Perfect day time routine for 5month old but NW getting worse - please help me!!!

[Kellyjs]

Grrr window cleaner!! 

This looks fab hun. That first nap is so much better isn't it? I do think she'll slip back onto short napping again soon, but it does show extending that first A is the way to go. Maybe hold that time tomorrow then look at adding another 15mins on after that? We would really need to extend the first ones to get your length of day back to a decent length.

I'm really glad she did take an extra couple of ounces before BT as that will sustain her far longer than a bit of solids would!

Very interesting to see that she prefers a much shorter A to BT after a 30mins nap, good to know for future planning! Good luck tonight xx

[kattyrose86]

Nightmare night!!! I give up, no matter what i seem to do it makes no difference!

She woke at Midnight so thought if I offer her 8oz now she might go through until the morning! She took the whole bottle, then woke at 2am, took 15 mins to settle her which is ok, then she woke at 4.15am - i tried to ride out settling her, giving her more neurofen, teething gel/powders, by 4.45 I gave in and fed her again, she took 8oz again!!!!She was screaming her head off! then woke at 6.10, my partner settle her and then she went until 8am! I didn't set my alarm fro 7.30 so didn't wake up until 8!
She is refusing her morning bottle and i don't blame her after having 16oz throughout the night.

At a total loss, maybe i just need to accept that this is how its going to be

I have been given a big promotion at work and there is no way i can function from January if this is how it will be. I know I am probably being overdramatic but feeling so so low today.

x

[Kellyjs]

Oh hun, congratulations on the promotion though 

I'm sorry you're feeling low, I do wonder if she's getting enough milk during the day considering she seems actually hungry during the night. 16oz is a lot and there would be no way she'd take that amount if she wasn't hungry yk? They are very good at self regulating their intake.

This could well be a growth spurt hun. Is she draining her bottles during the day? How many is she having? Would you mind re posting yesterday's routine with the feeds and a amounts taken?

Remember, this won't go on forever, there's a lot of time between now and January ok? We will sort this. I really don't think it's anything you're doing wrong because if it were a prop, she'd fall back to sleep on the bottle after only taking an oz or two. Huge (hugs), sending you a virtual piece of chocolate cake too xx

[kattyrose86]

Hey, thanks for replying, this has been a bit of a god send to be honest, my partner is fab but her just wants me to relax about it all!! easier said than done!

So yesterday went like this:

WU 7.30am
E - 7.30 - 5oz bottle 8am Puree Fruit tablespoon - doesn't take much milk in the mornings due to the night feeds
S - 9.30 - 11am (I woke her up)
A - 11-1pm
E - 11.30 7oz bottle 12pm Puree veg tablespoon
S - 1-2.10pm (Window cleaner woke her up!!!?!?!!?!?)
A - 2.10-4.15
E - 3.15 6oz bottle
Cat Nap in car - 4.15-4.45
E - 5pm 4oz bottle (tried to cluster feed a bit, i know its v.close to her bed time though.
E - 5.45pm 8oz bottle
Bed Time 5.45 - She was on the verge of being totally OT so decided to bring bedtime forward. Asleep by 6pm

E - Midnight 8oz
E - 4.45 8oz

I mix up 7oz bottles in the day for her then I up that to 8oz for her night time one. She rarely takes a whole 7oz in the day, maybe 1 feed she does?

thanks again
x

[Kellyjs]

I think it might be time to add some more into those bottles hun? I know it can be wasteful if she doesn't finish it, but we need to know she's stopped because she's full and not because it's run out yk?

I'd probably leave the first one as 7oz for now, but definitely add extra oz into all the other bottles. This may well just be a GS that we need to ride out for now xx

[kattyrose86]

Ok I've done that today.

