Author Topic: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!  (Read 2075 times)

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Offline annakenrick

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Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« on: May 21, 2017, 20:57:30 pm »
Hello

At 3 months I got some great advice on this site so I wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom again!!

My son hit 26 weeks/6 months last Sunday and this week sleeping has taken a backwards turn. For the two weeks leading up to this one he had dropped his cat nap ( fought it suddenly) and dropped to one feed at night around 1/2 am.
A bit of background....he was 10lbs when born and is now 18.5 so a big boy. The first 3 months were awful as he slept very badly despite us doing a really good routine but after getting g advice on here we got reflux medicine and everything calmed down. From 3 -5/5 months he was feeding at 11pm (not a dream feed) and 330am.
We haven't managed to establish a dream feed as he generally wakes early or when we have down he still wakes for a second time so we just started leaving him and as I mentioned he dropped to feeding at around 1230/1ish and then going to 630am.
On Sunday we got two teeth coming through and he has started sitting and I know this is meant to be a wonder week for development I just don't want to get back into the habit of 2 feeds!! Last night he also was very hard to put back down after a feed at 4am and it took an hr and half which is very i Susan as usually he feeds and goes straight back to sleep. He's also waking early again!! Help!!
My question should I just ride it out and see if it rectifies itself?
Should a 6 month old who has 4 bottles and is nearly on 3 small meals a day need feeding at night?


This is my second child and we followed baby whisperer the first time and he only had a dream feed at night from 16 weeks!! I feel im doing it all the same but it's not working this time!!
Routine
630am awake
730/8 bottle feed 4/5oz which he usually is not that interested in so do it intwo sittings
830 ish breakfast just started and only take a few mouthfuls
9-1030 general nap
11 bottle usually 4-6 oz
1215 lunch takes a little bit
1-2.30 nap. Trying to push this later
3/30 bottle 6oz
Refusing cat nap
5pm dinner
615 bath
630 bottle 8oz
645 bed
1030/11 feed 8oz
330/4 feed 2/3 oz always been small!

As we had a few better nights where he did so two 5/6 hr blocks should I not be feeding and pushing for that?

Sleep deprivation causing me to go insane in my own head questioning everything please help!!!
« Last Edit: May 23, 2017, 05:18:58 am by annakenrick »

Offline Martini~

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2017, 08:01:09 am »
Hi honey and sorry for late response. So I would say he doesn't need that feed at 3/4am if he takes only 2-3oz, he has problems with going to sleep afterwards and is not interested in morning bottle so probably something else is a culprit for a night wakings. At 6mo it definitely can be teething, so if it last 10-14 days not more, I would just ride it out.

In terms of routine, I am thinking laudly if because of dropping catnap he isn't a bit OT. How long was his catnap before? Did you APOP it or was he going for it in his bed?
~Marta

Offline annakenrick

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2017, 19:01:10 pm »
Hi martini

Thanks so much for your reply.

He's always taken very little at 3am and we have thought for a long time that we need to wean him off it. Currently he has 4oz water with 3oz milk and I was planning to try and reduce that, have once and he woke up really early! Or shall I just give him water? He doesnt take a dummy but I read in the book that I could use that instead or is he too old?
I think we have just trained him to wake him up!! I feel at this age he should be able to sleep for longer than 4 hrs, especially now he's in food as well!!

Catnap- he use to have 20 mins around 430, generally in his car seat or pram. He has his other baps in the cot.
I think we are on way to 3 hr A time so the second nap should be later so hopefully can get him to sleep to around 3 rather than 230 which will help with OT. He does go to sleep unaided but recently due to dropping nap he is falling asleep on bottle at bed time. Should I try for an earlier bedtime so you think?
Thanks again for yours or anyone else's advice as I really need to sort this out!!!!!!

I have a 4.5 year old so I think I do rush in quicker during the night than I did first time!!

Offline Martini~

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2017, 20:13:19 pm »
So he gets 7oz of liquid at 3am?
~Marta

Offline annakenrick

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2017, 07:12:58 am »
No 3oz of milk powder made with 4oz water as was going to make milk more watery with the hope that he took more milk during day and I wouldn't just have to withdraw the bottle. I saw the technique on here.

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2017, 08:27:57 am »
You mean 3 scoops of milk powder yes?
~Marta

Offline annakenrick

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2017, 12:25:54 pm »
Yes 3 milk mixed with 4 water, I was intending to drop the power quantity over a few nights until he was weaned off but last few nights have been a nightmare.

He's taking 3 meals now and 4 bottles and he's still waking at 1030pm pretty much 4 hrs after his bedtime bottle then he's waking at 2am then 4 or 5am! It's pretty warm here so that's not helping!

He's also not napping as well!
Everything has gone totally backwards! I'm at a loss.

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2017, 09:04:48 am »
Hi there
How are things going now?  Same?

Looking at your routine, if he's been refusing the CN a while and is still doping so I would just push those A times to 3hrs. He may well be OT for the push but overall you really ned to reduce the last A time which is far too long before his night sleep.  If you push the A time to 3hrs just be prepared to help him with his naps a bit more than usual if he wakes with OT at say 20 mins or so - you can do a W2S and shush/pat him through if this happens.  Over a number of days he should get used to the longer A time in the day.

