Sleep Issues - 4 mths

[lil monkey]

hi all,

My bub has started waking up twice during the night again this past week where for the past month she was going from at least 7pm until 6am without waking and then slowly it was getting earlier and earlier and now she needs a feed around 230 and then again at 530. She takes 1.5 hours to go down to sleep at night and we have tried the top up feed at 10pm but she still wakes up. When I put a dummy in her mouth she closes her eyes instantly but as soon as it comes out she is awake and carrying on again. So, then i get up and feed her but within minutes she is asleep and lightly sucking. Plus during the day as well she has stopped sleeping and will have 2-3 30 min naps.

I know there is another thread similar to this but has anyone else experienced this around the 4 month mark? I am thinking about letting her winge when she gets up for her first time in the night but then i think what if she is really hungry? She has been really non fussed with eating during the day as well. :(

[lil monkey]

well we went to the Dr as per the CHN advice and he thinks that she has a virus but she has no signs of one!!! Now we have to take a urine sample from bub - yeh right like that's going to be easy!!!!

We will try the feed at 10pm again tonight to see if we have any luck!

[jamb]

I've been reading your threads and it sounds so much like my bub, only its happening earlier for mine- bubs is only 3months. He's started waking again about midnight (used to sleep through), then again 4am and he has also started to be very fussy (on/off , looking around) on the breast. It is very frustrating and tiring. Last night was a long night. Fed him twice then he is back awake half hour after 4am feed so we gave him dummy, that worked for another half hour then we put him bed with us- i need sleep.

I have also tried top up feed bout 9pm but it makes no difference. Like your bub, Jack is not as interested with a feed during the day, nights is when he is best on the breast, sucks like a trooper. I am so tired as he does not sleep much during the day (never has) and I feel like I need some sleep. I also considered just letting him whinge but I cant lie and listen to it, and added to that he seems genuinely hungry at night. My only thought is its a growth spurt and I just have to ride it out. I am going to start the switch over to bottles for my own selfish reasons though.

[Rell]

Taylasmum Good luck with the wee sample I remember spending a whole day trying to get one from my daughter. She was about 12mths at the time and walking so quite difficult. Did they give you the little bag that sticks on? if so I think they work better with the nappy off. Hope you manage to get the sample and things are ok, by the way its much easyer with a little boy.

[lil monkey]

I got the wee sample! Stuck one of those bags on and let her kick around ont he floor for a bit and finally she weed! She doesn't havea virus now but she is still restless at night. Last night we gave her a top up feed at 10pm and she first got up at 320 am and then grumbled at 5am and then at 630 am but she grizzld for 10 - 15 min and then went back to sleep. She then woke up at 820 all bright and chirpy!

SHe also has had a 1.5 hour nap so far today without having to resettle her or need the dummy hoorah! I will do the same thing again tonight and see how she goes. I think she may have been a bit unwell.

Now, the problem I have is that she is constipated - she has gone from peanut paste poos that are MASSIVE to squeezing her heart out for 15 minutes to produce a solid lump the size of a pebble. Has anyone else experiecned this from AR formula??? :confused:

[Chickadee]

The one and only rule about bubs is that nothing stays the same for long!

I'm glad your daughter hasn't got a virus and is at least sleeping during the day. As for the restless nights, I think every bub goes through phases. Just when you think you've got them into a predictable pattern it changes. And half the time there's no obvious reason. Might be she's growing through a growth spurt so hungrier than usual. Might be teeth moving around that you can't see or feel yet. Only advice I can offer is to do your best to be patient and to roll with the little upsets and changes. She'll probably settle back to a new pattern soon. And sleep when she does! Screw the housework, it can be done next week - have a nap instead.

As for the constipation, I never used AR formula but a bit of constipation from time to time isn't unusual with formula. You can help by massaging her lower belly in clockwise circles (massages the bowel), gently squeezing her knees to her tummy a few times, and offering a bit of water.

[onabreak]

Hi Taylasmum

Regarding your question about AR formular and bubs getting constipated. My daughter has been on this formular for 3 months or so. She did go through a period of constipation and I felt so sorry for her. What I did was during the day I would give her a bottle of luke warm boiled water. I found that sometimes the formular is very thick in her tummy, so she needed some water to help water it down. Or if you are really worried you can by drops from the chemist that you can put in the formular and it helps with constipation. Now that DD is 6.5 months old and eating solids and formular everything is fine down there now. I wouldn't worry too much, eventually they will poo when they need to :D

[Rell]

What brand are you using? When my daughter used S26AR she got constipated bad but we changed to Karicare and it helped a lot. It could also be the result of you changing formulas and if so should settle down soon. the drops from the chemist are called "coloxal drops". Hope this helps.

[jarrahsmumma]

hey rel,
i had sleep issues wit my son at 4 months too, he would wake at 1.30, 2.30 or 4am, not hungry or extreamly wet just wanting to play. i dont think he understood i wasn't in a playing mood :p , after a week he went back to normal 7pm - 6am, dont know what it was, i did start 2 solid feeds at the end of the week so i dont know if this was a conicidence or worked??

hope it gets better soon

[lil monkey]

Hi natalie,

did you start your bub on solids at 4 months???? Tayla must have had a virus as she isn't vomiting up the NAN gold anymore after a bottle of it today and yesterday. The poor thing though was constipated from the s26 AR formula and today she was grunting and pushing and her face was so purple and she was crying with tears of pain and eventually she had success poor thing. No more AR formula! I would rather have spew on me than see her go through adult constipation pain!!! :p