4 mth old refluxer - wanting to implement EASY

[mlindsey]

Our 4 mth old has reflux pretty bad & we are just now getting it somewhat under control.  we are now wanting to get him on an EASY schedule.  but he eats ALL day!  he's bf & eats at least every 2 hours because of the reflux.  but the book says that i need to feed him every 4 hours.  i might be able to stretch him out & do 3 hours...but even when i try to do this he starts waking more often in the night.  But he usually wakes every 2-3 hours in the night too...& sometimes every hour in the night. anyway, just wondering how to do this with a reflux baby.  my daughter also had reflux & was on EASY...& it took her a long time to finish a bottle(she was bottlefed at 4mths).  her schedule looked more like EAES.  i would appreciate any help!! 
thanks!  i have a 21mth old too & REALLY need sleep!!
misty

[*Mona*]

hi Misty. so sorry you're going through such hard time now.
does he get any medications for his reflux?
do you elevate his mattress in his crib?
could you post your current routine?

hugs to you
Monika

[mlindsey]

Monika - thanks for the hugs...i need them!   
he's on prevacid, which seems to be helping a lot with the pain..however, he does have a few episodes of pain.  His crib is elevated to 30 degrees...he gets swaddled & we use a noise box.  he's not really on much of a schedule.  it just often varies since i am still feeding on demand.  i feed him at 6:30am & he goes back to sleep until 7:30am then he gets his medicine. 
8am bf
9:30 sleep (usually end up bf again to get to sleep) usually he only sleeps 30-45 min
10 or 10:30 bf
11am just starting a little pears (recommended by our doc to start early since he is so big...eating all the time & never satisfied)
12pm sleep
12:30pm bf
& so on
* eating every 2 to 2 1/2 hours...awake for 1-2 hours...sleeping short naps (30-45min)

for bedtime... bf around 6 or 6:30...bath at 7pm...usually nurses to sleep & swaddled at 7:30pm. 
he doesn't really know how to fall asleep on his own...even though he does occassionally.  we've just done a lot of accidental parenting trying to get some sleep!  now we know that we need to retrain him.  & it's going to be hard.  i've read up on pu/pd & want to try this.  but it will mean letting someone take my daughter for a few days.  i want to get him on a schedule mostly for my own sanity & i think it would help him get better sleep...but i don't know if he can go longer than 3 hours without eating.  it's a fight when i try to hold him off that long!  thanks so much for your help! 
misty

[*Mona*]

hi misty,

looks like there's a lot of work ahead for you but don't worry, it all takes time but it's worth it!

I suggest you concentrate on one thing at a time. you can't start working on his routine and suddenly start PU/PD same time as I'm afraid it will be too much for him.

if he can't go 3 hrs between feeds, try doing 2,5~2,75 instead but try to do it consequently- every day for all feeds. he won't be consequent so you have to.
but, for nights, if he's 4 months old, he shouldn't be eating so often at night, if he's waking same time every night, it may rather be habitual waking and not real hunger. have you tried putting him back to sleep some other way than feeding him back to sleep? I don't mean PU/PD but maybe a paci, if he's taking one? or a drink of water instead of milk?

i agree with your doc actually- if he's so hungry, maybe some solids as early as at 4 months will help. I have a friend who's been feeding her LO- a very big boy, 5,5 kilos at birth, all day and all night, until some 4,5 months, when she finally introduced lots of solids and it eventually helped them both sleep their nights through. but don't hurry- his tummy is still very sensitive and you must be very careful introducing solids.

why don't you try sth like this:
8am bf
9:15 sleep (try putting him to sleep earlier as he may not be ready for 2 hrs A time, from 7:30 and if he's overtired his naps won't be long)
10 or 10:30 bf
11am just starting a little pears
12pm sleep [if woke up at 10, try earlier naptime]
13:00/13:30pm bf
14:45/15:00 nap
16:00/16:30 bf
17:45/18:15 catnap
19:00 bf
19:30 bath etc.
20~20:30 sleep
22:30 DF

this gives you 3 naps and a catnap, which is ok with 3hrs easy which is more or less what you would be aiming for. 

do try avoiding feeding to sleep- if you do than your routine just will not work.

please let me know what you think and how you're doing.
hugs again,
Monika

[mlindsey]

thanks monika.  i will try working on this.  he won't take a paci or bottle yet.  but i will try to help him use one instead of feeding him at night & nursing to sleep.  but i know that this will mean staying up with him.  the main problem is that he doesn't know how to fall asleep...partly because he is in pain & we do whatever to help him...even though i know it has created problems for the long term.  i know that his awake time is too long for him...but he just has such a hard time getting to sleep.  he does get overstimulated & i know that makes the situation worse.  i will work on putting him down earlier.  but without nursing i'm afraid most of the time he will just cry.  & i don't have the time to keep picking him up (since i have my daughter to take care of).  so what else should i do to get him to sleep?? 

i am trying the solids so hopefully this will help with the feedings.  i will try to work on this schedule...but let me know if you have any other insights.  thanks again! 
Misty