7 month old with EASY trouble

[Preston's Mom]

My son just turned 7 months has been on E.A.S.Y since he was 6 weeks old, but we recently had to change babysitters so she had to get accustomed to the "E.A.S.Y way of life" .  My son is breastfeed and is doing great on solids and until about a month ago he was only waking once or twice at night, however, for the last two weeks he is waking every two hours.  I had been using shush/pat for a while to get him to sleep but now I have to do that EVERY time he wakes up in the middle of the night and can't get himself back to sleep.  He still wants to be swaddled (all but his feet! but when he wakes up he is trying to get out of the swaddle.  Please help because I thought by now he would be able to put him self to sleep after I lay him down, but he starts crying, I do PU/PD and patting for a while then he goes to sleep.  Sometimes when he wakes up at night he trying to suck my face when I pick up him (which is his sign that he's hungry) but I feed him before he goes to bed and again at 10:30 or 11:00 and still wakes 2 hours later. He has slept through the night before so I know he can, but I don't know what I need to do differently.....PLEASE HELP!!!!

[rebecaq]

Hi there! Welcome to BW!

It sounds to me like your lo is going through a growth spurt. Have you done a yield to see how your supply is doing?

- Beca

[Preston's Mom]

I am back to work now and pump 2 or 3 times and normally get 4 oz on each side everytime I pump. I thought it may be a growth spurt also, but I thought it would only last for a couple days! For the last week, I have been BF before he goes down at 8pm, give him 7oz. of formula for the DF to make sure he has enough to get through the night.  Although, he drinks the entire 7oz. at DF he still gets at different times through the night (never the same time).  Last night he had DF at 11pm, woke up at 12:30ish, around 2:30 (BF) and again at 5 AM.  Each time he woke up I waited before I went in his room.  When he wakes up I reswaddle him, do PU/PD a couple times then I pat him on the back until he goes to sleep.  At 5AM this morning, I tried the PU/PD and he settled then he woke up 20 min later.  I am trying to eliminate the nighttime feedings but don't know if he really is hungry or just using the BF as a prop.  My husband thinks I need to feed him everytime he gets up but I don't think he's hungry everytime he wakes.  Sorry this is so long! 

Two issues: night time waking and hard time settling to sleep (so I don't have to pat him every night until he goes to sleep and each time he wakes up).  I am very sleep deprived and working full time!  Looking for suggestions or routines for working mothers since my LO wakes before 7, I have to adjust routine but not sure how!

[*Mona*]

hi

my dd is 7 mos as well and I'm working full time too

I think that he could have been going through a growth spurt initially but now he may be using those feedings as a comfort thing. those problems with night wakings started when you changed babysitters, didn't they?
when I first went back o work my nicely sleeping almost through daughter suddenly started waking 3,4,5... times per night. it took her some 2 weeks to get back to 'normal' but it definitely was related to my going back to work. so maybe you son, a big boy already who knows very well who's taking care of him, recognizes people around him etc., is showing you this way that he has very well noticed the change of babysitters?

I think you're doing a tremendous job resettling him using PU/PD and shh at night! does he wake the same hours almost every time at night? if so, it's rather not hunger but habitual waking.

how was your night tonight?

Monika

[rebecaq]

Hi,

I totally agree with Monika.  If he has hit a new milestone added to the change in babysitter it could be also playing a part.  If it is habitual waking you could try wake-to-sleep to break the habit. I did it with my ds when he was waking at night at around 9 months and it worked beautifully!!!

Let me know how last ngiht went 

- Beca

[nickaucher]

My dd is teething right now- one tooth through and the other almost through.  She has been trying to suck on my face, neck, shoulder, anything!  Usually this is her sign for hungry, but right now it is for- I'm teething.  Is there a possibility that your lo is also teething?

-Nicole

[yaya]

just caught up with this thread. A few thoughts, have u tried giving some pain meds eg calpol? if it is teething then it'll help. Have u noticed the nightwakings being at similar times? it could be habitual. Also 7 mo is pretty eventful developmentally so i think its normal for some ngihtwakings to start again. How r his day sleeps?
Hope things get betetr very soon!

[litomi]

Shush/pat does not work for LO over 6mo. Also, you have to do PU/PD differently than you used to.
My LO is 7.5mo. Last few weeks was like hell  .... Several nightwakings + I've to go to work.
Just to let you know you are not alone...

[Preston's Mom]

Thanks for the great advice!  Just had a chance to get back on line today!  Last two nights have been little better, he's still getting up at least twice a night but I have managed to remember  (in my "zombie" state) not to feed him unless I know I have tried PU/PD and he still doesn't settle.  I have been doing PU/PD now when he gets up.  I have only tried Baby Orajel which doesn't work very well!  He normally has 2 or 3 (1hour or 1 1/2 hour) naps during the day, he just has a hard time settling at time.  Monika can you post a sample of your lo routine sine you are working since most of the ones posted have the lo waking at 7am which is when we are out the door on the way to the sitter's?

[Preston's Mom]

I just had an "Ah Ha" moment!  I've noticed that since he's been having the nighttime wakings that DS is drinking less during the day.  He eats his solids well (2 or 3 jars daily) however he only drinks about 14oz. of expressed milk during the day.  Any suggestions on how to get him so he's drinking more during the day & now trying to make up for the missed feeding at night?

[litomi]

Do you feed your LO solid first or EBM first? How often do you feed your LO? This is our feeding routine: I have to feed solid first, coz my LO refuses to take milk before having solid Very very stubborn..

5:30-6:00 awake
6:00 Solid (2cubes of solid)
6:30ish leave the house
7:30 Formula
8:30 nap
10ish solid
12:00 formula
1ish nap
3ish solid
5:00 bath, Feed
6ish bed
9:00 DF

My LO loves her solid more than her formula I feed my LO every 4.5-5hr instead of 4hr. She isn't hungry at all when I try to feed her every 4 hr. It's not a perfect EASY routine... just to give you some ideas.  I'm trying to drop the DF.... but my LO just dropped one bottle during the day feed on her own 
Each LO is different.... you have to find out the EASY routine that works best for you and your LO.

[Preston's Mom]

Thanks for the routine!  I normally feed solids first then try to BF (to top him off!) and sometimes he eats, sometimes not!  My LO has dropped one bottle during the day also, but he still wakes at night sometimes to eat.  He's had a  runny nose since Friday and he's been waking w/ a stuffy nose. We will see how tonight is!