Deperate and about to let him Cry it out!

[Mom to M&M]

Yes I do think gas can be a big issue. Colin Mac's Mom - have you started any new solids that could be contributing? Some foods known to cause gas are prunes, pears and sweet potatoes -among others. Formula issues can cause gas too. You can always try to give Mylanta one night before bed to see if it makes the difference - 2ml of regular/original Mylanta (which also has Simethicone) just as a test to see. But also maybe keep a food log and see if anything DS eats seems to regularly cause more night wakings...

[Colin Macs Mom]

The gas problem has been resolved for us, but after what we went through I think it's important to make sure that people realize that can be a cause of night wakings. For us it's a habitual thing that we're working on - but like everything else with ds I'm sure it will take quite some time! 

[Garrettsmom]

Thank ya'll for the support. I gave up dairy for about a month now. I even stopped atking my calcium pill. The pedi gave us prescription drops for his gas. I took the quiz and it came out Angel/spirited. Is that even possible? ARen't they opposites?? I guess I am not too far off when I tell people he is great except when he is bad! LOL

[riab]

Maybe a growth spurt. Have you trired expressing milk so you know how much you are procuding late at night? I'd personally advise giving a formula feed at 10/11pm (get hubby to do it) you go to bed at 9pm and sleep unitl the first night waking. Your breast sshould be alot fuller by then so if he is hungry he will get more milk. You get a bit more sleep too.

If you've never expressed milk its quite difficult for your body to keep with a growth spurt and it does sound like he might be hungry. How much does your baby weigh and how much milk does he have between 7am and 11pm? then how much between 11pm and 7am?

[Garrettsmom]

I pump a bottle every couple of days so my parents have some when they watch him on the weekend. For a little while he would only take a bottle at night and wouldn't nurse. That is a good idea to do it everynight though. When I do pump sometimes its 4 ounces and sometimes 6. I will talk to his pedi about the formula feed at night. I was also going to ask about giving him a little cereal at night.
He will be 4 months next week and weights 16-17 pounds already (not official but on my home scale)!!! He has  doubled his birthweight.
Last night I fed him at 6:30 and he went down at 7. At 10 I dfed him but this time gave him both breasts. He didn't wake again until 2 and  I did the same thing. He woke at 4ish but was soaked so I changed him. He woke again at 6 but i just nursed for about 5 minutes and then woke him up at 7 for the day. Do you think I need to be offering both breasts now? Also I put him in his sleep positioner last night. I don't know if that helped or was just a coincidence.

[Mom to M&M]

Please don't give him cereal at night - his little body likely isn't ready for it (despite his weight) and it may only disrupt his digestive system and actually make him wake more.

I agree - maybe pump more to up your supply. I don't BF though so can't add much to that - maybe the BF forum can help you out there? I know there are other "tricks" to up your supply too. Supplementing with formula with only decrease supply, no?

It is probably possible to be angle/spirited - what items came up spirited? If truly spirited with sleep he may need shorter A times, longer wind down periods, etc.

Sounds like last night went great!

[Garrettsmom]

No cereal? My pedi is pretty strict on not starting until 6 months so I guess I will take his advice. I am going to start giving him a bottle of pumped milk at 10 to make sure he is getting enough ounces.
He is spirited when it comes to being vocal, moving alot, grabbing toys, telling me his dislikes/likes but is an angel when it comes to letting others hold him, smiling at people when they talk to him, adapting to new places (he goes to my parents every saturday and does just fine).

[Mom to M&M]

I agree with your Ped - wait until 6 months - the digestive system is more mature/able to handle it then and you reduce the risk of allergies too.

He sounds like a doll! If you can get more good nights like last night and increase your supply, etc - I'm sure he'll start to sleep longer and longer. 4 months is a rough time for sleep in general - so many things going on developmentally - he may be getting ready to roll, creep, etc.

[Leah67]

Sorry for the miscommunication.  The part where I said that I "don't believe in CIO" should not have been connected to the "you have to do what you have to do..."  That is, I have NEVER let my babies CIO, nor will I, nor was I trying to encourage it, Garretsmom.  I was TRYING to explain that can only do your best and to not get so hung up on whether he sleeps 1.25 or 1.5 hours, etc.  I think the BW suggestions/methods are generalizations, and that each child has its own rhythm, and not everything will work.  From my reading of the books, I think Tracy said that, too.   That said, her methods work, (generally), and are child friendly.

Also, when I typed "perfect", I didn't mean that the BW methods were to make your child perfect, hence the quotation marks.  What I was trying to communicate is that I sometimes get frustrated because I get into my head that if I follow the BW advice, my child will/should be as "good" as those cases outlined in the BW books.  I was trying to explain that each child will have his/her own rhythm, and that you can't compare them.   I guess e-mail has limitations.