With the night feeds. It's normal for a 6 month old to still have a DF or a NF. It is coming up to the time to drop the NF but not all babies are going to be ready for that at 6 months, if yours isn't ready yet that's fine. I would think one night feed would be enough if he's formula fed although a growth spurt can increase that need but usually only lasts a few days, not weeks.
The 2am feed I would probably make your formula a normal (not watered down) and offer a smaller amount.  Then have a separate bottle at the ready with just water.  If he drains the smaller amount of milk and is asking for more offer the water.

Taking 3 meals at this age doesn't reduce the need for milk in the night, if anything it can increase it because LO has filled up on solids rather than milk and then still needs the calories from the milk.  It sounds like he is only having small solids meals though so I wouldn't worry too much about that.  His milk intake during the day should not reduce at all with the introduction of solids - it needs to stay at a good intake for several months yet.
Do make sure you are offering water at solids meal times so that he is not thirsty.

routine might looks like this:
WU 6.30
E 7
E 8 solids
A 3hr
S 9.30 - 11
E 11
E 12 solids
A 3hr
S 2 - 3.30
E 3.30
A 3hr
E 6
BT 6.30
DF/NF 10.30 as much as he wants, formula not watered down
NF 2am ish reduced amount, say the 3oz, water in different bottle if needed (see how this goes as you can likely reduce the oz every couple of days so this feed is gone in a week)

If he is waking early due either OT at night or the first nap coming too early for him then I'd hold out for that nap to come as close to 9.30 as you can.  Putting him down earlier may hold off some OT but longer term it can take longer to get your routine back on track.  If you watch the clock for a few days and stick as closely as you can to a suitable routine you should, hopefully, help him back on track and get better sleep more quickly.

you might also need to have his meds checked if he has put on weight. I think it might be a couple of months since he started meds now.

I hope this helps


Offline annakenrick

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2017, 05:45:50 am »
Hello creations

Thanks so much for your detailed reply it does help a lot.
So on Sunday his sleeping turned a corner again almost two weeks to the day when it took a u turn.  So he is now waking to feed around 1045/1145, taking a full 8oz and then going through until around 545, However it was 520 this morning. I'm not sure how to combat this early morning waking but maybe this new routine will help. The problem with the early wakings it that it then sends the new routine out of the window!  Do I give him a little Catnap around 730am  and then go to 3hr activity times? That might send bottle and food times off then!!

It's interesting what you have said as I have been trying to push his activity times to 3hrs and he has been struggling with his naps but I will continue and hopefully he will he used to it. His best naps definetly seem after 2.30 hrs and he's ready then to sleep!
So I should really make sure he's going to bed 3hrs after he wakes from his last nap? So 6/630pm?
Usually he has his solid dinner around 5 and then his bottle at 630 which he is always falling asleep on as he's shattered but he still takes 8/9oz.
You  think if you put them to bed earlier then they will wake earlier but maybe not???
I was worried that he taking too much solids, what's normal at this age? He's takes around 6-10 spoons of food plus a little you hurt or fruit purée for pudding. He is nearly 19lbs now!!
We took him off his meds  a few months ago as he seemed much better.
Thanks again for your help and time!!! I'm very grateful


Offline annakenrick

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2017, 06:01:55 am »
Sorry 1 more question when is he meant to drop the 11am bottle?

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2017, 18:47:43 pm »
His best naps definetly seem after 2.30 hrs and he's ready then to sleep!
If you have tried the 3hr A time for a few days and it's really not working for you plus you feel sure that he would sleep better with a 2hr 30 A time then an alternative routine would be to do the 2hr 30 A time, with the long naps, and then put greater effort into the CN.  The CN might need more A time before it to make him sleepy enough and you might need to use any form of AP you can to get past his nap refusal. This would also mean a much later BT for a while as he would need an A time after the CN too.  You may well find something that is doable for the next few weeks until he is a bit older and more ready to do the longer A time and drop to 2 good naps.

then going through until around 545, However it was 520 this morning. I'm not sure how to combat this early morning waking but maybe this new routine will help.
2 possibilities I can think of:
- he's hungry in which case a quick feed and back to sleep, start the day at a reasonable time
or
- if he is not hungry (ie the above doesn't work) then the earlier waking is due to the first A time being too short. Babies can compensate by waking earlier to give themselves the longer A time before nap.

So I should really make sure he's going to bed 3hrs after he wakes from his last nap? So 6/630pm?
Yes or less than 3hrs if he's not had good naps.  If though you decide to AP a CN then BT would be much later.

Could I direct you to the appropriate boards for your solids and bottle feed questions?
Feeding solid foods:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=14.0
Bottle feeding
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=11.0
It's fine to post on multiple boards if you have different questions and this way we can keep relevant information in the right areas in case any one would like to support and comment or read the advice given.

hope this helps :)
« Last Edit: June 01, 2017, 18:49:23 pm by creations »


Offline annakenrick

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2017, 19:17:36 pm »
Thanks again that's a great help!
He has had a short cat nap at tea time today as he woke up from nap at 215 so we will see how tonight goes. He only had 10 mins and was shattered by 7!

We will see how tonight goes!

Thanks again I will try everything you have suggested

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Re: Hit the 6 month mark and massive u turn please help!
« Reply #12 on: June 02, 2017, 07:20:47 am »
Hope it goes well for you over the coming days/nights.