Author Topic: Should I try W2S?  (Read 1996 times)

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Offline cathbilson

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Should I try W2S?
« on: June 14, 2006, 23:34:16 pm »
My DS is 5 weeks and 1 day old and a big baby - now weighs over 11 pounds. He has been on EASY since day 1 and is doing very well. However, in the last week or so I noticed that at the 2am feed he's hardly sucking at all - barely takes an ounce at my guess (I'm breastfeeding). So night before last when he woke me at 2.40 I went in, re-swaddled him, gave him his dummy and put him back to bed. He went right back to sleep and woke up at 5.30 hungry.
This morning, it was 2 when I heard him: i went in, he'd fought his way out of the swaddle and was half-way up the cot kicking as usual. Dummy, re-wrap, back to sleep. Then it was 4 when he woke hungry. Fed him, back to sleep, awake at 6.30. Not too bad. Except I was up twice in the night, not once as I've gotten used to (I'm so spoiled). I'm so tempted to go back to feeding him when he wakes  between 2 and 3, because when I did that he would sleep through till between 6 and 7. Except I have the feeling I'm setting a trap for myself if I do. My mum says if I just stick with the dummy at 2 he'll eventually stop wanting it and not wake up. But I'm wondering if I should try wake to sleep? And at what time? He almost always wakes sometime between 2 and 3 - I think. The problem is he really makes very little noise, and I've no idea how long it takes him to fight out of his swaddle. Could be up to half an hour, or even more, before I wake up thinking 'did I just hear something?' and go in to check. By then he's wide awake and kicking happily - and with hands like ice blocks, the poor mite.
I'm also terrified that if I go in at 1.30 and try wake to sleep, he'll still be up at 2.30 and then at 4.30 and then 6.30 - and I'll have had no sleep at all! It takes me half an hour at least to get back to sleep after I've been up.
Help!
Mum to Kieran (born 10 May 2006)

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2006, 00:01:29 am »
Congratulations on your new lo!!! Sounds like you have a great little sleeper on your hands - my DS wasn't sleeping near that well at 5 weeks.  ::)  ::)  But that's another story.

I'm a little confused though - when you say that if you stick with the dummy at 2 he'll stop wanting it - what's it? The dummy, or a feeding?
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline cathbilson

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2006, 00:55:51 am »
Um - either. I think what my mum means is that he'll realise there's really not anything worth waking up for if he only gets a dummy instead of feeding, so he won't bother waking up...
She's given me some pretty sensible advice, having raised four kids of her own and helping my sister with her four (including twins) without going insane, so, I'm reluctant to discard it unless someone thinks it's nonsense. And yes, I know I've only done it 2 nights and that really isn't enough to make a pattern, but I'm nervous that I could do this for a week and accidentally parent him into a pattern where he thinks it's playtime at 2am. SHould I stick with it a few more nights or should I try W2S tonight? Has anyone else had this problem and NOT tried W2S - and if you did, how long did they take to stop waking for the dummy?
Mum to Kieran (born 10 May 2006)

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2006, 17:41:39 pm »
The problem that I see is that the dummy will become a prop, and he will start waking for that instead of a feeding. Trust me, I got myself into that situation so I can almost guarantee that it will happen at least eventually.  ::)  So, if you don't mind getting up for the paci then fine, but if you do, then definitely go for wake to sleep.
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
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Offline cathbilson

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2006, 21:31:18 pm »
Uh-oh. I think I might just have made a very big mistake.
Tried wake to sleep last night. Went in at 2 and found that Kieran had wriggled out of his wraps but was asleep. So I wrapped him back up, trying not to wake him. He grunted a bit and tensed a couple of times, so I figured I'd probably done enough. And sure enough, he slept until 4, when he woke hungry. Fed him and he took a good solid 20 minute feed. Went back to sleep sweetly enough.
Only then - he woke at 5.20 screaming his head off. Thought it might be wind, so I gave him a dose of gripe water and tried burping him. A couple of little burps, but nothing much,a nd he would not settle back down. Every time I laid him down in the cot, he started screaming again, and each time I had to pick him up it took longer and longer to calm him down. In the end, desperate, I put him on the breast. He suckled happily for about 3 minutes and passed out.
It's 7.30 now and I can just hear him starting. I have the really bad feeling that getting him through more than 2 hour feedings today is going to be one hell of a battle.
Mum to Kieran (born 10 May 2006)

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2006, 21:36:40 pm »
Sounds like good news and bad news - good that w2s works  :D but bad that it does seem that the sucking (whether it be paci or breast) is a prop  :( 

There is a sticky on the props board, I think it's called the gentle removal technique, or something to that effect. Take a peek over there and you should get some ideas on how to handle that issue.
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline cathbilson

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2006, 22:52:30 pm »
Yes.
THinking a bit more clearly, I'm not sure that it was the sucking that was the prop. because there was no way on this earth that he was having the dummy at 5.30 this morning. Every time I put it in his mouth (before I tried the breast) he either screamed around it or spat it out and screamed louder. Maybe he actually was still hungry. I know - from watching him with a bottle - that he's quite capable of socking down 2 ounces in 3 minutes. And I'm not all that sure that at 4 am he really did feed that well. Because although he seemed to be sucking for 20 minutes there wasn't a lot of swallowing. And although he was awake at 7.30 he wasn't actually looking for food, more for company. In the end I fed him at 8, realising that he'd get overtired otherwise, let him play for half an hour and put him down. he's just gone off for a nap now (8.45).
Maybe I shoudl have tried the dummy at 4. Maybe it was just him waking later that usual for his dummy suck. But I know he only took 2 ounces at the dream feed at 10.30 last niht, so I was convinced he was hungry. Never occurred to me to try the dummy.
Oh, well. I'll just have to play it by ear. Hopefully tonight will be better. Not that last night was all that bad - for him. I couldnt' get back to sleep after doing w2s at 2, kept listening out for any little noise. Now is not the time to get my insomnia back!
Mum to Kieran (born 10 May 2006)

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2006, 22:57:04 pm »
Hmmmmm... well when my DS was 5 weeks I believe we were still doing 2 or 3 feeds at night. LOs usually need at least one night feed until at least 6 mo. sometimes even longer. So by all means, if you even suspect that he's hungry definitely feed.
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
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Offline Gippie

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2006, 14:46:16 pm »
Topic I needed to ask about - question is slightly different.

