what happened to E's sleeping? :(

SanHawaii08 · January 2011

E used to be *great* about sleeping at night. He'd go down easily between 6-7:30, then be up every 3 hours like clockwork, cry his hungry cry, eat, then go right back to sleep. The last few nights, he's be really fighting sleep in the evening. He's also not napping as well during the day, and has an extra awake period in the afternoon where he used to sleep. Last night, after falling asleep at 6:30, then getting up at 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30, he decided every 2 hours wasn't enough, and was up again at 5:30 and 6:30. Each time he woke up screaming, and nothing would console him but nursing, though his cry doesn't sound like he's hungry. But he'd eat for less than 10 minutes, then fall into deep sleep. Even when I managed to wake him up, he'd latch on but not suck, and fall asleep again.

I also feel like my breasts are really soft - they haven't felt engorged in a while (like they used to, before feeding), so not sure whether it's my body adjusting, or maybe he's not getting enough to eat and is just too tired to suck properly? He doesn't seem to be getting a second letdown like he usually does.

So - is this a developmental thing? He's all of a sudden started smiling a lot more, actively playing with the toys hanging from his play mat, and vocalizing a lot. Do I just need to grin and bear it? Is there anything I can to do help him sleep better?! Should I try to get him back to taking that nap in the afternoon?

Sorry this is long, but I need help - I haven't needed naps during the day for quite some time, but I'm *exhausted* today!

MrsIH · January 2011

It sounds similar to what J was doing in his first month. He was waking up to 'snack'

He was up every hour some nights and he would only eat a little bit and then fall back asleep. My friend finally said that he was waking up to snack and it clicked! I tried to fill him up before bed time and he kept sleeping longer and longer. Like you said, maybe you aren't filling him up enough? Having said that it could also be developmental. Which I think is what is happening with my little man lately. He was sleeping consistently 9-6am and now he's been up to eat around 2:30 am some nights and 4:30 am or so... it's more varied. I miss sleeping straight through

Married2MrWright · January 2011

A few thoughts...

1) Your supply is probably regulated now, which is why you're not feeling engorged. This is a good thing! How full your breasts are really has nothing to do with how much milk you're getting to LO...it just means you body is producing the right amount (not too much) for LO. I was worried when I stopped leaking (and needing to wear pads in my bra) and thought my supply was tanking...but nope, it was finally REGULATED to Libby's intake. As long as E has a good number of wet and dirty dipes each day you can rest assured he's getting all he needs from you!

2) Could be developmental...he's more alert and aware of his surroundings now. Everytime Libby has a developmental stride she's WAY more wakeful. Also, the schedule you posted...every two hours to feed looks like classic cluster feeding. Perhaps he's having a growth spurt? Like start the two-hour feedings at 4:30-5 p.m. so come 10 p.m. he's tanked up and ready to sleep a longer stretch.

https://www.suite101.com/content/baby-growth-spurts-a55784

If so, this shall pass soon enough. If it's cluster feeding you can try to get him to start sooner so he's not doing it all night long.

I am thinking that it's probably his three month growth spurt...Libby's came around the 10 week mark and I think that's where you are right now with E too.

mrspresley · January 2011

I definitely wouldn't worry about your breasts feeling soft as long as he has plenty of wet diapers and you can hear him swallowing while he is nursing. it is just your body regulating and not over producing milk! i remember vividly how nice it was not to get engorged all the time anymore!

as for the night waking i think we'd have that happen from time to time... sometimes i could not tell why (and was too tired to figure out or care why) and other times it was a growth spurt or developmental change. i think those are all possibilities in your case and would just go w/the flow.... just remember that as soon as you get used to them doing things one way they switch it up on you but hopefully he will get back to sleeping longer soon and maybe even start some 4 hr stretches! i remember the first 4 hr stretch i got - i felt so rested you'd think i had slept 8 hrs LOL

eacerna · January 2011

I agree with Lori about your supply being regulated by now. My boobs don't feel engorged anymore but still get the same amount of milk each time I pump.