[Kellyjs]

Fab, do keep me posted ok? I know how hard it is. My DH thought I was crazy obsessing about DD's sleep. It really doesn't help when they tell you to relax and go with the flow.. Think it might make matters worse!  . However, they are really good at doing the early morning shift sometimes and fetching a glass of wine in the evening! Xx

[kattyrose86]

Ha yes! He does the early shift sometimes and has offered me a total night off on friday so I might go and stay at my sisters for the night. Having a small glass of Red wine this evening, but no chocolate in the fridge!!!!!!!!!! 

Might be worth mentioning that my LO has been on Anti Reflux milk for about 3 months which has made her constipated, she does have a mild laxative every other day to help. I went to see the health visitor today and luckily enough she did a hard poo whilst we were there so the HV could take a look (sorry tmi!). she said that it was really firm, too firm for a 5 month old. She suggested that this maybe contributing to her waking in the night? She suggested changing her milk to normal formula now that she is starting to sit up more and we are weaning her. Im going to see how the next few nights go then make a decision.

Oh also I have decided to give her the dummy back, she slept better with it tbh, every since i have taken it off her she has been worse and worse during the night. If she is teething then it may help to sooth her. I would rather spend 2 minutes putting the dummy back in that 2 hours trying to settle her. I know I am being totally inconsistent with her which is not helpful but I am trying to trust my instinct a bit too.

Will check in tomorrow morning x

[Kellyjs]

You trust your instincts hun. Honestly, we can only advise from afar. The reflux board here is excellent if you want some advice about that? Lots of mummas here have been through it too? Might be worth starting a thread there and see what they say or I can ask for someone to pop in and advise. Totally up to you. And Friday night off, that is exciting! Xx

[kattyrose86]

Ok thanks for the reflux thing, ill take a look and then make a decision on the milk.

Right, so last night I think we had some mild success?!?!

She woke at 11.30 and managed to resettle her until she woke again at 00.40 - she wasn't wailing just moaning a bit, before it escalated i decided to feed her. She took about 6oz and was WIDE AWAKE smiling a cooing at me (so hard to ignore this!!!) I decided to just lay her back in her cot. I have a video monitor so can see when she is asleep. She eventually went to sleep about 30 mins after putting her down with no fuss. she was just playing and talking to herself!

She then woke up at 5.40am which is massive progress !!! she wasn't crying so I left her for a bit, we got up at 6.30am fed her at 7am - she has taken more of her bottle than she normally would but only 4oz or so.

So my questions are:

Night feed - thinking about now setting 1am is as my base time to feed her, if she wakes before then then don't feed?
Early WU - how do you manage first nap with this - essentially she has been up since 5.40 - so will be ready for a nap by 8am latest???

thanks in advance!!! x

[Kellyjs]

This is amazing hun, well done you. Bet you feel a little better after some sleep.

Yes, you could definitely do this wrt the nf. Maybe anything from 12am? I do think there was a GS going on there for a while and another might return, so don't be too disheartened if another nf returns for a short period of time ok?

I also do think we need to keep pushing the A time a little. And now might be a good time to do it. Perhaps half the A time in bed as that's not very stimulating so I'd calculate the A time from perhaps 6 or even 6.10am and do 2hrs 15mins A so nap time at 8.25am. Wdyt? Xx

[kattyrose86]

Too late !! Ha!!! put her down at 8am - but yes i get it, if she does another early WU tomorrow ill try and extend a bit.

Yes, it does seem like a growth spurt now I think about it, lets see what tonight brings! I suppose when you are so tired its hard to rationalise things!!!!

Feeling a lot better after some more sleep thanks, its amazing what a few hours of unbroken sleep can do for you!!

[Kellyjs]

It is, I'm so glad you're feeling more positive. The number of times I have agonised over DDs NW's, then a week later, I'm like of course it's teething, duh! 

Hole the first nap goes well. I'm sure it will as the A time is slightly longer anyhow xx

[kattyrose86]

Ok we seem to be back on track, she's waking at 5ish now which is amazing!! just need to work on these early wake ups!!!!

[Kellyjs]

Great so the NW's are better hun? How's the naps.. Do you feel she's getting enough sleep overall and we just need to move the day on dyt? Xx