Nearly 18 week old, Growth spurt, milestone, sleep prop?? Help!!

[josephfc]

Hey. I've had a short nap problem for a long time but we recently cracked getting the little one to settle himself to sleep about three weeks ago. Great. But in the last few days suddenly he will not settle at all. I'm so confused and wonder if we're going through a growth spurt.

Here's the thing. Just over a week ago he started taking one full 7oz bottle less in a day. He just completely dropped from 6 bottles to 5 for no reason and wasn't making it up with extra oz in the bottle. Then two days ago he suddenly wouldn't go to sleep on the night. He usually goes to bed between 730 and 8 but he didn't settle until 10pm, in that time he had another full bottle. He slept OK that night but again the next night he wanted another full bottle before he went to sleep. In the end he fell asleep feeding. He woke up at 1 and 630 when usually he only wakes once and gets up between 730 and 8.

Tonight he had an 8oz bottle at 4 and 630 (usually only 7oz), fell asleep feeding at 645, woke up at 730 and screamed until I gave him another bottle. He fell asleep again but is waking up every few minutes crying, although I think he's still asleep while he's crying...

So am I facing a feeding issue/growth spurt or a sleep issue? I've read at 4 months sleep changes and can cause some problems. But why is he only happy when he's had more milk? Is he cluster feeding?? He doesn't seem to want more during the day. I'm also really concerned because during the 6 week griwth spurt he suffered bad acid reflu because he was eating so much so frequentky. We finally settled his feeding and the reflux cleared up. But now I'm worried his bedtime eating is starting a vicious circle of over eating then comfort feeding.

I'd just like to add we don't have an easy routine. He has short napped for as long as I can remember and as soon as I think I know what he's going to do he changes it again. Bedtime/wakeup can be 8/8 one week and 7/7 the next. But it's unusual for him to wake earlier than 2am for a bottle or 7am for the morning.

Eek, clearly we have a lot of problems at once here, I have no idea if we have a sleep problem, feeding, developmental, all if the above!!

[*Kara*]

So what does your typical day look like now?

How often is he eating during the day?

[josephfc]

The last two days have been

830 wake

E 9-930 6ish oz (usually 7 but he's fed at 6am so hasn't been as hungry)

S 1030 -1110

E 1210-1230 (usually v fussy by 12, can't read him any more so I've assumed hunger and he always drains the bottle here) 7oz

S on the go 1ish only ever 40m even in the car/pram

It starts to go a bit wonky from here, he tends to need sleep over food at this point although the two times meet. He usually naps either 3-340 or 330-410

E 4pm drains 7oz (8oz yesterday)

Naps from here are hit or miss. We walked him to sleep from 5-540 a few nights ago and by 6pm he was really fussy and seemed tired. This was the 10pm bed time night. He had 7oz at 630 and again at about 8. It's took a lot of cuddles and rocking to get him to sleep. I don't remember the night well but I think he woke at 6am for a feed.

The next day he woke at 410 from his nap and jus wouldn't nap at at all. He fell asleep at about 730 but kept waking until he had another 7oz at about 830 and fell asleep feeding. Then he woke at 1am and 6am and took 5oz then 7oz.

Last night he didn't nap after 4 again so bedtime was earlier. He fell asleep at 645, woke at 730 and wouldn't sleep until fed again at 8, fell asleep but kept waking up every ten minutes until 830. Then cried in his sleep until 9pm. He then slept properly until his feed at 5am and woke again at 7 for his dummy and then up at 820.

Until about two weeks ago he took 42oz in a day (hungry formula too!!)

This dropped to 35oz until three days ago when the trouble started.

In the last 3 days he's had approximately 50oz!! That just can't be healthy for him! It really worries me. My question really is, is it a growth spurt keeping him awake or is feeding him to sleep suddenly in the space f a day become a prop? It came out of nowhere so it's confused me. But I hate the thought I'd be withholding food from him if he needs it just because I was trying to get him to sleep on his own.

