Pls help...feel like I'm playing a guessing game!!

[chocheaven]

DS is almost 17 weeks old.  He has only been exclusively bottlefed for about 4 weeks.  He takes around 5oz every 3 hours but brings up quite a bit between feeds so I don't think he keeps a great deal down.  He has been swaddled from birth and was sleeping really well to start with but as he is getting older he is waking more frequently and I'm playing a guessing game to determine why this is happening.

At bedtime he goes to sleep really easily after his bath and feed.  However, last night he went into his own room for the first time and I put him in a lightweight sleeping bag as he does try to fight out of his swaddle in the night.  He woke more frequently and I was back and forth to his room giving him his dummy (I'm starting to regret giving him a dummy now!)

I also gave him a dream feed last night in the hope it would help but he still woke at the same time he usually does (and more) so I'm thinking it was because he wasn't swaddled or maybe he is getting attached to the dummy.  I did only give him a 3oz df though so maybe I should've tried to get more down him!? I tried the pick up/put down routine when he woke during the night but he was wide awake and would only go back off with the dummy.  I ended up giving him a 3oz feed after being back and forth a few times.  Even after a feed he only sleeps for another 2 hours and is ready to be up at 5:30/6am.

The fact that he is sick quite a bit between feeds and doesn't drink a lot of milk during the day makes me wonder if he is getting enough in him to make him last all night.  But have I made a rod for my own back by swaddling him and giving him his dummy!?

Today I've tried switching to a 4hr routine (which I found very hard as he is quite a grumpy baby and keeping him awake was hard!) and it's been like this:

E: 7am - 6oz
A: 7:30 - 9:45
S: 9:45 - 11:00

E: 11:00 - 6oz
A: 11:20 - 12:45
S: 12:45 - 15:00 (had to pop the dummy in at 14:00 to get him back to sleep)

E 15:00 - 6oz
Then we went out after his feed so he nodded in car for approx 30 mins.  He wouldn't settle whilst we were out so at 17:00 gave him 5oz.  He then slept on way home at around 18:00 (I know this isnt ideal but we were out!) He went to bed at 19:30 and took 6oz.

I'm not doing a df tonight seen as it disrupted him last night but if you think I should for future nights then please say so and I'll give it a try!  Sorry for the long post!!

So basically I don't know if he's waking in the night cos he's hungry, or for the dummy, or due to the swaddle! Is he taking enough milk to get him through the night! ahhh I just don't know!

[anna*]

Hi there, welcome to the boards!
Well this is prime age for dummies and swaddles to start to become a problem so you may as well get rid of them and will probably see sleep improve. The main thing is that you'll be teaching him to go to sleep independently, and that will stand you in good stead.

So you've got rid of the swaddle now, I would just keep him in his sleeping bag for naps and at nights. Yes it will be a tough few days/nights while he gets used to it, but he will adapt. This is a great time to introduce a lovey as it will give him something to do with his hands and a way to soothe himself. Tuck the lovey between you two at feed times and encourage him to grab it. While he is settling to sleep you may have to physically hold his hands onto it for the first few days until he gets the hang of it.

Getting rid of the dummy at the same time makes sense, because even if you weren't going to, without the swaddle he would likely knock the dummy out of his mouth anyway. You can do PUPD to settle him, but there is no point doing PUPD for a while and then saying 'oh this isn't working' and giving the dummy back. That doesn't achieve anything. You ahve to be prepared to get rid of the dummies entirely.

So starting with first nap tomorrow, you will do his nap routine, put him in his sleeping bag, lie him in his cot, and then do PUPD when he starts to cry. Be sure it is a fully on cry not a mantra cry. Do it for 45 mins, and after that time if he is still showing no sign of settling then abandon the nap, do a reduced next A time, and try again using PUPD at his next nap (which is brought earlier). Be prepared that he may skip one, two, or even ALL of his naps the first day. That's OK. Stay with it. At bedtime, you keep going with PUPD without a break until he goes to sleep. The next day will be easier.

The dreamfeed is up to you. Some babies it disturbs their sleep more, so if you try it for a few nights and find he is still waking the same, you might prefer to just let him wake naturally.

I'd still expect him to need at least one feed maybe two overnight at this age.