Not sure where to post this since it involves sleep and feeding, so I thought he EASY forum was most appropriate. First off, life has been so much easier since I got the Miracle Blanket a few days ago. Ds's old swaddling blanket was worthless, and he was constantly breaking out of it and bonking himself on the head, crying as a result. He seems much more content now. I believe he was or maybe still is going through a growth spurt, as he is eating more during the day (he is bottlefed) than he used to. He's 7 weeks old and is in the 90th percentile for weight and height, so he's not hurting for nutrition. He typically eats every 3-4 hours--cycles which I've let him initiate.
I'm finding that two things have been happening lately. First, he's been waking up early from naps the past couple days, but just lies in there, sneezing, getting the hiccups, making really subtle noises, but not fussing or crying. At first I thought, okay, he's awake, and I'd go get him, but then he would be yawning constantly and acting really cranky until the next cycle. So now I've just been leaving him in the crib until it's about time for him to eat again (watching the clock for the 3 hour countdown, which I don't normally do, as I watch his cues). Is it okay for me to just leave him in there like that? I'm feeling guilty like I'm abandoning him, but it IS his nap time. Sometimes I feel like he's been lying in his crib awake as much as he actually sleeps during naptime. He's generally good natured during the day, only cries when hungry or when overstimulated (just prior to naptime).
Second, he goes to sleep at night anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30pm, depending upon how the day has gone and how he is at the end of the day. I DF between 10 and 11pm. He's usually up between 5 and 7am. Starting about 5 days ago, I noticed that when he would wake for his 2:30 (more or less) feeding, he would only take about 1oz in 1/2 hour. So I figured he wasn't really hungry and I would put him to bed promptly. The past two nights now, he's woken up around 3:30 or so, and I've heard him making the same quiet awake noises as he does during the day, but he never fusses or cries, so I haven't gone in to feed him. These past two nights, then, he's then been more fussy between 5-7am, when I then go get him. It doesn't seem to be hurting him not to eat at night, as he's been eating more at night. So I've been judging that if he's not crying, then he must not be hungry, and it seems to be working.
I'm guessing he just must be in more of an alert state these days, and it seems that there aren't any major roadblocks with this new apparent pattern. What do you think? I guess I'm looking for feedback. Thanks.