Accdg to our pedi, by 2 months, LO should have at least one 4-5 stretch of sleep. Make sure you tank E up before going to bed so he does not have to wake up every 3 hrs to eat. Elle used to wake up and eat every 3 hrs but now we cluster feed before she goes to bed. She eats every 3 hrs during the day and then we cluster feed just before she goes to bed...at 7:30 pm (play with daddy then bath at 8:30 pm, read book) and then again at 9 pm. She now sleeps from 9:30 pm - 5:00 am. She wakes up at 5:00 am to eat and then sleep again until 7:30 am. It also helps that they get enough naps during the day!

Get some rest mama!

inamra · January 2011

He must've gotten the memo from that funny baby letter u posted a week ago =P Hehe, but yeah, it's probably a growth spurt/developmental. But it's probably just temporary and he should be more regular again soon. Hope he goes back to sleeping more consistently soon!

SanHawaii08 · January 2011

heh, i realized i was a little too emphatic on the "great" part at the beginning of my post - but compared to the last few nights, and especially yesterday, it was great! He's gone a few 4 hours stretches, and one 5.5 hr stretch, but hasn't in several weeks. That said, he just woke up from sleeping just over 4 hours, and hadn't eaten for 5.5 hours - unfortunately, it's 9:30pm now. sigh. We'll see how tonight goes. How do you start cluster feeding in the evening? If they're napping, do you wake them up to eat?

inamra · January 2011

SanHawaii08:
heh, i realized i was a little too emphatic on the "great" part at the beginning of my post - but compared to the last few nights, and especially yesterday, it was great! He's gone a few 4 hours stretches, and one 5.5 hr stretch, but hasn't in several weeks. That said, he just woke up from sleeping just over 4 hours, and hadn't eaten for 5.5 hours - unfortunately, it's 9:30pm now. sigh. We'll see how tonight goes. How do you start cluster feeding in the evening? If they're napping, do you wake them up to eat?

I think it was until 3 months old, when we stopped waking B up to nurse. Before that, I nurse every 3 hours during the day and 2 hours when I cluster feed in the evening (and I'd wake him up to do it if he was napping). Sometimes he'd just continue to nap while I nurse him (in our bed). Now that he's older, I just let him nap and nurse as soon as he wakes up.

mrspresley · January 2011

gosh... your Qs make me feel like it was ages ago b/c i can't remember what we did!!!

i do remember my pedi saying "make sure you nurse every 2-3 hrs during the day so that she is more likely to give you one good 4 hr stretch at night!" and it is not really a milestone, just a general guideline that you want them sleeping a 4 hr stretch overnight so i wouldn't stress it if he takes longer.. i think 2-3 months is normal to see that happen

i do remember cluster feeding in the evenings before bed to try to get her to eat less at night... we'd nurse every 1.5-2 hrs instead of waiting 3 hrs to nurse.

and, honestly, i don't remember if we'd wake her to nurse but i think we did! i think the pedi told me to wake her to nurse every 3 hrs no matter what to make sure she took that long stretch of sleep overnight and not during the day!

eacerna · January 2011

SanHawaii08:
heh, i realized i was a little too emphatic on the "great" part at the beginning of my post - but compared to the last few nights, and especially yesterday, it was great! He's gone a few 4 hours stretches, and one 5.5 hr stretch, but hasn't in several weeks. That said, he just woke up from sleeping just over 4 hours, and hadn't eaten for 5.5 hours - unfortunately, it's 9:30pm now. sigh. We'll see how tonight goes. How do you start cluster feeding in the evening? If they're napping, do you wake them up to eat?

