7 month NW--not sure what to do!

[Andrew's Mom]

He woke up on the nights that we missed--if not between 9:45-10:15, usually by 11.  It has been a few weeks so I'd have to check my logs.  He has only slept thru all the way 3x, but was making it till 3-4am for a while.  I'd have to double check my logs to be more specific.

When you put it that way, it does look like a prop   When he is feeling crummy though it is so hard, he is up every hour all night--add in party time for part of the night and we do what we have to so we can sleep.  Going to try the water bottle and see what happens.

[Lolly]

When he is feeling crummy though it is so hard, he is up every hour all night--add in party time for part of the night and we do what we have to so we can sleep.

I know! Both mine are refluxers so we did what we had to do plenty of times, especially with DS. The good news is I now have 2 totally independent sleepers who don't wake very often (and when they do they call for DH so I can live with that ).

Laura

[Andrew's Mom]

We are doing better, but need some more help!  I successfully used w2s to get him past the 30 minute mark after bedtime, but then we had significant fussing at 9:15.  Going to try w2s again around 9 I think.  Did the dream feed at 10, and slept till 4 am, which is really good for us.

At 4 am though he wanted to be up for the day, and took quite a bit of convincing to get him to go back to sleep (at 5:15).  Slept till 6:30 and here we are.

So what do I do with 4 am?  Was 9:10 asleep (if you don't count the 9:15 pm fuss), which is pretty good but not quite there yet. 

[ZacsMumme]

That is a great night!
The 4am parties sound UT or could be cumulated OT...can you post your updated EASY?

[Andrew's Mom]

Here's yesterday:

5:15 wake
5:30 bottle (6 oz)
<dozed off on his morning walk for a few mins and was not tired at 3:15 awake>
7:45 solids
9:10-10:30 nap
10:35 bottle (8 oz)
12:25 solids
1:40-3:15 nap, needed help @41
3:20 bottle (8 oz)
5:20 solids
6:50 bed

7:10 w2s, 9:15 big fuss, 10:00 dream feed


Today was all over the place.  He was not feeling well, ended up with a bit of a temp this afternoon.  Cranky fussy tired anyhow, here's how it went:

4:00 EW
4:10 offered water bottle, he threw it across the room, 2 oz formula but not particularly interested
5:15 back to sleep
6:30 wake
6:45 bottle (4 oz) -- not at all interested
8:25 solids
9:30 bottle (4 oz)
9:50-11:20 nap (help at 30)
12:00 bottle (6.5 oz)
2:15 solids
2:35-3:30 (help at 30), wide awake at 1 hr
3:45 bottle (8 oz)
4:00 temp 100.1, tylenol/maalox
5:40 solids
6:30 bottle (2 oz)
6:50 bed

7:20 w2s, replug around 8? Giving him more tylenol/maalox now...going to be a long night I'm afraid and tomorrow we hit the road.  Oh well.

[ZacsMumme]

I would just go with the flow during your trip, and then reassess when yo uget back. There is no point worrying yourself sick over it when on holiday!

Hope he isn't getting sick though

[Andrew's Mom]

Back from trip 1, but trip 2 starts on Tuesday.  We dropped the night bottle, but I think I have replaced one prop with another--he won't stay asleep in the crib so I have been bringing him to my bed when we are unsuccessful for over an hour, and then he sleeps like a rock.

DH is fed up with baby in the bed, and wants to start pu/pd (I told him that we should at least wait until today so we have the whole weekend).  Not sure that this is a great idea with the trip coming up, but at the same time I don't want to keep reinforcing bad habits.  DH is willing to see this through for the whole trip.

Naps/bedtime he is putting himself to sleep with 2 minutes or less of fussing in the crib. He is still teething, and having some SA issues.  He crawls/sits/pulls himself up, and is starting to cruise along furniture.

