I don't know if this will work - but I need to do something!

[CaedensMama]

Okay- I have posted a couple times and have tried a few different things but I am still struggling with night wakings here.

Caeden is just past 4 months, popped his first tooth last week and the other one is also coming in but doesn't seem to be bothering him too much anymore.
Up until about 3 weeks ago he was getting up twice a night to feed and would go right back to sleep. And then gradually he started getting up more and more till the last 10 days or so he has been up every 2 hours every night.
We haven't been doing a dreamfeed at all - though he has been getting up about that time lately
The last 3 nights I have only feed him once during the night when he has gotten up on the recommendation of my ped - he actually said I could drop all the night feeds - he could go 8-12 hours without trouble, but I thought till I get things under control I would feed him once during the night - either a dreamfeed time (9-11ish) and let him go till 7 or 4 am ish and not feed him after he goes down - 7-8ish. I have tried both but neither really worked better then the other and he is still up ALOT. At least every 2 hours now, several times last night 1/2 hour apart - HELP!!!!!
All the other times he has gotten up I have replaced the paci and stayed nearby while he fussed himself back to sleep. Usually a couple scream and cried and then fussy till he relaxes and goes to sleep.
FYI - Caeden is one that almost always cries a little before going to sleep - always has and I cannot get him to stop, but have found that leaving him alone for a few minutes he tends to drift off quicker then if I am in there touching or talking to him. This has shown it self to be true at night as well.
I don't mind letting him fuss a little - I am just getting SO TIRED of being up every 2 hours or less, I feel exhausted by the time I get up in the morning.
He is going to sleep well on his own - during the day and at night - I swaddle him up and give him his paci and leave - he fusses anywhere from 2-10 minutes and is out. Sometimes I have to replace the paci once., but he is getting better about keeping it in lately.
His naps during the day seem to be good - at least one long nap and if I am home (its been a crazy week and we have been out alot this week) 2 long naps during the day. Total his day time naps total about 5 hours or so. Is this normal and about where it should be?
He is also eating every 3-4 hours, eats good and seems to be liking this routine.

I have read alot of the posts on here looking for ideas to try but so far I have either tried it and it doesn't work or it won't work for us anyway.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this to stop? Once or twice a night up to replace the paci would be okay - I just want to stop this up all time nonsense!

Here are some of my thought - what do you think?
- Should he be getting more to eat during the day? Is he waking actually hungry?
- Should I drop all the night feeds and not feed at all from 7-7?
- Should I feed more - like 9-11ish and then again at 4-5ish?
- Is the paci my problem? I don't know that I am ready to tackle this though - he really likes it and goes to sleep so well with it.
- So I keep going and hope it gets better in the next week or so? Just feed once and then replace paci and hope he stops waking up cause he isn't getting feed?

Oh - any help or encouragement would be wonderful!

Thanks a million for reading all this!

[MCGoldsmith]

So, I am confused.. do you think that it's the teething that could be causing the wakes?

Have you tried cluster feeding? I don't think that it would be hunger waking him since it's so frequently. Even if it were a growth spurt I don't think it would be that often. 
Also- if you have someone to help you I would try having your dh go in to soothe him since you are his food source. (if you are bf'ing)

Good luck tonight..

[CaedensMama]

It may be his teeth, not sure.
I do typically cluster feed or feed closer together in the evening, I don't think he is hungrey cause he is doing okay not eating, but he is still waking.....

Tried DH going in - he thinks it's play time and DH doesn't have the patience to wait it out..... :cry:

Any other ideas??

[MCGoldsmith]

hmm... why did you stop the dream feed? Just out of curiousity. How long does he go bw feedings during the day- and has that changed since this started. I do know that I have heard to not extend past the 3-3.5 hour mark until they sleep through the night.

I'll check back soon..

[CaedensMama]

We have never really done the df, didn't just stop - long story but it didn't work w/ our schedule and life!

Feeds have stayed the same 3-4 hours apart during the day, usually some of both thru day

[MCGoldsmith]

post you schedule if you don't mind.