[josephfc]

And also, what I believed to be his hungry cry also appears to be his sleepy cry! I'm finding it difficult to separate the two. And he's never given good sleepy signals so I'm completely lost here.

[*Kara*]

With regards to the night feeds, at this age, I would give a full feed when he wakes... so that 1 am feed, I would offer a full 7 oz feed.

In general, if he drains a 7 oz bottle, add an ounce to make it 8... though I suspect he will drain that too!

This excessive volume of formula makes me wonder if he has reflux (babies will often consume large volumes to ease the burning)... it is also known to cause short naps and huge issues settling at night - any of these look familiar?

Reflux 101 - General reflux information

[josephfc]

He does have reflux but the symptoms subsided. I mentioned that in the initial post because I'm concerned about over feeding. He hasn't had any problems with it and was feeding well until this week.

[*Kara*]

Is he on any meds for the reflux?  You mentioned that he fluxed during a GS but it is actively managed?  It can flare as baby gets older...

[josephfc]

He was having Gaviscon in his evening bottle but we stopped because he wasn't showing symptoms. He's been symptom free for about a month. He was diagnosed with reflux during a growth spurt because he was over eating and we have managed it by controlling his eating, not letting him snack and taking eat feed slowly rather than letting him gulp it down. It was very effective.

[*Kara*]

So, is he maybe overeating and refluxing again?

Not sure what else to suggest.. if it continues, I would make a dr appt to check out the possibility he has reflux that is bothering him again...

[josephfc]

Maybe. I'm trying to work out if he's going though a growth spurt which is resulting in reflux or over eating because his reflux is getting worse. Or is just struggling with sleep and wants to be fed to sleep, meaning he's over eating. I don't want to feed him if he isn't actually hungry but I don't want to not feed him if its a growth spurt. The doctors have never been any help with it so I don't have much faith in them.

[*Kara*]

Doesn't really match up with a GS hun... it does sound like a reflux issue to me honestly.

[Lolly]

Here's a thought - the hungry baby milk is much harder to digest than normal formula, would it be worth trying a comfort/ easy digest formula to see if that makes a difference? I just wonder if any tummy troubles are from the formula and a gentler formula may help - the comfort fomulas tend to be thicker too so that would help fill him up.

If he is taking his bottles calmly, is able to lie flat, isn't showing any discomfort or having wet hiccups and is sleeping ok for naps and during the night it may not be the reflux. It's hard to know!

I know on another thread you were thinking about early weaning - have you decided what to do?

Laura

[josephfc]

Well he's been on HB formula since he was 8weeks with the advice of the HV and he hasn't had any issues with it. We're weaning just after Xmas in case he has any reactions, don't want him any more unsettled over the busy period.

Today he flat out refused two naps and oy has 30 minutes in 5 hours. He just laid grinning and kicking about. I think he's going through some sort of phase. I'm still worried about over feeding because that does make his reflux flare so I'm just hoping we aren't starving him during a growth spurt.

[Lolly]

Looking at the routine you posted first I think the first nap may be undertired leading to an over tired second nap.

I would try pushing the first A time over the 2 hour point - say 2 hr 15 min and see if that gets you a longer nap. If it doesn't you need to shorten the next A time to get him to sleep earlier.

Laura

[josephfc]

Thanks Laura, I tried 2h10 for a few days and got two 30m and a 40m nap. Today we tried 2h10 and he laid for a full hour without sleeping. Tried an hour later, nothing. I've tried him in the car, he woke after 40 minutes and didn't go back to sleep for another hour, the same in the pram.

[*Kara*]

Oh dear... it does sound like it could be something developmental - he's far too young to be skipping his naps - silly boy

He is like just really OT at this point, been there hun.

[josephfc]

Ha ha thank you. He's always been the same, I've had to force naps on him since he was born, it's only been in the last 3/4 weeks he started taking any naps without a fight so we're back where we started there. But bedtime was always a breeze until this week. Just have to see what next week brings. Thanks

[*Kara*]

Good luck!