Author Topic: 14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!  (Read 1371 times)

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Offline Ewa Polish

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14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!
« on: January 12, 2015, 20:05:38 pm »
Hi there!

I have been reading some posts since I found this great help for mums but haven't found answers to all my doubts. As the topic shows, my LO has similar problems.

He is now 14 weeks old and the only resemblance to EASY is that I feed him every 3-3,5 hours (BF). At night he usually eats more - (20 minutes), during the day he seems less hungry (mostly 7 minutes). He also has activity time of 1h45 (started 2 weeks ago). Thanks to the book we have some good routines (he sleeps at night which starts at 7-8 p.m., in his bed, after 5-10 minutes of protests he calms down and falls asleep).


My questions are:

1) The problem is that each night is interrupted by gases or constipation (the pain is relieved after feeding him and comes back in 2-3 hours). I would like to move out of his room in order to sleep without earplugs (he's loud) but probably I need to wait till he starts waking up less.

Is there anything that might help with his night problems (the medicine against gases doesn't work)? I presume I wouldn't have to feed him so often if he wasn't woken up by the problem...Maybe if he ate more during the day and less at night?
 
2) Does yawning after waking up mean that he's sleepy?

3) Most days he doesn't get enough sleep (which should be about 5 hours). He prefers to nap for 40 minutes and then he is rather whiny (about 3 naps a day + 12 hours of night sleep). I use PU/PD, it helps to calm him down but I give up on getting him to fall asleep after 3-4 PU/PD (maybe I should try longer?). However when he's in his pram and we're walking he's able to sleep for 2 hours.
It's also easier for him to fall asleep in the morning (I often give up in the afternoon after really loud protests).

4) Should I count the E time from start (the beginning of his "meal") to start or from the end (when he finishes) till the start?

Here's a typical day:

WU -6.40 (6.30-8.00)
E 6.40-6.50 (10 minutes)
S 8.10-9.00 (40 minutes)
S 10.45-11.30 (45 minutes)
E 12.30-12.36 (6 minutes)
S 13.15-14.00 (45 minutes)
S 15.10-15.30 (20 minutes)
E 16.00-16.20 (20 minutes, it's not common)
bath
E 18.30-18.50 (20 minutes)
S 19.15-
E (DF about 22-23.00)
E and gases (about 1.00-3.00)
E and gases (about 3.00-5.00)

Any suggestions will be appreciated!:-)

 

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2015, 20:13:53 pm »
Hello and welcome :)

At night, do you think it could possibly be reflux bothering him?  That can often look like gassiness and would cause frequent wakings due to pain.  Feeding soothes the pain temporarily if that is the case.  There is some info about reflux here: Reflux 101 - General reflux information. Have you chatted to your doctor about it whatever the problem is?

Have you ever tried settling at night without a feed?  Shh pat?  Paci?

Yawning after waking up can be still tired, or just what he does when he wakes.  I've never personally found it a very reliable tiredness sign in terms of knowing when to put down for naps.

He's quite young for PUPD really, I would stick with shh pat (especially if there is a chance his discomfort could be reflux).  40 minute naps could be developmental in that he hasn't yet learned to transition through sleep cycles independently, it's always easier for LOs to stay asleep with motion in the pram/car.  If he is going to sleep independently at the start of naps it may be a case of waiting until he learns that skill.  If he sleeps 40 minutes in bed can you ever resettle him?  1h45 is about the right A time for his age, maybe a touch long but some LOs can handle it ok.  After a short nap you may need to get him down a bit sooner though as overtiredness will build up during the day making it harder for him to settle.

E time is start of one feed to start of next - so 7/10/1/4/7 would be a 3h EASY.

:)




Offline Ewa Polish

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Re: 14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2015, 19:31:16 pm »
Thank you very much for the answer!:-)

I'm trying to change his night habits - due to the fact that he should be able to sleep 6 hours without eating - I give him a paci if he wakes up between midnight and early morning (after DF). The next waking up means feeding.
Also I need to discuss the possibility of reflux with the doctor.

If anything more bothers me I'll ask again:-)

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2015, 13:32:00 pm »
How are things?

Offline Ewa Polish

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Re: 14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2015, 12:14:53 pm »
Hi!
I think he just needed time.

Now he is fed around 22 -24.00 and then at 3 a.m., and then we wake up at about 7.00. Also his "gassiness" stopped being a problem (he doesn't wake up). 

As you wrote, the 40 minute naps are probably developmental so I hope it'll also change. He has 2 naps of 40 minutes and 1 longer (1h30-2h). I also give him 2h A, after the short naps it's about 1h30.

Now we're preparing to introduce some new food (breast feeding will stop in 2 months), so it'll probably have impact on his sleeping.


:-)

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 14 week old - can't get into a routine due to short naps!
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2015, 13:24:07 pm »
Good luck, remember milk is the main form of nutrition at this age :)