Sleep, almost 7mo, paci prop, 3 hour to 4 hour transition, pu/pd questions

[chauncycay]

Ugh. So we're trying to course correct a couple of things with our almost 7 month old daughter.
Pacifier dependant as a prop for sleeping. And we missed the switch from a 3 hour to 4 hour schedule (apparently by a couple of months, oops!)
So I had read Tracy's wonderful book cover to cover while pregnant and totally spaced once we hit the dreaded 6 week hell. Our daughter has horrible reflux. We had a 15 hour stretch of crying one day/night before we finally got the right meds. A few bad stretches to readjust the dosage here and there, etc.
She slowly started tapering off her naps which should have been a clue on the schedule. Ack. Hindsight.
So now we're trying pu/pd for the first time since we knew we need to adjust the schedule and get rid of the pacifier.I just wanted to adjust the schedule but she was screaming so much we decided to do pu/pd, with a paci for two nights. Nope. Didn't work of course.
So now without a pacifier. Worse! ((
Crying/screaming for a solid 30-40 minutes each nap today.
First time we've not used the pacifier and she literally starts bawling as soon as she's expecting it and doesn't get it.

We're also trying to switch slowly from the 3 hour to 4 hour schedule.
If we've taken the pacifier away for two naps and she's cried herself hoarse, we can't go back. Is this going to work or are we torturing her?!!

She's been waking every other hour for weeks.
Something had to change.
It's mainly the schedule I think.
And for month 5 growth spurt I bf her on demand at night.
Which led to the habit of night waking.
We both held her for too long up to now and used pacifier every time for naps & sleep.
Help!

Does pu/pd work for this scenario our do we need to go back to pacifier and switch her schedule first, then work on extending naps/sleep with pu/pd?
 
Schedule
7:30a wake up
7:30 diaper change, nurse
8:15 solids and breakfast with us
9 a nap, usually 1 1/5 hours
10:45 a reflux meds
11 a 5 ounces bottle breast milk, solids
12:45 nap, 30-40 mins
2:15p 5 ounce bottle breast milk
3;30p nap attempt, 30-40 mins
5p 5 ounces bottle breast milk
Walk
6p solids with us
7:30p bath, bottle, bed by 8:15p
Always up 40 minutes later.
11p dream feed, just 2 ounces, we just started this because she was up every hour!! Wanted to nurse. I started a bad habit in the month 5 growth spurt responding to everything at night with a boob (( I got her down to one nursing session, for just 5-10 minutes and the rest pacifier, that's why we started the dream feed to eliminate any night time nursing.
My husband gives her the dream feed.
 Super lost and exhausted
She's a sweet happy baby other than exhausted.
She was a miserable reflux baby until month 3.
Spirited and super physical, walking almost! She just needs to sleep...zzzz

[creations]

Hello and welcome to BW forums

Wow, sounds like you are having a difficult time just now.  It will pass, you'll all get through this.
Please don't beat yourself up about what has gone before, reflux babies are hard work and it sounds like you've done everything you can to help her through and make her comfortable.

I'll get your thread moved over to the EASY board so we can get right on and help you with the routine.

Personally I wouldn't go back to the paci now that you have gone a few days without, there are many who continue with the paci at this age but now you've made the break I'd stick with it.  It is recommended to drop around now for the sake of teeth and speech. However, it really is your call, a paci all day long would have a more negative effect but if it's only used a few minutes for soothing at sleep time then teeth/speech are far less likely to be effected.

I wouldn't recommend PU/PD though, it can really aggravate reflux (it's like shaking a pop bottle).  Instead I would sooth in arms and in the cot with shush/pat or an adapted version (you might have your own version already, stroking head or shush/rub for instance), yes pick up if she is very unhappy but calm right down in arms before moving back into the cot again rather than lots of up down up down.

Your DD will likely settle much more easily (and nap better) if she is on a suitable routine for her age. This is a really useful link:
Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!
At this age the guidance Activity time is 2hr 45 to 3hr 15 (some getting more).
How about implementing this longer A time and see how the settling and nap length goes?

[chauncycay]

Oh wonderful, thank you!! She's still getting up once or twice after she goes down at night but then dream feed ok and up only once in the middle and it's getting later, 3am last night.
So paci, gone, good I can't go  back.

Activity, but definitely wind down 30 minutes before any sleep, she's crazy physical right now and screams as soon as she realizes there's no paci before sleep
It's like you start a book without it and BAM! (

Agreed the reflux and that horrible cry to cough is bad. We've been stroking her head, with the pu and trying to soothe in crib a lot. Spreading the pu/pd out a bit. It seems to be working but it takes 30 minutes for a nap and an hour out more at night

Schedule focus, thank you!

[creations]

Let us know how you go and if you have any more questions