3 month old constant NWs

[tdees]

Please help us! Our 3 1/2 month old son August is constantly waking up at night and I can't figure out why. I have an almost 2 year old who never had these issues and I'm at my wits end (used BW method since birth with her and she took to it like clockwork).

August is breastfed and gets one bottle for dream feed and usually one other bottle during the day. He usually takes 4 oz, but I've been trying to give him 5 oz to increase his daytime food and it's a struggle to get that extra ounce in, and then he usually spits up after if I get the extra ounce in him.

He's 15 lbs and is on a good daytime routine:

E - 6:00: wake up/eat
A - 1 - 1.25 hours (hanging out with me in chair, on floor)
S - 7:15 (1 - 1.25 hour)

E - 9:00
A - 1 - 1.5 hours
S - (2 hours)

E - 12:00
A - 1 - 1.5 hours
S - (1 minutes)

E - 3:00
A - 1 - 1.5 hours
S - 45 minutes

6:00 - eat
activity - 1 hour (bath)
sleep by 7:00 or 7:30 (usually takes him long time to unwind for this sleep)

Has been waking himself up at 10:30 for dream feed (takes no more than 3 oz no matter how hard I try)
Then it's every two hours like clockwork until 6:00 a.m. (12:30, 2:30, 4:30).
He is cranky and fussy when he wakes up. Just putting in a pacifier rarely works. I try shush-pat first (occassionally this works), also try to hold him upright and pat him to sleep. If he's snorting and inconsolable I nurse him, (usually twice a night). Sometimes he seems really hungry and other times he doesn't want to nurse.

I started EASY from birth and he was doing great, only waking once at 4:00 a.m. to eat and then going back to sleep until 7:00 until about 2 1/2 months. I think he hit his 3 month growth spurt a couple weeks ago and then it just threw him all of whack and we just can't seem to break the cycle.

If he wakes early from daytime nap I give him pacifier a couple of times and walk out to prolong his nap. If he is still needing reassurance (usually does), I do shush-pat and it works quickly and easily during the day). He is pleasant and happy during the day - gets fussy when naptime approaches and I try to quickly put him down. He does seem a little extra sleepy this past week and is only awake about 1.25 between sleeps (I start to put him down after 1 hour and it takes 15 minutes for him to drift off.) He falls asleep quickly and without fuss.

I am so tired and frustrated and I can't figure out what to do. Please help us!!

[ewilliams3912]

Hi there,
I'm so sorry about your circumstance and can totally relate. We are having similar night problems with our DS... He wakes at exactly 1:00 am every night then a few other random times after that. I have no wisdom or guidance but I can encourage you and tell you you're not alone in this. It really does sound like you're doing a wonderful job raising your precious son and I know how frustrating it can be but hang in there. I know it doesn't seem like it now but this season will pass and everything will work itself out!

Hugs,
Liz

[fairypk]

im facing a similar situation. my son who is 12 weeks is exclusively FF and we do a DF at 1020 every night of 4 oz but he stirs at 1 am then at 3 then I feed him at 5 am but he will only take 2 oz then and as a result wake up at 730 or 8am. when he stirs at night I give him a pacifier because i really dont have the energy to do shush pat or anything else. as it is putting him to sleep takes a good 10-15 minutes so i can't imagine doing that at night.

maybe try giving him water at night at night instead of nursing or formula? i've heard that this way they will stop getting up when they realize they aren't getting milk. but im also a FTM and my LO is only 12 weeks so i'm far from knowing what helps.

[Erin M]

Hi, I'm sorry you're having a rough time!  Is there anything else that changed a few months ago when his routine went off?  I'm wondering if he might need some more A time during the day -- how often is he waking from his naps partway through? 
And I'm assuming your third nap is a typo -- or is it really just a minute long? 

[tdees]

Sorry for my delay!

It's actually been a better week! I was trying to figure out why he was waking crying so much and could only come up with that he was actually hungry most of the time. He is kind of a spazzy nurser when BFing and so I used EBM in bottles to make sure he was getting at least 4 oz at each feed (he won't take more than that). I had to work at getting him to take the 4 oz but he immediately started sleeping better at night. Also started giving him gripe water after his last feed around 6:00 to help with any gas and it's really made so much of a difference.

And yes, his routine was getting so wonky before we started really concentrated with getting him back on track. With an older child in the house we are constantly on the go and DS would fall asleep in the car for 10 minutes here and there while running the older child to things and I think it just got him so far out of whack.  I have increased his A times to 1.5 hours and he is napping better too - waking less often and sleeping longer.

Feeling refreshed and hopeful that we are on the right path again!

Thank you so much for your insights and support. Everything is just so much harder when you're so tired! This forum has been a life-saver for me.

(and yes - a typo on the third nap! I meant 1 hour).

[Erin M]

Yay!  So glad to hear that you're making progress!