Author Topic: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently  (Read 2009 times)

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Offline Darien

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5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« on: April 04, 2006, 17:35:38 pm »
Hi everyone,
Any advice anyone could give would be great as my husband and I are absolutely exhausted!!  First I"ll answer those questions:

How old is your child? 5 1/2 months
What’s his/her daily routine? wake at 7:30am - bottle at 8:00
                                        10:00 nap for 45 mins.
                                        11:00 - rice cereal (started a couple of weeks ago)
                                        12:00 - lunch bottle
                                        2:00 or 3:00 - nap for 45 mins-2 hours (unpredictible)
                                       4:00 - bottle
                                       7:15 - bath
                                       7:45 - bottle                                           
                                       8:00 - bed
                                       11:00 p.m. - df
What’s nap routine?   Difficult!  She sleeps for about 45 mins if put in her crib.  I can get her to sleep for longer if she is in the same room with me, either in her bouncy chair or in my arms.  When in crib, she starts cooing after 45 minutes.  If I don't catch her right at that point (and pick her up, and shush her), she will be wide awake by the time I get upstairs and I can't put her back to sleep.  The only way I can get her to take the recommended 1.5 hour nap is to have her on my chest (I know - a big NO NO)
How long are naps? (above)
What's bedtime routine? Time? Activity, bath, bottle, then bed.  She goes to sleep very well at this point.
Do you bottle or breastfed?? Bottle (6 oz per bottle except for the 8:00 p.m. bottle where she takes 7 oz).
How many wakes per night? Previously, about 2.  For the past 3 nights, 6-10!!!!
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?  She looks uncomfortable, rolling around in her crib.  She doesn't appear hungry to me.  She is squirmy and unhappy.  Diaper changes don't seem to help.
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry?  We just stopped responding to the mantra cries last night - a couple of times she did put herself back to sleep.
What have you tried to settle??  She has a pacifier which has worked very well up until this point.  I also shush (she doesn't like patting) and rock her a bit.
What do you do for A time and how long is it?  Lots of things - playing with toys, going to the store, going for walks, reading books. 
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones?  I don't know!!  Maybe she is teething - she has been drooling for a few weeks now and putting lots of things in her mouth.
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)  2 x per day - about 4 tsps each tiime - the amount has been gradually increased.  She enjoys it.
Do they have a prop? If so what is it?  Yes, a pacifier.
Do they have a lovie?  No.

My 5-month-old daughter has been on EASY pretty much since birth and took very well to it.  She is an Angel/Textbook baby according to Tracy's classification.  She was only just recently weaned off her 4 a.m. feed - her previous feeding schedule was 8:00, 12:00, 4:00, 8:00, df @ 11:00, 4:00a.m.  We stopped the 4 am feed 2 weeks ago as she suddenly didn't seem to be hungry at that hour, she was just wide awake.  With a little shush-pat and paci, she was back down.  But that only lasted for about a week and a half.  Now, for the past 3 nights, she has been up at odd times (i.e. 12:30 a.m., 2:00 a.m, 3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., 5:30 a.m.)  She seems uncomfortable when I go into see her.  She sometimes doesn't even have her eyes open, and is just squirming around and crying.  We thought we were overstimulating her during the day, so I tried keeping things really calm yesterday - but no change in the nighttime wakings.  Any advice anyone could give would be much appreciated as we are exhausted over here!!!

Offline busymomof2

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2006, 00:18:12 am »
well mom, all i can say is that i am in the exact same boat!!!!!
same age, same gender, same schedule, except she goes to bed at 7pm and is up for good at 5am...
naps for max 45 minutes unless she is in the car...does not eat much during the day but is also un interested at night???
let me know if you figure it out? i just posted a few minutes ago about waking her between 830 and 10 b/c was thinking i was putting her down too early????

i too, am exausted...nice to know i'm not alone..it's not just my baby!

Offline Darien

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2006, 00:20:17 am »
Will let you know!  I'm so tired that I typed out my original post again thinking I had done it wrong the first time becuase I couldn't see it on my screen. 

