I have two possibly related issues. My baby is 17 weeks old, and she isn't consolidating her naps. I don't know if I just screwed up by being on the go too much when she was three months, but my other two easily fell into consolidated naps between 12-13 weeks. I've tried the five minute startle ---making a noise to reset her clock before she normally wakes, I've tried nursing her back to sleep....nothing seems to work.
She also eats all day long, and spits up or projectile vomits. She hadn't been spitting up as much.but today it's really bad. I think she is just eating too much. I just don't know... I don't want to refuse her. She sleeps through the night, so I want to follow her lead, but she has to have reflux. All my friends say this, given how much and how often she is throwing/spitting up.
So, I need ideas on how to keep food in her. She'll spit up at almost any time, 5 minutes up to two hours after I've feed her.
Second, how do I get her to consolidate her naps!
We are going to the doctor in two weeks, and I am planning on discussing it with him then... My daughter seems happy, and I know when she wants to eat vs nurse for comfort. She is eating every 2 hours during the day. At night it varies. Last night she slept 12 hours, but on average I'd say she wakes to eat after 10 hours. But really she only wakes at most once, and a few times a week not at all.
I do notice that on days when she is nursing more often, she spits up more. But she does projectile vomit often. In fact, she just soaked me and the couch before I wrote this. We have at least one of these a day. And then lots of little spit ups.
Think every two hours at four months is too often. Stretch it out to at least three hours. Then keep her upright for at least 30 minutes.
Around six months is when naps are consistent. You cannot reset her internal clock.. She is four months old!!!
Vomiting vs spit up.. My son spit up on me 5 x a day. My daughter only when she was caughing did she give me any back. MY daughther has the reflux, my son did not.
My daughter was not gaining weight, reaching her head back ... it was alsways wors after 5 pm especially in the car.
Talk to your ped.
I would talk it over with your pediatrician. My second son was a huge spitter. He was ebf and I nursed on demand - even though I would burp him throughout, I would just hear the splash behind me. Oh the liquid gold! I practically had to drape people with towels when they wanted to hold him. My baby, however, was very happy and gaining the right amount of weight so my pediatrician wasn't worried. Said he was a "happy spitter" and that he was stimulating my supply for the next growth spurt, which seemed constant! I don't recall when he outgrew it but it will pass! Just talk over your concerns with your pediatrician :)
As for the naps, every baby is different. If your baby is sleeping through the night, that is a BLESSING! My 9 mos old is still waking up to nurse every 3-4 hours. Baby wearing is an excellent way to have them nap while you get things done but as long as your baby is happy, maybe taking 2 naps a day, and sleeping through the night, I think you are fine. Again, talk to your pediatrician but you can't go wrong nursing on demand. Babies don't really over eat on breastmilk - they may be increasing your supply for the next spurt but they can't get fat on it. In fact, breastfeeding is linked with a lower incidence of childhood obesity. Sounds like you are doing great! Don't over think it :) Good luck!
I would consider an elimination diet. My son was a huge projectile spit up baby or just regular spit up and I also thought he was overeating. Not the case at all. It turned out he had multiple food allergies and was getting exposed through my breast milk. Some days worse than others, but based off what i was eating that day. I noticed a pattern. That and my son would scream his head off, but not all babies do.
This may have something to do with the problems consolidating naps also. Her little tummy might be upset and the eat, sleep, wake pattern gets off.
Anyway, something to consider.
Sorry for being dense... but what is "consolidated naps?"
My kids as babies napped. And I knew when they nap. So then they napped.
My son was a spitter-upper. He did not have, reflux. He just spit up a lot.
Versus my daughter as a baby.
Spit up, can seem like a lot.
But really, instead of going by your friends, you should ask your Pediatrician.
Projectile vomiting, is, different than spitting up.
2 different things.
You should see your Pediatrician about that.
Also here is a link:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/vo...#
With both my kids as babies, they each had different nap and sleep styles and needs. I went by their cues and scheduling for naps. They napped, when they needed to nap. How did I know this? I knew their cues. My son, was very regular about naps and sleep. My daughter was too, but it took her a long time to settle down. She had bad gas problems and was very sensitive to noises.
ALSO though, BOTH my kids were not, portable nappers. Meaning, they would ONLY nap, at home. They would not and could not nap, on the go. Nor in a stroller. Nor in the car. Nor anyplace else, except at home. Thus, whatever I did, was based upon their nap times. And it was no problem.
My son napped a few times a day, as a baby. My daughter did not.
Different individuals. And needs.
With both, I breastfed. On-demand. Not by a schedule.
And some babies, will nurse seemingly constantly. They need to.
Also though, try burping her after you nurse her. And keep her upright after nursing.
Also, if you are using a bottle to feed her, many times the flow can be too fast or the baby does not know how to gauge their drinking. Thus they take in, too much.
Can you give more info re: how often you are feeding her? Could you pare back some? You are an experienced mother, but as a first time mom, I was confusing fussy for hungry, and feeding way too often. As a result DS was often too full, too gassy, and not particularly effective at feeding.
We used Ferber for sleep training, it worked for us. Fringe benefit was with longer naps, our DS's appetite was better and the spit up diminished.
Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.
You need to take her to her doctor to have her diagnosed with reflux and hopefully put on meds to help her, poor baby.
As far as consolidating naps read this:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_naps-the-basics_###-###-####.bc
