Ladies, i need your eyes here please

[*Jo*]

Ive had a friend call me over to help her out with her 9 week old daughter.

I sat with them for a bit, shes a touchy babe and seems to be stuck in an OT loop. She wont be fed to sleep, once she lays down she will wake up, she wont fall asleep in teh car but will fall asleep in the front pack (they got a 3 hour nap out of her today wiht that)
I advised to reduce her A time down to about 50mins seeing as shes so OT and was previously only getting about 10-11 hours night sleep. They did this and still got a 30 min nap. they patted her back to sleep and held her through the jolts for an hour and 15mins. i suggested another shortened A time and still they got another 30 min nap. She seems to be snacking on the breast too, only feeding from one side for 3-4 mins. I did say this could be because shes so OT that shes refusing the breast after that time. Not too sure as I didnt breastfeed.

She said that even after the 3 hour nap she was worse and they tried everything to get her to sleep for the next two hours.
When I was with them I patted her to sleep (on the mattress as she hated being on her side) and I had to put pressure on her legs as shes a real leg kicker, she seems to jolt alot too, not sure if thats just due to the OT or if its a personality thing.
She sleeps well at night but really having troubles with the naps. I suggested an earlier bedtime tonight as she had been up since 3pm and they couldnt get her back to sleep.

Does anybody have any ideas I can suggest? I keep telling them that its just part of the OT monster (which is it) but I dont think its helping much.
Can anyone see something I cant??

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

How is her bedroom set up?  Spencer is touchy and we have her room pitch black with white noise going, I did shh/pat with her from 3-6 weeks old before she really was able to self soothe for a couple of naps a day.  As far as the quick feeding, it could just be how she eats, Masyn was always a 5 min feeder and it was not snacking at all.  Is she swaddled?  Spencer was in a part swaddle until 6 months and she still jolts like crazy even at 2.5!

[*Jo*]

they already had the white noise and a miracle blanket swaddle, i got them to darken the room significantly but it doesnt seem to have made a difference. I did wonder about the quick feeding just being her getting more effecient except she did seem hungry and hour and a half later and took some more.

[lesliemarie]

Does she have any reflux symptoms?  My DD is a silent refluxer and she gave me a terrible time with naps.  I had to carry her around so that she would sleep. 

[deb]

Reflux was my first thought as well. And reflux and Touchy often go together as well.....

Inclined sleep surface? I always hesitate to suggest tummy sleeping but some babies do very well with it, assuming no swaddle.

Oooh, Aussie swaddle? She could have her hands wherever she wants them but the rest of her would be snuggled up.

Oh, and my second thought was growth spurt. Has she always been snacking like this, or is this a recent thing?

My final thought for the moment is if there's a food intolerance and she can't get comfortable except in the front pack where she'd have some pressure on her tummy.

[*Jo*]

She doesn't really have any reflux symptoms (I always look for that after Caleb having it) she has inclined the head of the bed anyway. She took 3x1.5 hour naps with httj yesterday and did a good 12 hour night. They were ecstatic! Today however it's back to 30 min naps, one of them she was actually awake at 25mins! They put her to bed at 1 hour 5 mins A time when she showed tired signs (and checking for bored signs too) and she took 20mins to fall asleep so ended up being an A time of 1 hour 25mins and then she was awake at 25mins.
They are confused that what did work yesterday didn't work today. I thought may e she's caught up on her sleep butthat doesnt explain the 25 and 30min nap

[deb]

Hmmm..... I'll have to give this some thought, let it perk for a while. Hopefully someone will come up with something better.

The food intolerance idea is all I have. I know when I had crucifers while BFing - broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage - Josie wouldn't sleep worth a hoot, couldn't get comfortable. Does the LO have any wind going on? It sounds a lot like she can't get comfortable.....

[*Jo*]

Well she doesn't seem windy at all. I did ask if there was a change in her diet that could be upsetting the LO and she said nothings changed. Is it possible for no intolerance to show until now or would it have show right from the start?

Also wondering if now that she spent a whole day and night caught up on sleep if her 30min nap was an UT one? But that doesn't seem right at 10 weeks does it?

She just messages me saying all day was 30min naps and they will try again tomorrow. Wondering if she needs to stay with her through the entire nap httj?

[deb]

At 9 weeks if she has a mild intolerance she may just now be manifesting it if it's been building. It doesn't sound like it, though....just a thought.

Someone might need to nap with her for a day to break the OT cycle, because there's no way that poor little one is getting restorative sleep with such short naps. I remember in desperation putting J to sleep on my belly on HER belly and some delicious 3-hour naps till she hit 3 months and didn't want to nap that way any more.