6 mnth-reflux-small eater-short naps-long night- but happy

[melvers]

OK, where do I start?
My 6 mnth old girl's naps are getting shorter the older she gets. When she was a few months old she would do 2hr naps sometimes, now her average nap time is 30 minutes.
This means our EASY schedule is about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs long. She does sleep about 10-12 hrs at night, with 1 dreamfeed. From the beginning she has had reflux problems and will not eat a lot per feed. She will now drink about 150 ml at a time, sometimes 180. She gets some solids but also will not eat loads. During the day she can stay up for 2 hrs max and then she really needs her nap. Getting her to sleep is REALLY easy, as we have followed Tracy;s advise from the beginning. (after about 5 minutes of quiet time you can put her in her crib and she will doze off immediately.) After 30 minutes however she will wake up- what seems to me -completely refreshed and happy. Don't know how to get her back to sleep as she will be completely wide awake , smiling and playing in her crib, and quite often hungry.  I have tried shorter wake times (1hr to 1 1/2 hr) but still her naps are only 30 minutes. If I keep her up longer she will be overtired and crying. She does not get cranky until its time for her nap again (after about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs now). I am not sure what the problem is here; is she hungry, or just not tired enough, or does she just not need more sleep (as she is doing average 11 per night)?  How long should a baby her age be up really? Is it really a problem if her naps are this short (as she seems happy)? What would an ideal schedule be considering she won't eat much at a time?
Thanks for your help!

[melvers]

Thanks so much for your reply!
She was only diagnosed a week ago for reflux but I am not a fan of giving babies heavy medication and I was wondering if there is nothing else (more natural ways) to help her. Her reflux is not severe and some days more then others. Also if we give her the medication she has to wait 30 minutes before she can eat (doctors prescription) and that's just too long for her to wait for a feed after she wakes up. If she gets really hungry she will really gulp her milk down, will get hiccups and gas within a few minutes and not eat anymore at all. She does get a special milk during the day (thicker and especially for babies who have digesting problems). She gets breastfed evenings and morning (before I go to work). She has started eating some solids now (grains and fruit) but again little amounts at a time and she will ask for her bottle after a few bites. I have read that reflux children should eat little at a time (which is what she does naturally already I guess) and at shorter intervals- which she is doing as well with the routine she is on now (every 2-3 hrs), but that does not help us to extend her nap time! Should I maybe feed her more times in one EASY schedule, i.e. feed her  an hour after the first feed, then have more A time and then go for a nap (would then be EAEASY)? Maybe then feed her solids/milk in separate feeds? But how much time should I leave in between feeds?  And another big question;What is a "normal" Activity time for a 6 month old?
Looking forward sooo much to your feedback!
Marjolein, mummy to Katherina

[Zoey]

Hello there, my son is 8m and has reflux too.

Did your doc start her on a PPI like, prevacid or prilosec - or something like Zantac or axid?  All of these meds take about 2 weeks to reach full effectiveness.  Have you seen any improvement yet?  Is she spitting up alot, or do you notice her in pain?

A few things that may help if you aren't already doing them:

~Elevate the head of her mattress.  If she spits up of has alot of pain when laying down you can even purchase a Tucker sling.  http://www.tucker.sling.com 
~Have her stay upright for 30mins after her meals.
~Try rubbing not patting when you burp.  Patting tends to aggrovate the already sensitive area at the top of the tummy. 
~Avoid bouncing

What bottles do you use?  We have had fabulous success with Dr Browns.  We use Alimentum ready to feed formula, thickened a bit with oatmeal (thickener adds weight so the formula doesn't come back up as easily).  We sit him in his activity center (he stands up onthe floor, and can sit in the seat) after all meals so he doesn't vomit.  We are on Prilosec, and it seems to be working well.  With this drug he has to wait 30mins after it to eat too, and yes it can be challanging.  I set me alarm for 7am each morning, go get the med and give it to him in his crib (oral syringe) even if I have to wake him a bit to give it, then I leave him - sometimes he will go back to sleep for 30mins, sometimes he wants to get up and we watch a baby einstein dvd (will hold his attention for 30mins LOL).  Perhaps try setting an alarm and getting up and giving it when she is still sleepy? 

Owen was diagnosed with reflux AND started Easy at 4 months - I feel the routine has helped him tons.  He doesn't have trouble waiting 4 hours to eat and he has no touble with the amounts needed to make it 4 hours as long as he sat upright after.  How many ounces is she getting when you bottle feed? 

I agree with Stacy, I think the many small feeds and the short A times are cause your short naps - she just isn't tired enough to sleep past 30mins but then isn't restes enough to stay awake long.  Are you willing to try to increase the times between her feeds?  The longer she is on the med the more things should improve. 

I hope this helps some - if I can help in any way, please let me know.

Good Luck, I know its tough.
Love
Zoey

[melvers]

Hi,
Thanks for the feedback!
She will average drink about 5 ounces at a time.
We live in Belgium and her doctor prescribed motilium which is normally  prescribed for nausea and vomitting.
She does not spit up a lot a lot, maybe more then an average baby and it will depend on the day. Somedays she will be fussing a lot and even crying during feeds.
I have found some homeopathic drops for reflux and will try these first.
I have tried this morning on keeping her up a bit longer (maybe 10 minutes)- she was then really really tired- but still only slept 35 minutes. I guess I should try this for some more days? We do already put her in her activity centre after feeds.

Is your 8 month old getting solids? And if so, what is your schedule?

thanks

[Zoey]

Hey there!

Motilium is no longer available in the US so I am not that familiar with it, though I do understand it helps reflux by  helping the stomach empty faster.  I do know that Zantac if very effective and very safe to use in babies.  If she is crying during her feeds, it may be because her throat hurts from the acid coming up.  Often Owen would arch his back and crane his neck and cry during feedings - we he did this, we knew it was time for an increase in his medication.  I am not sure how helpful Motilium is in regards to the acid coming up into the throat and burning the tissues there.  Perhaps discuss this with your doctor, because you don't want her to be in pain - this will effecting eating and sleeping, and you don't want her to associate feeding with pain.  I have heard of people using Motilium with another med like Zantac or Prevacid when baby is spitting up alot but I haven't seen it use alone (doesn't mean it isn't used alone, I just am not familiar).  I know you don't like to have her on medication, and I completely understand that, but if left untreated problems can arise, and she isn't going to sleep or eat well until she is comfortable.

At 6m Owen was getting 2 "meals":
7am 6oz
730am solids 1-2T

11am 6oz
1130am solids 1-2T

I hope this helps some!

Zoey