Night waking advice

[mummoore]

Night waking advice
Hi,
I'm not sure if I have posted correctly, I was trying to ask my question following a message I read but couldn't find the right link!! Good start eh.

Anyway her is CM's details as requested in the mail I read:

CM is 4 months 2 weeks and 6 days
We manage the 4 hour E.A.S.Y knid of.
Daily routine:

wakes around 7am-7.30am

feed - somedays two cubes of homemade baby food and milk manages about 180mls
       - or just milk (and solid at next feed instead) about 180-240mls
plays on matt,top and tail and dress (sometimes bath).
more playing, singing talking
awake for 2 hrs (sometimes a little less)

9am nap aim for 2 hrs (usually quite good for first nap)

11am wakes or is woken for feed- milk and solid as above if not given with first feed.
play on matt, singing,musical toys,reading or go for a walk.

1pm nap after 2 hours max awake time- sometimes only goes from 45mins some days-2hrs on another

3pm feed 2cubes of solids and milk as before
play ect as above gets tired quite quickley around 4-5pm sit quietly together and Cm normally dozes off sometimes 1hour or slightly more..

Bit wishy- woshy between now and bathtime.
6.45-7pm- feed 210-240mls bath with play massage, stories and snuggle, swaddle then bed in cot in her own room.

Dreamfeed at 11pm 210-240mls. nappy change (newly started nappy change as she was waking earlierand poo's more often!-this seemed to make it better).

can go straight through to 3-4am, wakes i put dummy back in and she goes straight back to sleep. then sleeps until 7am-7.30 (some days 8am+ if we leave her for a lye in)
some days between 3am onwards we are in and out around the hour mark to replace the dummy!

I have not fed in the night for nearly 1 month now (as Tracey says a 4 month old should not require feeding at night). She is obviously not hungery as she goes back to sleep.

naps- 1-2hrs x 2 then 45-1hr in early evening, more if day naps have been poor.
bedtime routine- as above
now fully bottle fed (was breast+dreamfeed bottle until 4months)
Wakes per night-  usually once around 3-5am
                          can be multiple times/hourly from 3am onwards on a bad day.

When she wakes, she doesn't really cry/scream (never really has done) I can hear her mubbling and the cough like cry sound small grizzle, if left to wait if she settles she will start to cry.
I go in and she is turning her head for her dummy, sometimes she has her hands out of her swaddle.  I replace dummy and normally reswaddle and she goes back to sleep straight away. (what is mantra crying? sorry! )
Now and again I will try to leave her hands out to see if she can settle like this, but often have to return and swaddle which makes her settle quicker.

We try to wait/ignore the little sounds and wait to see if she is going to settle. but we are usually pretty certain that she wants her dummy repalcing.  and will eventually cry.

A time as above
Cm has possible been teething for a good month now- drooling red cheeks but has no teeth showing as yet and has not been upset with it for a good few weeks.

Started having pured veg and fruit at 4 months - tried increasing milk during the day first, to stop night feeds, but still seemed hungry so started solids. now on 3rd week and has 4 ice cudes a day in two meals.

Started using a dummy around 3 months. Before managed with only shush pat and swaddle.  Cm was always suckling and now I think we have an addict on our hands as she seems to demand the dummy. her little mouth reaches for it, she will grad for it but cant quite get it in her mouth and keep it there.  her hands whip it out, which is not a problem while she is swaddled. but it pops out once she is asleep.  We have tried waiting and removing the dummy sooner but she either holds it in tight or crys if we pull it out before she is asleep. Then settles as sson as we replace it, eyes roll!  We are trying to not give it during the day but sometimes she seems to like to snuggle up and chill suckling her dummy and you cant take it off her.

she does not have a lovie.

What I wanted to ask was- Although she is pretty good and we are very lucky . We wanted to know if there are any suggestions as to how to eliminate the early waking for the dummy. Could she actually be hungry but I am making her wait until 7am.  I cant seem to 'make' her drink any more milk than she does.  I know I should have tried to not start with a dummy/paci but I was spending alot of time with her sucking my finger! She likes sucking, bless her.  I am not sure when I should stop swaddling- as when we try she still falps her arms about although she can get them out and will sleep once asleep. swaddle is definatly a sleep que.  I felt shush pat was becoming a prop, but have stopped that for the dummy.  Once the dummy goes in we can leave the room and she falls asleep....sucking.

Is this ok? or should we be aiming to stop the sucking?
I start to get confused around about here and waffle so I will leave it at that for now.

Thanks
Any advice would be great
jackie


i have watched her today and tried to remove the dummy, but she stirs and 'pants' for it to go back in!

[Kimberly®]

I is possable that its a paci dependency, however I would question, does she always need it to sleep? is this the only time she uses it?
If she's able to fall asleep without it more often then not then I'd suggest you keep an eye on it, but I'd be reluctant to label is as a prop just yet.
As for your swaddling, your LO is old enough that you can wean her from that if your ready. You can start that by swaddling with one arm out at a time, then both, then slowly lower the swaddle until its gone.
Its time to introduce a Lovie, that will also help with the paci Find a small stuffie or a small blanket you feel safe leaving in the crib and introduce that before the paci when she wakes and she'll eventually give up the paci for it, or you will have an easier time taking the paci when the time comes.

I do also have to as, how come she's getting so many solids?? For 4 months she's getting a lot of solids, that may also be part of the waking problems, solids foods when given to early or to much can cause gas and cramping, and it can also lead to a drop in formula intake which wakes them in the night. Would you concider dropping some or all of the solids? or at least just give plain cereals as they are less harsh on LO's tummies. That would also be a big concern of mine.

HTH

[teezee]

i do agree with karita that is awfully early to be on solids...and as far as the paci i think it is ok at the moment but may turn into a problem later - u can always try gentle removal and see if u have any success with that.
as far as shh/pat becoming a prop...i don't think if used properly this could be.  as long as u do it to help lo initially fall asleep and then if lo wakes through a sleep...not just if they start mantra crying, or being restless...kwim?  it will help teach your lo to resettle herself and to put herself to sleep imho.

here is the link for gentle removal if you are really concerned about the paci - although right now i don't think that it is a huge issue - u may want to try tackling it before it potentially is...btw my lo is 9 mo and still has her paci to go to sleep. if she is overtired that day and wakes within the first few hrs after going to sleep she still needs me to put it back in but this rarely happens and she is still sleeping through the night once she pops it out.

[teezee]

again..here is the link for gentle removal if u are interested!

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=52857.0