16 week old still short naps: how to move to 4 hr easy

[Clairehv]

Hi
thank you. I know there is meant to be a 4 month regression but to be honest as I don't feel we had any real success prior to this I am not sure what is regressing or not if you know what I mean!!

Also getting more and more unsettled nights so I am exhausted which just makes the days feel even harder.

I know I am not the only one, just wish I had an idea what to do late afternoon/evening.
I.e today she slept
9-9.30am
11.30-12pm, then 12.55- 1.45

3.30-4.10 in sling
So I gave bottle at 5.20pm as I knew she would be exhausted after bath.
Then she had a top up at 6pm before being asleep at 6.10pm
Has cried out at 7pm , 7.50 - I tried a bottle, would not take a d has just cried at 9pm

She was sleeping 6.30pm-2.30am then 7am
But our night feed has got earlier to 1am and I hAve to resettle with dummy from 5am

X

[creations]

Hi
How are the nights now?  any better?  Do you think it might be a growth spurt?

[Clairehv]

Hi
Sorry I haven't responded. We have been on holiday for a week with limited phone reception or WiFi.

Her naps have not improved and no day is predictable due to that.
Our nights were very unsettled with two bottles a night and her not drinking a lot in the morning.
Today is our second night back at home.
I will record our EASY over the next couple of days.
The naps are really starting to get me down. I feel so tired and anxious as I know she needs more sleep. My back is suffering due to all the sling wearing but that is the only way she sleeps for a longer stretch.

I think I am finding it hard as although dd1 wasn't perfect she was reasonably predictable with her easy feeding and sleep routine.
I don't fee like I have Ayda on any pattern at all.

Thanks for the support. I will post tomorrow with an update on her sleep x

[Clairehv]

Hi
So still getting the 40 minute wake ups. You could set a clock by her. Have to work really hard to get her to resettle.
Having just relooked at the easy sample routines in the board, I just feel like we are so off track.

Sunday:-
WU 7am ( had had a 6oz feed at 2am)
E 3-4oz
S 8.55am-9.35, several resettle to extend nap to 10.45
E 11am
S : 1pm-1.20, 1.30-1.45, 1.50-2.10, stopped trying to resettle
E 3pm
We were out and she didnt settle in arms so too long A time
S 4.35-5.15 in car seat.
6pm bath
6.30 E 230ml
S 7pm (3 dummy resettles by 10pm
E 1.30am 180ml

Unsettled from 5am
Wu 6.30am

Do I just keep going with the shhh pat when I am trying for cot naps?

[creations]

So still getting the 40 minute wake ups.

Honestly from 3.5 to 5.5 months my DS was the same. It was exhausting. I feel for you.
Bare in mind the people who would have had the time to post their EASY routines for those boards are more likely those who had LOs who were napping better and they had some Y time to post!  Those who had the 40 min napper were more likely to be trying to have a shower and get some clean clothes on yk?

Sorry if we've covered this before but have you noticed any reflux or silent reflux symptoms?

[Clairehv]

Hi
She definitely had silent reflux, was on ranitidine from 6 weeks- 18 weeks, she then had a vomiting bug so didn't keep anything down for a couple of days and then I was concentrating on that so forgot to medicate for a few days and then it seemed silly to reintroduce it as she did seem more settled and would sleep on back at night,  for longer stretches.
So she hasn't been on it for a few weeks but that doesn't seem to have had any negative impact. Her naps are still 40 mins

I can live in hope of a turning point by 6 months maybe
Really appreciate you responding x

[creations]

Do you not feel that it would be worth trying the reflux meds again?
My DS hadn't started on his reflux meds at 4 months it had not been diagnosed yet not until about 5 months...and now I think of it our his long naps returned at 5.5 months which was around the same time as getting reflux meds and starting solids too.
If it was me I'd try the meds.

[Clairehv]

Hi
now that you have said about the meds I can't help feeling guilty that she may still be in discomfort. We have had very small feeds fussy on bottle and definite discomfort again but she doesn't cry or complain very often. What were your signs at 5 months ?