DD is 6m3w and a great sleeper.   She has ALWAYS gone to bed at 8 and woke at 6(no NWS) - which was GREAT cause I work and we spend the first hour together.

IN the past 2 weeks she has started to....
- - 4:30 wakes where she feeds and goes right back to sleep!!!!   
- - LAST NIGHT - she woke at 12am and CRIED - she NEVER EVER has done that!!!!  Now let me say that last night I did not do the DF cause I was out after her bedtime, so I gave the DF at 1am - bad I know - but only did it cause I wasnt home - dint want to ask my mom to get up for the night feed - anyway.   

In this time, some things have changed.

1.   She has realy gotten mobile.   Settling her for bed/nap is hard - her body moves and I swear her brain is asleep.   She is rocking in her crib all the time.
2.   Solids are at 2 meals per day. Going well
3.  She was Mostly BF until 1 week ago where I stopped the 2 day pumps and now only BF in morn and night - she is fine on formula.
4.   DF changed from BF to bottle.    This is the ONE thing that I swear is the biggest difference?  It's the one I want to test out first.    The ONLY reason I am hesitant is that I want to keep the BF's 12 hours apart for "refilling purpouses" and a feed at 10 wont leave me really ready for a feed at 6-7am.   Anyway - I can deal with it - just want to fix the NW at 4:30.  I will gladly make the DF a BF until we officially drop the DF.

Questions -

What do I tackle first?
 - Go back to old DF of BF and KEEP the DF at a solid 10pm - like we always did and try to follow Tracy's get rid of the DF schedule?
 - do I do w2s at 3:30am tonight?

When I am OFFICALLY out of school - I teach - on Friday - I will shorten her naps to get a later awake time as 6 is not nessecary - but we have to address the 4:30 if possible - she NEVER did it before.

Any help is appreciated - THANKS
Stacey
« Last Edit: June 21, 2006, 14:54:59 pm by Gippie »

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2006, 15:51:41 pm »
Hi Stacey,

Sounds to me like the waking(s) are developmental. And/or teething, is that a possibility? Anyway, the 6 month time is a tough one for sleeping because they start learning all sort of things and want to practice. Make sure that your DD is getting tons of time during the day to practice and she won't be as likely to need to do it at night. You're right about that body moving while brain is asleep thing - two nights ago my DS was 100% asleep in his crib sitting up. Not kidding.  ::)

I would consider trying w2s at 3:30. As far as the DF goes, I don't know that you need to go back to BF for it, but I would definitely keep it at a solid 10pm.
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline Gippie

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2006, 16:41:47 pm »
Jessica - THANK YOU!!!!!  I was thinking exactly what you wrote- I don't think I need to go back to the BF at the DF either, but I felt like it ws the biggest "change" - good, I can "x" that one off of my list.   

I WILL do w2s tonight and teething is NOT a problem - she has ALL EIGHT TEETH!!!!!   See her age in the ticker below - she started RIGHT at 4 months and went about 1/week.    She has had all 8 for about 1.5 weeks now - CRAZY!!!!!    Now that they are all through, I can see how the symptoms of no eating and drooling are a lot better.   

Yes - the development is huge adn she DOES get a TON of time to play and "do" - in fact, I almost feel bad cause her whole afternoon with me is spent on the floor or the bed, playing and climbing.   I'd rather do stuff with her than watch her sit in an saucer or something.

THANKS!!!!
STacey

Offline Colin Macs Mom

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2006, 17:36:12 pm »
LOL Stacey, I can't believe she is 6 mo. and has all eight teeth - Colin still has big fat ZERO!

Glad I could help you, but I'm sorry there's no real cure for the developmental wakings. All you can really do is let them practice all they want during the day and if they wake at the same time, do w2s and pray!  ;)  ;D
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o


Offline Gippie

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2006, 18:28:33 pm »
Yeah - the teeth are pretty funny - she looks too old!!!

THANK YOU Again!

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2006, 12:00:44 pm »
Jessica - Update from last night.

I DID do the DF at th normal time of 10, it was a BF AND I did w2s at 3:30 and guess what????   She slept through till 6am - which is her "normal" time!!!!  Yippie!   Of course the BAD part is - which thing was the ticket to success?   I guess I can find that out with some tweaking.   I went to BF her before bed and she was NOT interested - feeling sort of bad and have decided to wean a little more-  down to JUST the DF.  It feels a bit sad that she "rejects" nursing, but does really well at the DF - so I think I will wean with that feed and let the end be as positive as the start.

Update in a day or two.

Stacey

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Re: Should I try W2S?
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2006, 15:53:37 pm »
Cool! Isn't it funny how they have such strong personalities sometimes at such tender ages? It amazes me!
Jessica
Mom to Colin Ronald, August 18, 2005
Spirited + Reflux =  :o