Need help with 7 month old - NWings lasting 1-2hrs!!!!

[jennandsophie]

My DS has been on EASY since birth and we've had rough patches here and there but generally things were going alright.  For the past few months, we've had random NWings or EWings (9-10hrs of night sleep) sometime between 3-5:30am.  I feed him when he wakes and he'd usually go back to sleep until closer to 6:30-7am.  Some days he wouldn't so I just left him and started his day after 6:30am

However for the past week, he's been waking between 2-3am.  I have fed him and he's very tired, yawning and rubbing his face into me.  I put him back down and he falls asleep for maybe 10 mins or so or else he just rolls around.  He will sometimes stay awake for 1-2 hrs before falling back to sleep.  Sometimes he is quiet and other times he's quiet for a while and will then begin to get upset.  When that happens, I go back to him and nothing will calm him in his crib.  I have to pick him up and rock him a little and he will fall asleep in my arms after much resistance.  I put him back down and he'll then he will wake for the day early again, usually 5:30 or 5:45am.

I just cannot figure out what is going on.  He has a good routine in the day and takes decent naps. He has reflux and is on meds for it. However, he has been generally very cheerful in the day and shows no signs that he's in pain.   I am wondering if his routine needs to be tweaked.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Here is his routine:

Wake: 5:45am
E: 6:30am
A: 6:40am (including breakfast of solids around 8am)
S: 8:50am (2hrs)
E: 11am
A: 11:15am (including lunch of solids around 12:30pm)
S: 2:05pm (1.5hrs)
E: 3:35pm
A: 3:45pm (including dinner of solids around 5pm)
E: 6pm
S: Bedtime around 6:30, asleep 6:45pm

[ENMS]

Hey Jenn!

Has he been having dinner for a while or is it relatively new? I've heard it can mess up some LO's night sleep? Could you try skipping it for a few days and see if things improve?

Honestly I find his EASY looks great! If he does look tired and all, I'd say he's probably definitely not UT or anything. It sounds like discomfort to me - enough to be awake, but not enough for full-blown crying. Could it be he needs an increase in meds, or maybe some solids are not sitting well with him and causing him a sore tummy?

Sorry I don't have much better advice, but I really feel for you - it's one thing when they wake and you feed them and then go back to sleep, it is a whole other thing when they stay awake for a long time

[jennandsophie]

I just started dinner this past week as he's freaking out on us as we eat.  I will definitely try to cut it out today.  Will try to occupy him with something else.  I know the poor boy is hungry.  I'm still BFing and the milk is low in the evening so I've also started giving him a few ounces of Alimentum.  He's had that in the past so I don't think that's the problem. 

The weird thing is that he's not tired or cranky these days.  He ALWAYS wakes up grumpy from naps, no matter how long, but perks right up after his feed and he's super cheerful again after the illness that just passed.  He's even been going down willingly for naps and bedtime.  No fussing or crying!  Can't figure this one out at all!

[ENMS]

he's freaking out on us as we eat

yeah we have that too.  the new trick I've found is that I got a hands-free bottle and I sit him in his high chair and he drinks his bottle while we eat. it's the only way the rest of us can eat as a family otherwise me or DH need to take him to another room.

I agree it is weird that he is so happy during the day. hopefully someone can come in with more tips for you!

[sbchic1999]

My daughter started doing this when we started giving her solids. She was super gassy and then became constipated.  She could not sleep if she had not pooped for the day or if she was very gassy. She would wake at like 4 am and then be up till she pooped.   You would probably notice if he was gassy or constipated but I just thought that I would throw that out there. Is it possible the solids are affecting his reflux maybe?   Is the head of his bed raised on a bit of an incline as is recommended for babies with reflux? 

Hope you can figure this out.  It is torturous, being up that long in the middle of the night!!!

[jennandsophie]

DS is definitely a gassy baby to begin with.  Always has been.  I think it goes with the reflux.  He's constipated as well.  He can sometimes go about 3-4 days without a poop.  This morning after another 5:45am start, I knew something was up because he woke with a scream instead of his usual playful sounds.  He had pooped so he definitely wasn't going to sleep after that.  He also had 2 more poops today and he's been really fussy and upset afterward, which has not been his usual behaviour.

So, I definitely think you are right in saying it's the solids.  What did you do to help this situation?  I have been giving pears, plums, water.  No rice cereal, banana or apple. 

[jennandsophie]

Today was 3am waking.  Fed and not back to sleep until 4am.  Then up at 4:45am.  All this after having a good nap day yesterday.  I cannot figure this out at all!!!!

In desperation, we sometimes go to him and rock him a bit so that he'll at least get some more sleep before the start of the day.  I'm wondering if this is the problem as he is now waking for it.

[katie80]

Hi Jenn, this is what stuck out at me while reading through...

