2 month old restless sleep at night - advice please! | ExpatWoman.com
 

2 month old restless sleep at night - advice please!

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 07:14

Hi Ladies
Can anyone shed any light on this recurring problem:
DD is 8 weeks old and on formula. She feeds well around the clock but has reflux which is being managed by medication. All her naps are now settled except for her night sleep. She receives a bottle at about 10pm (110ml - 150ml) and another one between 3am and 4am (60ml - 90ml with timing dictated by DD). Basically the issue is that from about 1am, DD starts twitching around in her cot and making "eh eh eh" noises. Sometimes I can calm her by giving her the dummy but other nights, like last night, she can be up from about 1am and not settle into a deep sleep. After her 3am feed, she falls asleep well but is up again by 4.30am with twitching and funny noises. Whilst all of this is going on, mum is constantly responding by shushing, replacing the dummy or gently rocking the cot. I often leave her to herself but eventually she ends up crying. Why would this be occurring only at night, am I missing something?

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 15:00
Hi Alimart - Good to see your DS is responding well to the slight change in routine! DD gets so cranky if her bottle doesn't contain the right milk amount! I've tried giving her smaller feeds more often but she gives me a right telling off if her 150ml is not available!! On a related note, has anyone tried NUK teats and bottles? We were using them for a while but DD finds the flow too slow and again gets very cranky. We've had to go back to Avent but she gulps in so much air with the Avent bottles. I think we have to try to increase the size of the hole in the NUK teats.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 13:47
awww thanks guys, nice to feel like I've helped someone along the way :) I hate to say it, but the back and forth never ends either, DS is normally up at 7 these days but is having a week of separation anxiety which is horribly timed with a squeaky bedroom door (I swear he has super-sonic hearing) :(, and had me up at 5am this morning refusing to go back to sleep. I ended up hiding under my duvet while he pushed little trucks around my bedroom floor until DH took pity on me at 6am and took him downstairs. He is very very lucky that he is so freakin cute, I was pretty close to trading him in!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 13:27
Hi M I have been following this post as we seem to have been going through some of the same issues. As always Kiwispiers and HAK have such great advice, they have helped me so much by just reading some of their posts! We did something Kiwi mentions, our ds, who is 12 weeks, is also formula fed and was taking about 180ml every 4 hours, we changed this to 150ml every 3 hours (sometimes every 3.5 hours if he has a longer nap) and his reflux has improved so much. This was suggested by Dr Khan who we saw last week. We are also mixing AR formula with the normal one at each feed as he wont take the AR one on its own, it is too hard to suck even though we have increased teat size. Kiwispiers, it is so true what you say, I thought I had ds in a lovely routine last week but today it has gone out the window.... hopefully today is just an off day. M and Sydneygal thinking of you and hope you get some more sleep, sleep deprivation is a killer.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 12:06
Thanks Kiwi, words of wisdom as always.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 11:58
If she stays restless after the feed, then you can assume its something other than hunger bothering her. It could well be that she is becoming dependent on the dummy, and restless if she wakes without it, or very likely it is reflux pain, if it is that bad it warranted hospital observation. Their feeding patterns can change so what used to work doesn't always stay the same and I know it can feel like going backwards if it does turn out she needs more night feeding, but it is just the nature of it sometimes. If she won't like it before the hospital stay, then that might just have knocked her out of her regular routine. I agree with not overfeeding with reflux, but more that you don't overfeed in one go or let your baby get really hungry so that they over-eat, so you might need to give less each feed, but feed more often for her to get enough milk in. 4 hours apart by day is quite a long gap for an 8 week old, even on formula, perhaps try a 3 hourly schedule and see if she feels better? More or less its a matter of figuring out your own baby, by trial and error, they are all different and just when you get it, they change the rules on you, all you can do is try different things until you find your own way. Probably not what you wanted to hear, because we all hope for a magic solution at times, but hopefully it helps to know that what you are going through is pretty normal.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 11:47
