Sleep help needed for acid reflux baby

[ap375]

Hi, Everyone!

I was soooo excited to find these forums. I'm a die-hard Tracy fan of three years and was so sad to learn that she'd passed away. But grateful that her memory lives on and that there are others who follow her teachings who can help.

A little background: I used Tracy's methods with my Angel baby who is now a three-year-old girl with great sleeping habits. Our second baby, a boy, was welcomed to our family this past October. He's five months tomorrow. I had planned to follow EASY with him too, along with Tracy's other suggestions, but we learned pretty quickly that everything we'd done with our girl wouldn't work for him, as he has severe acid reflux. It was so bad that for the first few months before we figured out what was going on, he cried so much that we thought we had a touchy/grumpy baby. Makes me feel so bad for him - he was in so much pain. Now he's looking more textbook.

The first three and a half months, my husband and I alternated nights, holding the baby upright all night long so he could sleep. His reflux was bad enough where he'd get severe congestion and couldn't breathe at all while laying down. (Elevation didn't help - he had to be completely upright.) We got him on medication and in to see a chiropractor and all of that is now under control, with a few flareups here and there.

Once we got his AR taken care of, I started transitioning him to sleep in his crib. He loves his crib now (thank goodness!) and it's not really hard to get him to fall asleep, but he still wakes up after every single sleep cycle, day and night. I'm not sure how to help him get over this. I'm so exhausted all the time. My husband takes over two nights a week, and would do more, if he didn't have to get up at four am for work.

Here's what we do right now:

Naps: Go through routine. Put baby down with paci (which I really want to wean him from! It's part of the problem). Either let him fuss (not cry) for ten/fifteen minutes and give him the paci again (then he falls asleep) or stay with him, helping him keep the paci in his mouth until he falls asleep. (Takes about five, ten minutes that way).

Night: Go through bedtime routine. Put him down with his paci. Do the same as above until he's asleep. Then, when he wakes up every 45 minutes, put the paci back in and he falls asleep nearly immediately. I know when he's hungry because he only sleeps for five minutes more after I give him his pacifier. He's eating once between 1-3am and again around 4-6am. I'd love to work with him on sleeping through the night, but until he knows how to self-soothe, I know that would be pointless.

I read through a lot of the pinned topics at the top of the board and when I got to the acid reflux one, it totally changed all of my plans (reassured me that what we did in the beginning was okay!) and now I'm not sure what to do. I know we need to help him sleep through his sleep cycles, and I'd love him to be off of his paci (so that when it falls out or he takes it out I don't have to give it back), but I don't know where to start.

He HATES having his back or tush patted. Absolutely hates it. He doesn't mind shushing. I generally rub his head or keep my hand on his cheek and that's enough to calm him when he has his paci (which I hold in his mouth).

What suggestions do you all have? I'd love to start sleeping at night again and I know he needs better sleep too.

Oh, and his acid reflux does flareup every now and then. Does anyone know how long until it's taken care of completely? Or is this one of those things he'll struggle with his whole life?

Thank you so much to everyone who contributes to this forum and thanks so much for your help!

[creations]

Hello and welcome to BW forums

My DS also had reflux, he didn't start on meds until about 5 months old and continue on meds until about 2yo. We did try a wean off the meds prior to that but he wasn't ready.  Since then he's been back on only quite briefly a couple of times, we see some reflux flare up around growth spurts and I had advice here myself that some LOs do get flare ups and back on meds for a while.  I feel confident that he won't be on meds for ever though, I don't see it as a life time thing.

With regards to the paci, personally I'd hold on a little while longer. The SIDS advice is to not go cold turkey on dropping a paci for a baby who is dependent on it until 6 months.  I can imagine how draining it is to be replugging all night although haven't been through that myself.

With regards shush/pat, mine also didn't like to be patted, it can cause discomfort for reflux babies.  I did a rub/rock kind of thing instead, in arms and in the cot, I found it could be reduced gradually just like the patting.  Often here we talk about shush/pat or adapted, the adapted aspect is anything you do which soothes but which can be gradually reduced. When you read shush/pat take it that you can use your soothing method of rubbing his head or having a hand on his cheek.

It is also not recommended to use PUPD for reflux LOs as this is a bit like shaking up a pop bottle, it can cause more discomfort.  When it's time to drop the paci I would recommend picking up and soothing in arms and putting down calm to continue soothing in the cot, picking up again if he gets very upset but overall to avoid too much up down up down.
Some of the gradual wean steps from Pantleys no cry sleep solution might be helpful for you with gently weaning the paci so as to avoid too much crying and too much up/down. Having a read through ahead of time might help you prepare
Gentle Removal Plan
There will always be someone here to hold your hand through it too

[ap375]

Hello and welcome to BW forums

There will always be someone here to hold your hand through it too

This is such fantastic information and advice. Thanks for responding! I was hoping someone would have something for our situation. I didn't know that about pu/pd but it makes complete sense. And no wonder he doesn't like being patted!

Okay, so hold on for another month. Sigh! It takes me a while to fall asleep, so I'm getting twenty minute batches of sleep here and there throughout the night. Which is better than my husband - once he's awakened, he can't fall asleep again for a few hours. Poor guy! So glad he's willing to help, though.

Thanks again. I'll continue lurking here - this is such a wonderful source of information.

[weaver]

Hi there. Just to suggest that maybe you and DH can share the pain/possible sleep a bit better by doing shifts. If one of you can sleep in a spare room or on the living room couch, maybe for half the night, and then swap places, at least you'll get a chunk of sleep.  We did this when our LOs were tiny. Got to be creative sometimes!

[creations]

I'm sorry, I know another month must sound awful right now. In the bigger scheme though it is one month, and you get to enjoy a life time of your beautiful baby
I tried my DS with a paci and he wouldn't take it, tbh I was kind of annoyed at the time as I had read it could help prevent SIDS but later on I was kind of pleased as I didn't end up in this situation of replugging.
Some LOs learn to replug themselves you know, again it would take a while unless your LO has extremely good fine motor skills already.

I vote you take shifts some how so every one gets some sort of sleep.