playing with teat

[dizzy]

What does playing with the teat mean? LO drinks so much and then drinks rest while playing with teat in and out mouth and chewing on it (although has no teeth but I hope you know what I mean) and is very noisy? Any idea why? 12 weeks ols on teat 2 for up to 6 months lo.

[Lolly]

Has she always done this or is it a new thing?

Laura

[dizzy]

Quite a new thing.

[Lolly]

It could be she is starting to teeth, or if she is on a 3 hour EASY it could be that she is needing to stretch her feeds out a bit. It's very common for formula fed babies to need to move to a 3.5 or 4 hour EASY before their A times are up for it, so I would try stretching her feeds out by 30 mins or so and see if it makes a difference!

HTH!

Laura

[dizzy]

Been thinking he needs 3 1/2 or 4 hr easy but not sure how to do it as he doesn't want to drink when he first wakes up which is between 7.30 - 8.30 am. He has feed for bed at 7.00 pm. I just can't make it fit. He is still doing a habitual night waking at 2.30 am and then feed between 3.30 and 4.00 am but is very unsettled between 2.30 am and feed although eyes closed but wriggles and does some dummy sucking. Sometimes think I should just feed him earlier. He has df at 10.30 - 10.45 pm. I think he is waking later to make up the sleep time he misses in the night? His napping is still not great although he has 3 they are 45 mins unless I manage to extend them. I usually manage this in one sleep.

[Lolly]

Sorry! Just realised I put she instead of he in my earlier posts!

If he is unsettled from the 2.30am waking then to be honest I would feed at that wake up and see if he resettles better. If he is having a DF at 10.30ish that is a good 4 hours from that feed so it's reasonable to assume he is hungry at 2.30am. You may find he is ready to eat when he wakes up with an earlier night feed too.

Can you post your EASY so I can see what is going on during the day and *try* and suggest some things to help you! It will be helpful to post in terms of

Eat - what times, how much
Activity - how long for
Sleep - what times, how long for

Laura

[dizzy]

Ok
7.00 pm feed (after bath) 130 ml
7.30 pm bed
10.30 ish DF 100 ml
at the moment he is changing his unsettled bit can be as early as 1.30 am, sometimes 2.30 am will settle again but have to work at it i.e. put dummy in and put hand on body for a while
stirs again at 3.30 ish
3.30 ish - 100 ml
7.30 ish doesn't seem to want to feed
8.00 am 100 ml
8.50/9.00 nap - 30 mins

10.30 am nap 45 mins
11.30 am 120 ml
1.00 pm ish
nap sleeps 45 mins try to extend but really hard work, doesn't really cry but carn't go back off, doesn't stay still and dummy comes out and then gets upset until put back in eyes shut mostly. Sometimes goes back off for 20 mis or so.
Unfortunately sometimes I pick him up and he falls asleep in my arms for another 30 mins but my 4 yr ols is home at this point and I find the trying to get lo back to sleep hard as after a while 4 yr old comes looking for me so I have to bring lo with me to playroom and he sleeps in my arms while I talk with 4 yr old. I know this is a prop and I am making the getting him to go back in the cot worse but it is so hard with another one at home that wants you.
3.00 pm 120 ml
5.00 pm nap 30 mins
bath
7.00 pm

That is an ish day.

Today:
woke 7.30 am
feed 8.00 am 100 ml
nap 8.50 30 mins
activity
nap 10 20 am
had injections
feed 12.00 100 ml
fell asleep in car (had to pick up 4 yr old at 12.45 pm) and slept 20 mins then woke so calmed and put in cot, he slept some more (30 mins) and then woke and I tried to put him back to sleep in cot for about 20 mins but he couldn't stay asleep. Had to take him with me in the end as 4 yr old wanted me.
Slept on me until nearly 4.00 pm
4.00 pm 130 ml
nap went up at 5.00 but took until 5.45 pm before asleep
woke him at 6.15 pm
bath
feed 7.00 pm
in cot 7.20 pm
sleep

[Lolly]

Have a look at this link http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164027.0 if you scroll right to the end you will find some routines for babies your LO's age.

I think some of your A times are a bit short, particularly first thing in the morning which is probably why you are getting short naps and then it's messing your day up.

He is taking very small feeds for his age, by 12 weeks most babies are taking at least 5- 6oz at a feed. Does he have any signs of reflux - what is his behaviour like when he feeds?

Laura

[dizzy]

yes he has signs of reflux, he doesn't drink any more after what he drinks first time very often. Can sometimes get 140 down in one go. We have infant gavi which we use on evening feed but don't use on them all as it makes him constipated and that and wind have been his problem for weeks. He actually feeds very calmly now and burps much more easily and doesn't have trumps constantly any more. He is 4 weeks prem and so maybe is still building his capasity to drink more? He is now only having 6 feeds but doesn't seem any more hungry because of it.
First thing in the morning I have been watching his cues and when he yawns we go up to bed. This morning He woke at 8.10 am had a feed at 8.30 am and was yawning and upstairs at 9.15 am and asleep at 9.25 am, he woke at
10.10 am but i put dummy back in and he settled again but slept fitfully and woke again a few times. I stayed with him and put my hand on his chest (don't pat as told not to if has reflux). He woke at 11.00 am and we went downstairs after 20 mins he was crying and when I picked him up he fell asleep on me. He slept until 12.00 and then I woke him to feed him before collecting 4 yr old and then he slept in car on the way there and on the way back. I think it may have been because of his injections yesterday. Will see what happens tomorrow but will try to extend first thing in the morning a bit.

[Lolly]

I wonder if it is worth seeing your Dr for a meds trial? Poor feeds can be a symptom of reflux as can short naps and frequent waking. If you feel he is showing symptoms I would go back and discuss it with your Dr.

Laura

[dizzy]

have an appointment for peadi but not for a while. I the meantime can you help with the naps again. I have extended his activity time but it has't yet made any difference to the naps. He goes down for the nap and can put himself to sleep with dummy in. He sleeps for either 30 mins for 45 mins and then wakes. I think I have been goign in to soon but how do I stop this now? When I do go in I put dummy back in and place hand on chest. I don't look at him or speak at all. He sometimes never even opens eyes at all and if does is quick to close them again. He tries really hard to go back but can't. His legs go in the air and he wriggles around then he calms then I think he has gone then it all repeats. I stay half hr but don't have hand on him all the time. Do put dummy back in more than once. Am not sure what I am doing wrong? After about half hr if he hasn't gone back (which he usually hasn't) I pick him up and then in short time he will fall asleep in my arms. He then sleeps for another 45 mins. I think I am making myself and the dummy props and I think I have been going in to soon but not sure how to sort it out now?

[dizzy]

Laura
You suggested some meds for me to do with reflux and him not drinking in the day but I can't find the post any more can you tell me it again so can ask Dr about it?
Can you help me with which feeds to reduce to try to get him to drink more in the day am still thinking he has swapped his day for night maybe?