Kiwi - haven't tried feeding her at 1am but am worried that if I do, she'll have two night feedings. Who's told you that she should only have 1 night feed? If you wake up thirsty in the night, wouldn't you go get yourself a drink? I'm following DD HAK, since day 1 she has fed well at 10pm, 2am and then 6am. She is exclusively on formula (long story, not my preference) and as she is feeding well, she takes her feeds every four hours or if she is hungry. Also, we were in hospital last week for three days of observation so that her reflux issues could be sorted and her doctor and nurses also recommended the same feeding schedule. Kiwi - she doesn't display the typical hungry signs and I am conscious of over feeding her particularly as she has reflux. The two nights prior to last night, she slept from 10pm to 4am without waking up in between. So I am not sure that she is hungry or thirsty but I'll take your advice and give her a feed if this continues tonight. BTW, forgot to mention, she doesn't actually wake up and have her eyes open, rather, she still has her eyes closed whilst twitching and making the "eh eh eh" sounds. That's why I wondered at first whether it was a gas issue and not a hunger issue? Sydneygal - yes, definitely, perhaps when we have both had some decent sleep? : ) maybe she's just dreaming? Does it actually look as if it's bothering her or is it more a case of it wakes you up and you worry? In any case, play it by ear - there's no right or wrong and babies change, especially when you've just worked out they're nice and settled in their routine!
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 11:36
Kiwi - haven't tried feeding her at 1am but am worried that if I do, she'll have two night feedings. Who's told you that she should only have 1 night feed? If you wake up thirsty in the night, wouldn't you go get yourself a drink? I'm following DD HAK, since day 1 she has fed well at 10pm, 2am and then 6am. She is exclusively on formula (long story, not my preference) and as she is feeding well, she takes her feeds every four hours or if she is hungry. Also, we were in hospital last week for three days of observation so that her reflux issues could be sorted and her doctor and nurses also recommended the same feeding schedule. Kiwi - she doesn't display the typical hungry signs and I am conscious of over feeding her particularly as she has reflux. The two nights prior to last night, she slept from 10pm to 4am without waking up in between. So I am not sure that she is hungry or thirsty but I'll take your advice and give her a feed if this continues tonight. BTW, forgot to mention, she doesn't actually wake up and have her eyes open, rather, she still has her eyes closed whilst twitching and making the "eh eh eh" sounds. That's why I wondered at first whether it was a gas issue and not a hunger issue? Sydneygal - yes, definitely, perhaps when we have both had some decent sleep? : )
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 11:00
Also with reflux babies, sometimes they need to feed to relieve acid pain in the night , you can up the dose of their meds instead but personally I feel milk is better than medicine if it makes them comfortable.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 10:34
Kiwi - haven't tried feeding her at 1am but am worried that if I do, she'll have two night feedings. Who's told you that she should only have 1 night feed? If you wake up thirsty in the night, wouldn't you go get yourself a drink?
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 10:17
It is quite normal for MANY babies to NEED 1-2 night feedings until they are well past 9 months old. More than that and it may well be more of a habit/association
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 09:48
well we're back to 2 night feedings and DS is almost 4 months old! :( Grew up in Bondi/Maroubra, but lived in Lane Cove then Beecroft before moving here to Dubai :) Maybe we should meet up sometime for some moral support!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 09:43
You really need to try feeding her, I have found if DS wakes and settles back easily for a long stretch, he wasn't hungry, if he wakes again soon after, he is. She is only 8 weeks old, 2 night feedings isn't a lot and if she is hungry, she needs to be fed.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 09:24
I should also say we keep her swaddled and I regularly check to make sure she is not cold or too hot. Kiwi - haven't tried feeding her at 1am but am worried that if I do, she'll have two night feedings. I guess though it is worth a try considering she is already keeping us awake! On other occasions she has fallen back asleep on her own but the restlessness is now too regular. Sydneygal - hang in there, I know it doesn't solve the problem but it does make it easier knowing you are not the only one going through this and it's common for babies to behave this way. The doctor tells me the leg thrashing is gas but I've tried everything now to limit her gulping air. The restlessness continues this morning, she won't settle in her cot but has taken to the sofa ... so far so good. What part of Syd are you from? We are from Brighton : )
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 09:16
M what happens if you feed her at 1am instead of giving her the dummy? PS Sydneygal it will pass, I can't promise you when but I can promise you it will.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 August 2011 - 07:50
I have nothing to add M but that i feel your pain....very worn out this morning! My DS is still not even napping well and night times are a disaster...it takes almost an hour or more to get him settled to sleep at night (he goes down easily but then wakes every 20 mins or so), then is up about 5-6 times through the night. Last night was terrible I even took him into bed with me but it made no difference - at 5am I couldn't even put him down! He wakes so easily and then lifts his head and feet off the bed and thrashes around....ahhhh sooo tired....We just need to keep chanting "this will pass" - gosh I hope so...DS is 4 mths next week and everyone talks about the 4 mth regression but I can't imagine it getting any worse! :( x
 
 

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