Stuck in a rut

[October]

We have always used his corrected age......10 weeks in hospital with him taught us a lot but not how to feed him !!

My main query is do I wake him to feed at 10.30-11pm giving the usual 7oz and again the usual 2-3oz bt.4-5am or do I leave him to wake for both ? Last night we left him and he woke at 12.30am, then 4.20am for a diaper change (he was soaked and I don't know how he sleeps through this one day). I put him back down at 4.40am and he slept till 5.15am seemingly hungry. BUT, at that time even 1.5oz affected his 7am feed. Do you think he's in a waking pattern in those early hours ? If I'd had the time he would have gone back down on 1.5oz I'm sure of it !!

[Colin Macs Mom]

No, definitely do NOT wake him for a feed. If he's hungry he'll wake and let you know he's hungry. He might be in a waking pattern - does he wake at the same time or very close in the early morning hours? If so then wake to sleep could help a lot.

[October]

Thanks for the steer.
I'm starting out on w2s but am not sure what time to go in to him. He wakes anytime bt. 3.40am and 5.20am ! That's a big window and I'm still trying w2s out on his naps with mixed reactions. Any thoughts on this being a pattern as he does seem to accept 2oz or less and has for a while now (long while)....In the early hours he definitely seems attached to being held....guess we have to wean that and try w2s ?

[Colin Macs Mom]

That's too big a window for it to be a habitual waking, but taking 2 oz or less is defnitely not hunger. Have you ever tried not offering that feed? What happens?

I would definitely wean the holding, but I don't know that W2S would help you any TBH. 

[October]

We have tried not offering the feed using Tracy's opaci substitue method. Disaster...he couldn't hold the paci in so we would need another approach. Apart from trying to re-settle him (we hold him and paty his back then simply put him down, if he cries we follow with pu/pd. I don't know what else to try.

[Colin Macs Mom]

It's probably for the best that the paci deal doesn't work - sometimes it backfires and turns into a paci addiction. I would stick with trying to resettle. It won't change overnight, but if you are consistent and stick to it, it'll straighten out.

[October]

Hi again,

We have continued trying to re-settle but now I'm wondering if my DS need to get up ealrier. The last 2 nights we fed at about 5-5.30am and then had to get him up by 6.20am as he refused to go back down (we're trying not to spoil his first meal at 7am).

He naps about 4 hours a day now and seems very happy on that and an early am awake time. I could be wrong but maybe he needs less sleep ?

Should we start his day earlier and gradually move it to 7am if need be or do something different with feedings (still offering only 1.5-2 ozat 5 am or so !!)

Like I say in the title, feel a bit stuck in a rut. We've been on early wakeups since he came home, obviously he sleeps longer now but he still seems to want to be up by 6-6.30am...

What to do ? 

[Colin Macs Mom]

Some babies have a very strong internal clock, and are early risers by nature just like some adults. Sometimes it's nothing more than that, but other times it's indicitive of a need to adjust the routine. The trick is telling the difference    I'd be inclined to think that 4 hours day sleep would be fine for him, but with a preemie things are trickier. I'm going to ask Jenn(c) to take a look here for you since her DD was also a preemie.

[JennŠ]

Hi there!!  A couple of things jump out at me.  What formula is he using?
I wondered if that could be contributing to the gassiness.  Is he on any medications?   Any other health stuff going on?  Any complications in the NICU?  (my nurse brain thinks differently).  At 12 weeks adjusted, we were still at 2 feeds a night, so it's possible yours needs it too.  (did 2 hr EASY for 2.5 months!!)  I agree on waiting with rice as that may cause more trouble than it's worth.  We got the ok at 4 months, waited until 6.  Also agree that he could just have an early clock.  I'll keep a'thinkin'!

[October]

Hi Jenn,
Good to hear from you ...need the premie bit addressed as it's never discussed in books and there'll all different. He is on Alimentum (had milk & soy allergy diagnosed in Children's in Boston back in early December) and loves the disgusting stuff !! Has multi-vits and iron and no complications. He's being weighed tomorrow and I reckon he's 15-16lbs taking c. 38oz/day so no feeding issues. Doc. says he's a happy wheezy baby. He's feisty and I'm starting to think actually overtired. Wakes c. 4am nowadays and fusses for 45-50 minutes. I managed to re-settle at 5am (wasn't hungry) for 45 minutes (nap !!) and am now going on to 3.5 hour feeding routine to reduce awake time (Stacey's been helping me over on Naps on that). 

Any other ideas welcome !

[JennŠ]

Basically what we did was go with the adjusted age for everything.  We had reflux thrown into the mix.     Sooo, rocked to sleep until 4 months when she had the right med/formula.  Then once she felt better, she just "got it".  It does sound like he is overtired.  Fixing that should do tons to help.  When he is ready for solids, check out the MSPI thread in food allergies.  Lots of help and support there.