My DS just turned 5 months old today. Due to his size (21 pounds and 27 inches), the doctor has commented that he is the size of a 12 month old. DS is waking at least three times at night sometimes more. On a good night, he wakes up every 4 hours. These times are not constant, they shift depending on when I last fed him. Lately I haven't been doing the adult directed DF - I feed him when he first wakes up usually between 10 and 12 pm and one other time during the night. The other times I give him his lovey and soother.
Doctor suggests giving him cereal before he goes to bed. My friend also has a big boy and her doctor says that he should be feed at least once a night due to his size.
I don't want to do cereal considering my husband and I have allergies and asthma and he is a healthy boy. I can handle another month of this. I suspect that I do go in too early (he will fuss loudly for an hour if I let him) and that he is a bit of a paci addict (although I have seen him fall asleep without it).
Does anyone have any suggestions?
How old is your child? 5 months
What’s his/her daily routine? 4 hour EASY, day starts at 6:30 am - often wakes up at 5:30 am but I leave him in his crib unless he cries
What’s nap routine? diaper change, double swaddle with one arm out, brief cuddle, white noise, paci, lovey
How long are naps? 45 minutes mostly, seemed to have this licked until we went away for two weekends in a row, will get 1 1/2 hr occassionally
What's bedtime routine? Time? same as nap but includes a bath between 7:00 and 7:30 pm
Do you bottle or breastfed?? breastfeed exclusively
How much? or how long? both sides, 15 minutes
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed) both
How many wakes per night? 2 to 4
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up? Talks to himself, gets increasingly fussy, makes a cry noise, conitues to fuss loudly (I have left him for an hour and he doesn't stop until I go in and give him his paci or BF). He cries when I go in. Depending on how I read him (has it been 4 hours since I last feed him, did he have a bowel movement, etc), I either put the paci in or more often than not feed him
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry? fussing for over 20 minutes or about to cry
What have you tried to settle?? paci, white noise, shush pat, pu/pd, give lovey, reswaddle
What do you do for A time and how long is it? 1 1/2 hr to 2 hr except first wake up . He is crying for sleep after the first hour up.
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones? no
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months) no
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? possibly paci, to get him to sleep I reinsert it when he gets really fussy. I have seen him fall asleep without it
Do they have a lovie? yes, a small blanket with a bear head attached