[creations]

Have you looked over the reflux symptoms recently?  Sometimes it's helpful just to have another look:
Reflux 101 - General reflux information

MY DS had silent reflux so for the majority he did not spit up or if he did it was quite small amounts, however at his worst he would spit up a larger amount and up to 3hrs after a feed (ie when I lay him down to change nappy just before his next 3hrly E he would then vom).  Poor sleep, screaming at night or for no apparent reason, only ever took half the recommended amount of milk (although gained weight), gas.  The docs called him a "happy spitter" because he was very polite and smiled at all appointments, there was nothing at all "happy" about the reflux pain in the middle of the night or disturbing naps or when he vommed they just didn't see that.  Sometimes I could hear the refluxing even when milk didn't come all the way up.
When the paediatrician saw DS though she diagnosed within just a couple of mins. Very basic questions and not even many of them and she heard the acid.  For me the sound of the acid coming but without any spit up was hard to identify when I didn't know what it was - I am more attuned to it now and even at 5yo we have phases of needing reflux meds again for a short spell - it still shows as discomfort and disturbed sleep in the night, hiccups, sore throat, sinus problems like a cold, it's usually DP who clicks on to it before I do.

hope this help some.
If it was me, if I had any thought at all that it may be reflux I'd ask the doc for another trial on meds, a couple of weeks maybe and review (our paedi reviewed after 1 month, the improvement was amazing), see if things have changed.

[Clairehv]

Hi
I could definitely hear the acid reflux when she was younger and see obvious signs of discomfort but I thought they had settled although small feeds, fighting feeds and the unsettled on her back but sleeping on tummy or sling all seem to have increased again.
Spoke to our Dr today and hAve a ranitidine prescription to collect in the morning.
X

[Lindsay27]

Hope it helps hun! We ended up going on raniditine at 4 months too

[creations]

Spoke to our Dr today and hAve a ranitidine prescription to collect in the morning.

Great. I think you are either going to say "well that made no difference whatsoever" or "Wow, what a difference".  I really don't think that you are going to have her on meds and still wondering if she needs them, yk?

[Clairehv]

Well she was on ranitidine and still did the 40 min wake ups, it is more the reduction in milk intake I am concerned about and the increasing unsettled nights. We'll know in a week or so if the ranitidine changes anything. I had just though her naps and routine would be more established by 4.5 months yk.
I remember I had to work at settling DD1 but by this point her naps were predictable to the point I didn't really want to go out and about early afternoon as she used to do a great 1.5-2hrs nap.
Hey ho, all babies are different and maybe I have to go with the flow  a bit more with dd2, it is just her only meltdowns are due to over tiredness.

Hope you are ok? X

[Clairehv]

22 weeks now and don't feel we have had any progress in the day sleep and her nights seem to be getting worse.
Don't know whether to retry the dream feed, lose the dummy or just live in hope it will get better

Saturday night/ Sunday

BT asleep by 7pm after about 6oz
Dummy resettle 9.30pm
WU 11pm wouldn't settle so 5oz drunk
4am wouldn't settle from 3am so second bottle, then wouldn't settle so asleep on me (unusual) from 5am

Sunday am
wu 7.15am
E not interested in bottle, offered up to 8.30
S 9.15- 9.55
E 11am 5oz
S 12- 1.20pm but 3 resettle in that time
E 2.30 5oz
S 3.15-3.55
E 6.15 -  6oz, in several attempts up to 7pm
S 7pm
Resettled at 7.40, 10pm, 12am,
E 1.30am
Resettled at 4am

Monday
WU 6am
Refused 7am bottle
Tired cues 7.40
S 7.55 -8.30am (tried for 30mins to settle but wouldn't go back off)
E 9.30am
S 10.30-11.10
E 12.30pm
S 1.15-1.55
S 3.20-3.40pm
E 4pm 90ml
Bath and bed time 100ml
Asleep 6pm
6.40 50 ml

So today Monday, was a really won't day, didn't know what to do 're the bottle refusing and short early sleep.
Just had to get through it really.
Very tired at the moment due to all the dummy waking, should we get rid of it? She just settles so easily to sleep with it initially.

Xx

[Lindsay27]

Hi hun!! Sorry things haven't gotten any better! Looking at your routine I'm thinking that she's UT.  She's 5.5 months correct?  Between 5-6 months we were going trough the 3-2 transition and I realllly had to push those A times, by 6 months she was doing a 3hr A.  I would probably try at a minimum a 2.15hr A time but if you can get closer to 2.5hrs that would be ideal.  She will seem OT but you just kind of have to push her through it...I was literally doing dances around my DD to distract her and keep her going lol.  Even if she takes a 30min OT nap they tend to be easier to settle than UT ones.