[Katet]

My thoughts are at 4mo 12 hours is too long without a feed 8 is reasonable, but if he is bf 6 is still within normal.

Sorry to tell you this, but sounds like the Paci is the problem, if you have to replace it & he "needs to keep it in" then it has become a prop. where it is a soothing item they rarely get upset when it falls out. With my first it was a prop, with my second it hasn't ever been.

So I think you have to choose to get rid of the paci or live with the wakings... tweeking a day routine may help reduce them, but I think all in all your lo is like my ds#1 he is always going to wake often if he uses a paci.

[jchang]

To keep the paci in, my SIL once suggested to thread a piece of cloth through the paci so that it stays propped up & doesn't fall out.  I know that doesn't solve the prop issue but in the meantime you might get some sleep as you figure out what to do.

[Joey'sMom]

I am interested in this threading the cloth through the paci idea.  How exactly do you do it??

[jchang]

The paci should have a ring which allows you to hold it.  You thread the cloth through that ring.  The cloth has to be big enough that it can prop up by itself - like a burpcloth or kitchen towel.

[CaedensMama]

I'm still here - will post our schedule and what's going on later today - it's a crazy day here and I cannot write right now!

[CaedensMama]

Any ideas?


Our day looks somewhat like this:

E - Wake & Eat (anywhere from 6:30-7:30)
A - Hour and a half - or slightly less, sometimes closer to an hour here
S - 45 minutes

E & A - Wakes and Plays till time to Eat and Plays after Eating - E is at 3 hours after last feed
S - An hour and half after last wake up
Sleeps at least 45 minutes, usually closer to an hour and is getting more and more regular at this being a consistent hour and a half nap

E - Wakes - and if it was a good nap usually eats right away, may wait a half hour or so sometimes
A - Up for at least an hour and a half - sometimes closer to 2 hours (esp if last nap was long!)
S - Usually just 45 minutes here (and in the stroller, I usually take my walk during this nap) - Occassionally this gets turned into a long nap if he transfer to car okay and I go do errands and he stays asleep! More often then not, it's just 45 minutes thought

E & A - 3 hours after last feed, A time either side of feed usually
S - Up for an hour and a half, sleeps for either 45 minutes or close to 2 hours - depends on how the rest of the day has been, his mood and what we are doing. If we are doing alot of running around, it is sometimes 2 shorter naps in the car

E & A - 3 hours after last feed, A time either side of feed, Up for an hour and a half
S - Usually can get a catnap here, 30-45 minutes, usually between 4:30-5:30 goes down for this nap

E - Typically soon after getting up he eats and then we play, or bathe, I will sometimes try and just give him one side when he first gets up and then the other an hour or so later after playing and bath, trying to get his tummy full
S - Typically goes down for the night between 6:30-7:30

[MCGoldsmith]

Hi Jennifer..
sorry it took so long to get back. I think your little guys schedule looks good. I personally don't see anything that may pose a problem to his night awakenings. If I HAD to add something I would say that my lo needs consistancy to his day. When you say that Caeden wakes in the morning anywhere from 6:30 to 7:30 I wonder if you had a set time every day, that even if he wasn't awake you started his day. (?) That helps a lot around here. Also.. do you have a night time routine? Like soft music, dim lighting, massage after his bath time? I think that is very relaxing for them so that may help his sleep if you don't already do so. I don't know what else to tell you. Sorry that I've been no help to you. 
Maybe the pacifier is the culprit like the previous posts have added. Well good luck to you and let me know if it gets better soon. I'm sure it will soon as they are definatley unpredictable!
btw- Caeden is adoreable!! I meant to tell you on the first post.

Hang in there!

[Kimberly®]

probably a strech, but do you think this might be a sign that you'll need to start solids soon? Maybe he needs more caleries a day the  he can get with milk? just a thought.

[Katet]

looking at his routine and age... my thought is  he is ready for  a move to 4 hour Easy (not solids... at a 4mo that could cause even more wakings)

The fact some of his naps are short, but he does do longer ones definitely says he is in snack feeding territory & the waking cycle that comes with it.