22 wk old waking frequently at night but not hungry

[donegalciara]

Hi everyone, really hoping someone can help or see something that I'm missing!!
Our beautiful 22 wk old baby girl is a really great baby. She was doing brilliant on her 4hr EASY, finishing all 4 of her 7oz bottles a day and sleeping pretty much from 7.30pm -7am, I would always have to wake her in the morning!! However over the last 2-3 wks she has regressed so much, she rarely finishes a bottle and consequently can't go the 4hrs between feeds now taking 4-5 oz per feed 5 times a day. On recommendation from our PHN we started spoon feeding and she's loving it alternating btwn Baby rice and puréed root veg at the moment.
Her bedtime routine has been the same since day one: bottle, bath, bottle(if didn't finish earlier bottle), story, bed and she goes down like a dream but in the last few wks she has started waking 6-7+ times a night. It's never for a bottle (she takes 19-24oz a day) but for her dummy and she settles once its in her mouth. Then she wakes at 5.30/ 6 am but doesnt take a bottle til 7am. She used to nap really well too but these have also shortened so I'm wondering if maybe she needs more A time and to drop her late afternoon nap? Anything u could recommend would be greatly appreciated as my husband works away during the week so I'm on my own for all these night wakings and it's exhausting me! Her routine at the moment is roughly
                   E   7 am (up from 6/6.30)
                   A   7.30-9 am
                   S.  9- 9.45/ 10am
                   E    10.30
                   A    11-spoon feed playtime/outing
                   S     11.45/12 - 12.45/ 1pm (max 1hr 20 min)
                   E     2.15
                   A.    2.30- 3.30
                   S.    3.30 - 4.15/4.30
                   A.    Playtime 4.30-5.30
                   E.    5.30 bottle, 6pm spoon feed
                   A.    6.15-7.15 (playtime until 6.45) then bath, finish 4th bottle or new bottle, massage, story
                   S.    7.15
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer me x
                   

[Erin M]

Hi!  I think you might have a few things going on here.  The first one is that you may  need some more A time as I bet you're headed towards dropping the cat nap.  There is lots of good information on that here: All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months

The other thing I'm wondering about is the solids -- did your issues with her eating start around the same time you started solids?  Baby rice and veggies are not anywhere near as rich in fat and calories as her formula would be so it's possible that she's filling up on that and not having room for milk.  Solids can also disrupt their digestive system at this age as well.  If it were me, I'd probably drop down to solids once a day and do it in the morning so you can see if they're bothering her at all.  Even the feeling of her food digesting could just take some getting used to on her part and it may be waking her.  And, if you do all that, and you have no change, you will definitely have ruled it out as an issue!

[donegalciara]

Thanks so much for ur advice! I'm pretty sure she's teething at the moment and maybe that's affecting her milk feeds? She cries for the bottle, takes a few oz and then whimpers or chews on the teat in the side of her mouth,then tries to take more?  That said she still managed to take 22oz yesterday? I tried increasing her A yesterday and limited her catnap to 45mins(is that too long) which was easier than I expected but unfortunately she had another very very restless night. Ill keep on with the increased A and see how it goes and ill cut her spoon feed to one and see how it goes. Thanks again 

[Erin M]

I'm pretty sure she's teething at the moment and maybe that's affecting her milk feeds? She cries for the bottle, takes a few oz and then whimpers or chews on the teat in the side of her mouth,then tries to take more? 

That sounds a lot like teething!  You could let her chew on something cold before you give her the bottle to numb her gums a little bit.  I'm not sure about the amounts on the bottle intake, might be worth a quick post on bottle feeding for some reassurance. 

I'd try the 45 min cat nap for a few days and then cut further to see if it makes a difference.  Stick with veggies/fruits for your one solid feed, much easier on the tummy than rice cereal!

[donegalciara]

Hi again, after yet another restless night I'm at my wits end...dd woke 6 times, actually when i say woke she didnt actually fully wake, its almost like shes crying or whimpering in her sleep and then she starts flailing about! I started thinking maybe she was too attached to her soother but at one point last night when I got up to her to give her back her soother she just grabbed onto my hand and drifted off holding onto it. She then woke full of beans at 6.10am, despite not falling asleep last night til 8pm!!! She still sleeps in our room in her cot but don't know if moving her to her own room would help at all?
 I had extended her A times over last 2/3days but think it has now left her ot maybe? If i thought this was just teething i could probably handle it a bit better but it seems never ending as its lasted over 5 weeks now and coming from a baby that used to sleep 7.30-7 and had to be woken up!!! Has anyone any advice or suggestions at all? Thanks so much x

[amayzie]

Hi hon- How are things going now?

[donegalciara]

Hi!!
Well I stretched out her A in afternoon to 2hr30 but she still really struggles to get past 2hrs A in morning! However she actually only stirred once last night thank god!! Couldn't believe it when my alarm woke me first! Actually felt like supermum all day I had so much energy! 
She's napping better now too and taking her feeds better so i think it all helped. I'm afraid to hope she is over her restless phase but fingers crossed its a step in the right direction. Such a comfort knowing there are other mums here with advice and support so thanks so much! Will keep updating on her progress!
Thanks so much x

[Erin M]

Great!