6.5 mo with lots of problems

[jussiemariee]

I have posted a few times on sleep boards but really nothing has changed so maybe it is an easy problem, though I am really not sure what to do.  My dd has never been a good sleeper, but has been on easy since birth.  She is bf with solids 3 times per day.  She was on a 4 hour easy but when she got her 6 mo shots, she dropped down to a 2.5 hour, and we are now back up to 3 hours with the E, although she can do 3 hours of a time so it really messes things up.

E 7:30 (solids 1.5 hours later)
a: 3 hours
e:10:25
S: 10:30 (used to self settle but now cries like crazy for 30 or so min)
A: 12:00 (solids upon waking)
E:1:30
A: 3 hours
S: 3:00 (same crying)
E: 4:30 (solids 6:00)
a:3 hours +15 bt routine)
s: 7:45 (usually crying)
Df 11:00  (has been waking at 10:30 and some times wakes every 45 min)
Has been waking 3-4 times per night.  I don't feed unless it has been 3 hours but she will cry for hours when she wakes. 

Help, I thought this might be a sleep problem, but maybe it is an easy problem. 

Times vary a bit but she is quite predictable.

Wanted to add, when we started solids 3xs per day she sttn for one week and regressed right back to this.

[becj86]

Is there teething pain? DS is around the same age and is fine while he's playing but as soon as I put him down for a nap/sleep he is not distracted by anything and the pain from teething becomes an issue. A little teething gel has done wonders for us.

Has she had her 6 month growth spurt yet? It could be that but if its lasted this long (~2 weeks from what I'm reading), I'd be inclined to think its not that any more even if it was a GS at the start.

How were her poos after her shots - was she affected by the rotavirus vaccine? It messes with some kids' guts really badly - effects of that can last 7-10 days, then you've got to move back to the routine.

I wonder if she's ready to go down for a sleep at 10:25 when you're feeding her and she's a little OT when she's actually going to bed 5 min later? Have you tried putting her to bed for her nap instead of feeding her?

Are you offering a drink with solids? She may just be thirsty - DS would always want to BF ~1hr after eating solids til I gave him a sippy with water with his solids - now he takes a couple of sips and is happy to not BF til he wakes up in line with routine.

Is she constipated or having trouble passing the inevitably thicker poos due to solids? Try tummy massage and pushing her legs up to her belly a few times a day - I have made it a game and DS is much happier now we do that. I'm also giving him pear or prune or something each morning to help keep things moving.

Sorry there are so many options there - just ideas for you to think about... hope something helps

[jussiemariee]

Wow there were a lot of questions in that post...
No teething that I can tell, no red gums or swollen areas, but ya never know.
No diaper trouble with the shots, she gets fever with the shots which lasts for days. 
On the 6 month growth spurt, I just don't know.  I have been able to tell every one so far but with all this stuff going on, I just don't know.

I will try a drink with solids.  I had been giving her watered down apple juice but ran out and have not done it in a while. 

When I put her down before I feed her, she wakes up at 45 min looking for food.  I was hoping solids would get her through back to a 4 hour, but no luck yet. 

[becj86]

Sorry, was just getting everything I could think of out at once so we weren't bouncing back and forth so many times...

If she's waking at 45min, she could be looking for food just because she's learnt that's what happens after she wakes up... She may be ready for a bit more A time. DS went to 3hr A time pretty easily a week or two ago and I have now found that 3.5hr works best for him. He is BF and has solids 2-3x/day (lunch is a bit hit and miss) and does fine with 4.5-5hr between feeds.

The other thing you could do is EAEAS - so she's well and truly full and can make it through her sleep to the next feed - I did this with DS a bit, BF then BF immediately before solids too. He loves his solids so it didn't mess with that too much, besides, milk is the main source of calories at this age still.