DESPERATE-Advice Please-8 month old getting worse

[willowonyx]

Please excuse the long posting but I want to provide as much information as I can so that you can help me.

Our DD just turned 8 months yesterday. But let me give some history. Diagnosed with reflux at 2 months and has been on the strongest dose of a PPI since, we have no problems in this department at all. She was never a great eater until recently (last month). She STTN for almost an entire month back in February but not since. Due to the reflux and she loves to kick her legs, we bought a "Merlin's Magical" baby sleep suit and it has worked wonders. But now she likes to sleep on her side and gets mad it she can't roll to her side, so she is in a sleep sack now.

So since March she was waking up maybe once at night usually around 4am and was "easily" settled if it was not a mantra cry. Then gradually over the last month, we would get at least one or two more wakings at random times, usually she was easily settled. Now literally since Sat night, she wakes up EVERY 30 minutes starting at 1:30am until wake up time at 6am. She wakes up screaming, not easily settled and do not want to rely on a pacifier to settle since she spits it out (never a big paci lover). We are trying to figure out what may be the cause, yes, it could be a reflux flair up, BUT we want to see if there are other possible reasons.

Side note: for the last 3 weeks the two bottom teeth have been coming through, one has come through and has stalled. We have been giving her Ibuprofen at bedtime and some time Oragel (but that can sting the open skin)

Since she was not a good eater, we are still doing the dreamfeed at 10:30. I have cut it down from 6oz to 4oz for a few weeks now. So I am wondering the actual dreamfeed may be causing her to wake more or the cutting it down is causing the wakings. But either way, I will provide her sleeping and eating schedule.

6am:  Wake
7am:  6oz Formula
9am:  2-4oz yogurt
10am: 30-60 minute nap
11am:  6oz formula
12pm:  2-4oz veggies
1pm: 60-90 minute nap
3pm: 6oz formula
3-5pm: catnap somewhere in there
6pm: 2-4oz dinner (veggies, protein etc)
7pm: Bedtime 4-6oz formula (depends on how much she eats at 6pm)
10:30pm 4oz dreamfeed

Any ideas, advice, comments, questions VERY WELCOME!

[kitty30]

Hi.  First off those teeth can be a complete mare.  With so many things going on at this age I have found 8 months quite a difficult time.  You have teeth, increased mobility, and transitioning into more of a little person make trying to work out sleep a bit of a mind-field.

It seems that the teeth are playing a role so many mums try dream meds.  This in essence follows the same principle as a dream feed.  If she is waking from 1 ish maybe try dream meds for 12/12:30 ??  Some-one else might be able to advise you better on this subject though.  Waking every 30m does sound ominous for discomfort so it is always difficult to rule out the reflux completely, and certainly teething can aggravate the condition.  My lo is 7.5months and also has reflux.  The way I would view it is on her behaviour throughout the course of day.  Is she displaying any signs of obvious reflux discomfort,  back arching, crying at or soon after meals,sicking up more, dislike of being flat, increased wind and hiccups?  If so then yes possible reflux flare and worth med review or riding out till teeth through and hopefully it will re-settle.  If not I be tempted to look else-where.

Mobility has a big effect on sleeping in my experience and we are going through similar with DD2 at present, although not waking as frequently.  I am not certain there is a huge amount you can do here.  Ensure she is getting enough floor time in the day or her to used to the sensations and to practice her developing skills. In addition if she likes side lying, once she is sleeping roll up to large towels and place them under sheet either side of her sort of wedging her in.  It may keep her a little more static.  It is not 100% effective depends on your lo.  Mine unfortunately is incredibly strong and still escapes!!!!  However worth a try.  This stage does pass but you will meet it every time a new skill is being learnt.

As for the dream-feed I cannot imagine it would disrupt your night to that extent.  Her food and solids intake to me seems great.  My lo has also been a poor feeder we are still waiting to see an improvement (she eats/drinks far less and is only 14lb!!) As you are still doing dream feed you could increase the oz. as a trial and see if it makes the difference.

The only other thing that might be worth considering is her nap schedule.  Most los I think will have dropped the cat-nap at this stage, and are either doing 2x1.5hrs and some already begining 2-1 tranistion (ie shorter am nap longer early pm nap ).  If I am reading correctly your first A time is 4 hours followed by a second A time of 2 to 2.5hrs (am I right) and then a similar A to achieve a cat-nap.  I think you might need to balance your naps.  DO you know what A time gives you a decent 1.5hr nap?  My lo is close to 8 months and this is kind of our day:

A=6:30
S=10:00
A=11:30 (1.5 hr nap)
S=3:00
A=4:15 (1 hr 15m nap)
Bedtime between 7:30 and 8:00

If the am is short ie: 30mins then I reduce next A to 3hrs and normally get a 2hr+ nap again allows me to avoid cat nap.  I think by trying to get 2 naps of about 1.5hrs each and dropping the cat-nap might help your night by balancing her sleep time and up time throughout the day.

Final thought would be paci.  I know you say she is not a big fan if it but does she need it to fall asleep as it may have some influence but you would be the best judge of that.

Sorry for the ramble.  Some-times it is really hard to pin-point the real issue but these are just my thoughts.  Given the frequency of waking it may well be those teeth and once they are through things might get back to normal. I really did not mean this to be so long not always the best at being concise!!

Wishing you luckx

[willowonyx]

Thank you Kitty30.

This is our second child with reflux so we know all the signs and she is not showing a single one, to the point that the doctor wants us to starts weaning her off her meds.

The daytime nap topic is something that has been completely opposite for this LO. Our first would not sleep at night if she did not get enough daytime sleep. This one, if she sleeps too much during the day, she does not sleep solidly at night.

Of course everything changes. We are mainly trying to get her to get a total of 2-3 hours of sleep a day, one way or another and have gotten it down to the routine I mentioned, before it was 10-20 minutes naps here and there ALL day. So we are doing much better in that department, but then her nighttime sleep is now messed up.

I know she has a lot of developmental stuff going on, so we may just have to hang in there and ride it out. But I just do not like the feeling that as time goes on, she is getting "worse". We were so spoiled with our DD1, we started STTN at 5 months and was a blessing.

The paci is something she never really like, although with the teething she has become to like it more, I guess for the chewing on it.....but unlike her sister, she always spits it out when she falls asleep and I don't want her to wake because of that.

[kitty30]

Yes we too have experienced a big difference between DD1 and DD2.  DD1 was STTN at 5 months with rarely a blip though naps were a disaster regularly.  DD2 is a fairly decent napper but has never STTN.  We have weaned the night feed over last 3 days though due to mobility development ie.  lo sitting from lying and not being able to get back down has interrupted nights.  She is such a mover!!  I am hoping give her a week or so then hopefully it will settle down.

We have never had the perfect EASY than rather a couple of weeks here and there but I feel all we can do is encourage independent sleep as much as possible and muddle through all the transitions and hopefully come out the other end with reliably good sleepers.

Guess that is not much help sending you the best of luck and perhaps someone else might have a little more wisdom.x

[willowonyx]

I appreciate it Kitty30 and best of luck to you too. Sounds like we have our hands full.

[willowonyx]

UGH! 4 night now of no sleep. I know this could last like a week or even longer but it is so hard trying to figure out what we could do to make her maybe just wake up a few times opposed to like 10-15 times.

We are definitely letting her settle herself when she is mantra crying or just babbling, but 9 times out of 10 she starts out just screaming.