?  When he got his first tooth he was still doing a DF around 10 or 11 so I would give it then but now he's not waking to eat (usually) until 4 or so, so I'd been giving Motrin at bedtime.  But you're right, but the middle of the night it's totally worn off.  I added some Tylenol before the Motrin wore off last night but no dice.  Maybe I need to do Tylenol at bedtime and try to get some Motrin in him later on.  I worry about waking him, though?

[Tweakster]

That's what we do, we give Tylenol and then a Motrin top up after 4 hours so around 10-11 - he doesn't wake really.  It's just a matter of sticking the syringe in and he just rolls over and goes back to sleep.  Hopefully Austin would do the same!

DH and I were both sick so there was nothing we could do that night, I was like ok what are the options, he won't stay in bed with us (not that we didn't try!) and so we set up the pack n play and I was like half-asleep with my arm hanging over.  I am not sure when he fell asleep but I sure did lol.  In the morning there we all were, sleeping.

It could be something else like a sore tummy but since it's happening more than a 1 of I think it sounds like teeth.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Ok, I'll give it a try tonight. Thanks, Wendy.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Wendy, you're my hero!!    I did your med schedule last night.  He woke up when I gave the Motrin but I got him right back down.  Then he slept until.....4:30!!!!  I was so happy. A couple more nights like that and I'll feel human again!

Thanks as always. 

[Tweakster]

Well that's good news :-)  You can also try Tylenol and then just do a Motrin top up when he wakes...but we found that once Finn was fully awake from discomfort it was harder to get him back down...it took longer because it takes like 30 mins or more for the Motrin to kick in - it was easier to just DF him the meds and he would always go back down quickly.  But it's also an option and might eliminate the EW.

Hope those teeth just come in soon and be done with it!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Yeah I tried giving meds when he woke when this first tooth was coming in and it was exactly as you said - just too late. I think that was part of the issue the other night, too.  I think once he's up and in pain the meds just can't catch up.  I think I'll keep up with the ibuprofen DF for now - definitely worked last night!

The 4:30 waking has actually become his new NW to eat.  He went back down after it until 6:15.  It's the holdout and I'm letting him keep it for now.   He's been pushing it out himself so I'm hoping it'll just become the first morning feed at some point soon.  If not I'll have to coax him to drop it but for now it's heavenly compared to what we've been going through! 

Come on teeth!!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Back to pick your brain again, Wendy.

So we had another good night last night. Yay!  But yesterday and today I'm getting short-ish naps.  I pushed A's a little today thinking that after a good night he needs more time.  But again with the short naps.

6:30: A
10: S
11:10: A
2:30: S
3:30: A

Do you think these are actually UT?  When I put him down for his 2nd nap he was super happy and smiley, not at all tired-seeming (although he's pretty unreliable in that arena).

Thanks....

[Tweakster]

Hmm.  It's curious that much I can say hehe.  They do look a bit UT to me but then again if he's teething he could have had a big cut in A times and these are OT naps.  I think the only way to know for sure is to see how the next few days go, if they keep getting short or he seems to be struggling then you might have to back right off on A time for a bit.  I would hesitate to push anything out just now if he's teething and seemingly happy even with short naps (since his nights are better).  KWIM?  Don't want to rock the boat.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Glad it's not just me who's stumped!  Good point, though. I'll just stick with A times around these if the nights keep going ok and then reevaluate in a few days.  You're right that the shorter naps don't seem to be giving him trouble (yet!). 

I'll keep you posted.  Thanks.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Well so much for the naps not affecting his nights.   Last night he was up 1:30-3:15.  I don't think it was teeth since I gave him Motrin at 10:30 and it was more like his normal OT wakings.  Sigh.  I finally fed him to get him down because I was just so tired and at the end of my rope.  I put him down after 3h10 this morning so we'll see.....

[Tweakster]

Bummer Kate.  Then I think the only option is to push his A time a bit to see if he will give you back the longer naps.  It's hard when they are teething but maybe he is having a lull in the pain now and wants to party.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

I most definitely do not feel like partying!   I got 2h50 total daytime sleep today on medium A times so hopefully that will buy us a better night.  I'll try slightly longer ones again tomorrow if he has a better night.  I just feel like I'm back to struggling with A times, especially with our nights being so up and down....

[Tweakster]

Kate, how was the night?  I am not sure they are OT naps, but you could try cutting way back.  I just think at 8 mths he's probably in the region of 3 hrs...so I would be reluctant to fall too far back and cause an UT/OT loop because they suck lol. 

We always have to fix the day before the nights get better unfortunately.  It's like a bad catch-22 but we just have to push through some daytime OT to get nights back on track.