Offline teezee

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2006, 00:44:08 am »
don't have too much time right now but i saw that your lo is now started on cereal. i know i started my lo early and really regretted it as i started having tons of night wakings due to tummy troubles..gas, cramping, constipation, etc.  it took a couple of weeks for it to actually show any effects also so could this be what is wrong??  maybe you want to try and cut it out for a couple weeks, let it all work through lo's system and see if there are any improvements??! also, rice can be very constipating and may give lo excess cramping or gas as well.  if after this works through lo's system you may want to try barley or rice instead.  like i said, i would wait and see if not having the cereal helps your lo as well. let me know what you think.
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005




Offline busymomof2

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2006, 01:14:48 am »
just read tawny's response...could this be it??? i started my little one on solids about 4 months....she has had HUGE  constipation problems...perhaps i should stop solids??????

Offline teezee

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2006, 04:16:17 am »
...oops didnt' mean barley or rice..meant barley or oatmeal  :-[ :-[ told you i was rushing!! ;)

well about the routine - i think def at 5.5months that bm/formula NEEDS to be the lo's main source of nutrition.  i would def put the 11am feeding to a bottle rather than the cereal if u are going to stick with it let lo fill up on the bottle first. it could be too that lo is filling up on solids and waking at night for the bottle that should have been taken in the day - lost calories have to be taken in somehow (formula/bm has many more calories than cereal although cereal will take longer to digest..and if digestive systems are even slightly immature will lead to the tummy troubles i mentioned earlier - which may also cause lo to eat less due to an upset belly...vicous cycle i think...) and lo will wake at night for the bottle to make up for it.

i also think that if lo is up by 3pm then if going to bed by 8pm lo will be totally overtired and need a catnap..even if it falls at 5 for a half hr or so.  i think that the short naps could also be due to overtiredness...not being able to get through sleep cycles b/c of jolts, etc.  have you tried wake to sleep?? or pu/pd to extend naps some?? if lo isn't crying/screaming i def wouldn't go into the room.  if lo plays for a half hr consider that 'resting time' and go with it.  if lo wakes crying try pu/pd for 40 min or till next feeding time whichever comes first...have a short A time and/or feeding and then try to nap again, if needed using pu/pd. if you look on the pu/pd board you will find many more useful things to help you if that's what you choose to do. if you want to try wake to sleep (if lo always wakes at the same time..) that is also an option. you are absolutely right -unless you want lo to only sleep while on your chest - you must teach lo independant sleep - and the younger lo's are the easier it is - but that is totally YOUR choice for what you want to do. i def wouldn't resort to rocking lo unless that is how you choose to have lo sleep - it is only WRONG if that's not how you want to do things kwim?

busymomof2 - could you pls also post routine? it sounds as though lo is also overtired/overstimulated by the evening/night wakeups a few hrs after going to sleep...i wouldn't say it is the bedtime - i think the bedtime is great!
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005




Offline Darien

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2006, 14:36:23 pm »
Oh yes, formula is absolutely her main form of nutrition and she consistently finishes all her bottles.  She gets about 31 ounces of formula a day and is only taking a few teaspoons of rice cereal twice a day.  About the tummy upset, not sure - wouldn't I see some evidence during the day?  She continues to have regular bowel movements and no gas since we started.  I bought the oat cereal today and am going to try that.  I think I will also increase her formula by a couple of ounces per day.  I have kept her on a 6 ounce bottle due to a tendency to spit up if I gave over 6 ounces, but I tried 7 ounces this morning and she was OK.  Dad is skinny with a HUGE appetite and for most of his life has woken in the middle of the night to eat cookies!! I don't want her to get into that habit!!! So maybe increasing her calories during the day is the key?

You've started me thinking about the evening catnap - I do try but it is so difficult to find a balance as daddy doesn't come home until 6:00 and wants to play with her.  I am going to try and get a catnap from her today at 5:00 before he gets home. 

I will also try wake to sleep with her naps today and see if that works.  I have tried pu/pd with her and I haven't been very successful.  I will check out the boards when I have a spare minute.

Thank you so much for all your advice.  All the best to you and your LO.
 :)


Offline teezee

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Re: 5-Month-Old Just Starting to Wake Frequently
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2006, 14:40:54 pm »
you wouldn't necessarily see any problems during the day - i know i didn't till she laid down for bedtime and was still...they are moving more during the day so if there is gas or cramping it probably isn't as prominent if laying still for a long period kwim?? it may not be that also - just from my experience it was.

good luck with everything else and keep me updated with how lo is doing!
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005