GS again?

[ENMS]

M had a growth spurt about 10 days - 2 weeks ago.  Now he's drinking crazy amounts again.  43 oz today! Waking up twice at night, usually the first NW is around 10-11 PM, he hasn't woken up at that time in ages!! He downs 7 oz usually at that feeding, and then 5 oz at the 3-4AM NW.  This PM he took a 8 oz bottle at 4:15 (4 hrs after is last feed), then he was unsettled until finally at 5:15 I offered him again and he took 3.5 oz.

Can he have 2 GS in a row? Could he possibly be ready to start solids? He's not even 4 months, it can't be!!

He was STTN before, having a feed around 5-6AM only.

He had a cold last week so initially I thought that was the reason for the wakings, but he feeds fine during the day so I don't think this is what causing the NWs?

[MommyMoulton]

Is he a big baby? Are you on a 3 or 4 hour EASY? Its possible that its a GS.

[ENMS]

Yes, he is 16 pounds (was 8.11 at birth). The 3 or 4 hr EASY depends... when he naps well he's on a 4-hr and takes 7-8 oz per bottle, if not some days he's more on 3h and takes 6 oz or so per bottle.

[MommyMoulton]

My Lo was a bit bigger almost 19 pounds and we went to a 4 hour easy at 3.5months because of this. I would say that might help you out a bit. It will be a bit dicey more of a EASAES for bit until his naps work better.

[ENMS]

What I do notice is that on the days we are on a 4-hr EASY, he spits up a lot, I'm wondering if he's uncomfortable because his belly is not ready yet to handle that much formula? I am trying to move him towards it but it doesnt work every day! Ill keep trying though!

[ENMS]

So, same thing last night... 1 NF at 12:30, then another one at 5:30AM.  He downed 7 oz at 12:30, 5 at 5:30 - and then was up for the day   The 2nd NF is always smaller so I'm wondering if he's really waking because of hunger? It is less than he takes on a full feed but it happens often during the day that he takes 5oz feeds.

I just don't see how I can get any more formula into him during the day. Here was yesterday:

8:30 6.5 oz (he had taken 5 oz at 3:30)
12:15 8 oz
4:15 8 oz
5:15 3.5 oz
6:30 (BT) 4.5 oz

The last feed was smaller but that was an exception, usually he takes a full feed at BT and we get the same result (NW).

Here was the day before (more of a 3-HR EASY)

7:45 6 oz
11:45 7 oz
2:45 5 oz
5:15 5 oz
7:00 7 oz

We have never done a DF, now seems like a weird time to start?

I am really confused about what is going on, and not too sure what to do.  Starting solids does seem like an answer to this, but he is so young! It's been 5 days now so if it was a GS, surely it would stop about now?

[MommyMoulton]

We never did a df. Does your lo have a dummy? Perhaps you could stretch the 5 am feed later to have a better day with more milk intake. Or I'd its the same time everynight. Maybe its a habit? The 12am bottle is bigger than the 5 am one. Maybe yet Wake to sleep for the 5 am one. We did this woth DS. And after 2 nights he sttn from his 11 pm bottle.

[ENMS]

I don't think it's habit... looking back at my logs, I get this for the 2nd NW:

Wed 5:30
Thu 6:30 - I guess this is more AM than NW
Fri 3:30
Sat 5:00
Sun 3:30
Mon 5:30

He doesn't have a dummy anymore because he would wake multiple times at night for it, and his naps were down to an all-time record of 15-20 minutes. He sleeps better since he doesn't have it, but we still use it once in a while during the day when he really needs it (he's not really taking his hand / thumb to self soothe yet).

[ENMS]

So I think it really was a GS... weird though that it happened just 2 weeks after the last one.  Now we're left with a reflux flare up, and a MOTN feed!!

So yesterday he took a good feed at 9AM and then wanted nothing to do with eating until 4PM! I was kind of freaked out! He also took a gigantic nap, 3.5h in the PM.  I was all hopeful that the NW would stop as well but no luck!! Actually today the day feeds are difficult, I think it's the reflux flaring up after the GS, hopefully it will pass soon within a week. I will start reducing his quantities for the MOTN feed, when I was feeding him a lot during the day it was ok to give him a big feed at night, but now if he's not feeding well during the day I so do not want him to continue the habit of a NF.