It sounds like discomfort to me - enough to be awake, but not enough for full-blown crying. Could it be he needs an increase in meds, or maybe some solids are not sitting well with him and causing him a sore tummy?

That along with the poos and fussiness after sounds like something is bugging him.  Is he working on any teeth? I know teeth can cause a reflux flare and also some yucky poos. 

The solids you are giving are definitely easy to digest. Have you tried some sweet potato or squash or other veg? Those are good starting options as well.

[jennandsophie]

Yes, he usually has squash for lunch.  We did sweet potato as well.  Today was carrots. 

He's usually very cheerful in the day, as of late, so I think the teeth aren't the problem.  Before he popped his two bottom teeth he was a fussy monster.  At his 6 month check-up I asked the doctor about his meds and said we're at the max dose already.  I'm wondering if we should up it, though the reflux seems to be bothering him less these days and almost never during the day.

The poop is an issue I think.  Yesterday he had 4 poopy diapers and was clearly distressed as he was going and afterward.  Not sure what else to do to help him.

[katie80]

The poop is an issue I think.  Yesterday he had 4 poopy diapers and was clearly distressed as he was going and afterward.  Not sure what else to do to help him.

Yeah, I think this is definitely an issue. Sounds like tummy troubles to me, which I know can cause NWs. Is it worth a call to your dr to see what might be up? You're pretty sure it can't be the Alimentum? (I only ask, because I'm looking for a correlation, not because I don't trust what you say. )

[sbchic1999]

For my daughter's constipation here is what we did: I took her off all grain cereal for a good week.  Stuck with fruits and veggie purees: peas, carrots, peaches, pears, strawberries,etc.-mild stuff.   Gave her a little water throughout the day.  I tried prunes but that only worked a bit.  My dr recommended prune juice and I asked why is that different from prunes? (I hated the idea of giving her juice at such a young age).  My dr said that the juice is pure sugar which releases water into the gut and softens the stool and makes it easier to pass.  So I tried this and it worked. She poops more regularly and doesn't cry while doing so anymore (she would be so miserable when she pooped-just crying and crying and sometimes passing very little-her stools were so hard). I give her about an oz of pure apple juice in an oz of water.  I give it to her 1 time per day if she is pooping good.  I will sometimes up that to 2 times per day if I feel like she hasn't gone enough or seems uncomfortable.  I skip a day if she has had a few bowel movements in the previous day.  I notice such a difference in her after this.  I was giving her bananas, applesauce, rice cereal-all which bind stools up.  So now I give her a barley blend or oatmeal cereal and I give this very sparingly-only to make the puree's consistency better if it is too thin or if I think she is hungrier than usual.  I sometimes give her PediaCare gas relief and a homeopathic remedy called Colic Calm (you can get it at CVS http://www.coliccalm.com/index.html).  The makers of Colic Calm say that is also supposed to be good for reflux.  It looks a bit scary because it is black but it is because it contains Charcoal which is very soothing to stomachs and absorbs gas.  So maybe try that too. 

Sorry-this sucks!!!!  Hopefully we will both get some sleep soon.

[jennandsophie]

Yeah, I think this is definitely an issue. Sounds like tummy troubles to me, which I know can cause NWs. Is it worth a call to your dr to see what might be up? You're pretty sure it can't be the Alimentum? (I only ask, because I'm looking for a correlation, not because I don't trust what you say. )

I guess I'm not totally sure that it's not the Alimentum.  He's had it in the past and there didn't seem to be any problem with it.  It's so hard to know for sure.  I tried not giving it yesterday as he seemed satisfied with just BFing before bed.  Still had the same issues in the early morning.   His doctor is pretty useless around sleeping issues.  He'll tell me to just let him CIO.  

sbchic1999 - thanks so much for your advice on the food.  I think I will take him off oatmeal cereal for a week and see if that helps.  I will also try the apple juice.  I feel the same about giving juice so young, but if it helps, then I'll give it a go.  Sure enough, after a 5:15am wake-up this morning, there was poop in his diaper, so I think there is a correlation there.  I will look for the Colic Calm.  Don't think they carry it in Canada, but I may be able to get my mom to bring it up here for me when she visits this week. 

[ENMS]

Jenn - I know some LO's don't tolerate Alimentum well, but do better on Nutramigen A+. If you need to supplement maybe you could give it a shot?

Also if your paed is not helping, maybe you could try to get a referral to an allergist or a GI to help? At 7 months, he still seems to have a lot of issues (and believe me, I understand, same here!) and maybe they could help you out so that he can feel better?
(((HUGS)))

[jennandsophie]

Yes, I really need to get a referral to a specialist.  I think I will take him to my doctor and she if she can help.  His paed is not too concerned with anything I bring up to him.

[ENMS]

His paed is not too concerned with anything I bring up to him.

yes I had that too.  turns out that LO has severe allergies called FPIES and now that we know, it is much easier to manage. the paed almost told me I was crazy many times