We follow the EASY routine so Elle eats every 3 hours during the day and get a nap every each 3 hr cycle. Yes, I do wake her up to eat. Sometimes if she did not nap the previous cycle, I let her nap a tad longer and go 3.5. hours since the last feeding. I make sure we don't go past 3.5 hrs without feeding her. Our last feedings at night are at 7:30 pm and then 9:00 pm. Have you tried giving E paci when he wakes up at night? We weren't sure how long Elle can last at night without eating every 3 hrs so one time, when she woke up and fussed at night, we gave her paci and she went right back to sleep. If she's hungry and won't stop fussing, then we know she's hungry. Now, we pretty much know that she wakes up between 4:30 - 5:00 am to feed. You want them to have enough naps during the day but not too much that will mess up their sleep at night.

SanHawaii08 · January 2011

wow, it seriously never occurred to me to wake E up to eat, to get him on the 3 hr EASY routine. I was *wondering* how that happens, since he would sometimes eat every 3 hours, and sometimes not! so I kinda gave up on it Stick out tongue hah.

i'm trying it today, seems to be going okay! his naps have been crap all day though, and he slept poorly last night too. sigh. i fed him last night at 4, 7, and 9, and again at 2am, then at almost 7am. he was hungry again at almost 9, so i went ahead and fed him then, then at 1 (his nap was terrible, and was finally sleeping well at noon, so i let him sleep, but woke him at 1) and 4. i'm planning to feed him again tonight at 7 and 9, so we'll see how it goes.

even though he only ate once overnight last night (yay!) he's still waking up all the time, like he has been the last few nights. he wakes up screaming every hour or two, and it's so hard to calm him down and get him back to sleep. i think when i was feeding him every other hour the other night, he wasn't actually hungry, which was why he'd only eat a little bit and go back to sleep... so last night, we just changed him, rocked him, etc...it's exhausting. he wouldn't take a paci...sometimes he'd burp or fart and calm down, but he wouldn't burp earlier after eating! so maybe it's just gas waking him up? Not sure why it's happening so often though. I hope he starts sleeping better (AND eating only once a night) - that would be awesome!

could this kind of frequent waking - screaming, but not hungry - be developmental? any other tips to help him sleep? Smile thank you!!

mrspresley · January 2011

do you think it could be the acid reflux?

i also wanted to add that we had night wakings for a long time, not every baby will STTN or wake up only once at 2-3 months. (i know you aren't expecting him to STTN and just don't want to be waking up every 1-2 hrs but just saying). i didn't realize she should be going to bed earlier so i was bad and putting her to bed pretty late so i'd cluster feed in the evening, she'd sleep about 4 hrs then wake again every 2-3 hrs to feed. she would do this until later in the morning (9 or 10am) before she would be "up" for any significant amount of time. the only nice thing about her wakings was she'd eat and go right back to sleep most of the time. not always, but most of the time.

SanHawaii08 · January 2011

mrspresley:
do you think it could be the acid reflux?
i also wanted to add that we had night wakings for a long time, not every baby will STTN or wake up only once at 2-3 months. (i know you aren't expecting him to STTN and just don't want to be waking up every 1-2 hrs but just saying). i didn't realize she should be going to bed earlier so i was bad and putting her to bed pretty late so i'd cluster feed in the evening, she'd sleep about 4 hrs then wake again every 2-3 hrs to feed. she would do this until later in the morning (9 or 10am) before she would be "up" for any significant amount of time. the only nice thing about her wakings was she'd eat and go right back to sleep most of the time. not always, but most of the time.

hrm, it could be the acid reflux...i don't know. he's really good at not burping no matter what, going to sleep, then letting out a huge burp and spitting up 1.5 hours later Stick out tongue

the last few nights, i've tried cluster feeding a little - usually 4, 7, then 9, and he'll sleep until 2. well, he'll sleep until sometime after midnight, when he wakes up because his diaper is soaked. i'm prepping some hemp today and will add a fleece liner too, to see if that helps! but he won't need to eat again until 2. and then 5, then 8, ...so - a big improvement! i think this is workable. Smile I'd prefer he eat at 9, 2, and 6, but i'll take 9, 2, and 5 for now Wink

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