Wednesday:
6:30 wake
6:55 bottle (8 oz)
8:45 solids
9:20-10:50 nap
10:55 bottle (8 oz)
1:30 solids
2:00-3:00 nap (I think we woke him up)
3:05 bottle (8 oz)
4:50 solids
5:45 bottle (4 oz) (hungry; didn't eat a lot of solids)
6:00 sleep

9:30 NW, back to sleep by 10.  DF 10:30.  NW 2 am, up for 20 mins; NW 3:20--DH tried to get him back in the crib for an hour until I intervened and brought him to our bed. 

Yesterday (Thursday):

6:10 wake
6:35 bottle (4 oz)
8:20 solids
9:10-10:20 nap (was cranky tired so we put him down early, then woke up happy...guess we were wrong)
10:30 bottle (8 oz)
1:00 solids
1:30-3:00 nap
3:00 bottle (8 oz)
5:05 solids
6:10 bed

7:00 woke up, rocked back to sleep and held him (and started reading about pu/pd). 
9:30 woke up, picked him up, got in the crib with him and cuddled until he went to sleep.  He was willing to go to sleep but was very squirmy.
11:00 DF in the crib (I got out), slept till 4:50.

At 4:50 he was sitting up and cooing.  He was ready to go for the day, but that was too early! DH jiggled him to sleep and he slept with us until 6:05 or so.

As is obvious from reading my summary, I am less inclined to start pu/pd than DH.  DH is willing to do it, so that's not an issue.  I am just not convinced that it is going to resolve our issue(s?), and I expect pu/pd to be a substantial ordeal (he is spirited) and worry about his reflux flaring from being upset. 

Last night was much better in that he made it all the way to 4:50 am.  I am not opposed to getting in the crib to cuddle with him when he wakes after bed if this is a short-term issue that will pass on its own--but of course long-term that is not a solution.  What should I do?

[becj86]

I expect pu/pd to be a substantial ordeal (he is spirited) and worry about his reflux flaring from being upset.

^^ These are both reasons that PUPD may not work. Its not recommended for babies with reflux, especially if its not controlled. Its often too stimulating for Spiriteds and winds them up further rather than getting them to sleep.

[Andrew's Mom]

So what should we do next?

[ZacsMumme]

We could never do PU/pd with Z (touchy spirited refluxer) but once he was older we could easily do WI/WO.
how long is trip 2? To be honest I would wait till the trips are over. It will just be to confusing. You can try shh/patting or settling in the cot instead of keeping him in with you, but really it's just going to stress you'll out.

[Andrew's Mom]

This trip is Tuesday to Sunday.  Unfortunately I have a very sick relative so I expect to be traveling a fair bit (along the lines of every other weekend); she loves to see DS and not sure how much longer she has.  

DH insisted on starting PU/PD, and we seem to have made some very good progress!  First night was as to be expected with 2 wake-ups and EW.  Last night 1 wake-up (around dream feed time) and made it till 6 am!  Glad DH is willing and could do it because I was not ready.  

I think that we need to drop the dream feed next.  Going to try dropping an oz at a time and moving the feed by half an hour with each ounce like it says in BWSAYP.  I assume that since he is on solids and max bottles that he will just eat more solids?

[ZacsMumme]

Great DH is on board and happy to do PU/PD.
How many bottles during the day is he having ATM? At this age milk is still more important than solids so you want to be offering 4 bottles during the day once you wean the DF I think

[Andrew's Mom]

He gets 3 8oz bottles plus the dream feed (6 oz), so 24 oz during the day and 30 oz including the dream feed.  I don't know that I can get any more formula into him during the day without having baby volcano erupt!  Do you think we should leave the dream feed then?  How long should we leave it?

[ZacsMumme]

mmm I BF so i will ask for some bottle eyes. I could be wrong but I thought at this age babies were still on 4 bottles - so if the DF went you may need to get a bit more in him....or not...so ill check

[Lolly]

It is more usual to be on 4 bottles at this age, but he is taking 24oz in his three bottles. The minimum they need is 20oz a day from 6 months with solids and the dairy in his solids count towards the 20oz too. I would say that as long as his bottles don't drop below 24oz and he is gaining weight well and you watch out that he is getting enough liquid overall you would be ok to drop the DF.

Laura