refusing to BF and sleep

[Jaymelynn]

I posted a similar post in baby club, sorry for the repeat. Here is our current problem:
My lo just turned 16 weeks today. He can only fall asleep nursing (I know, but otherwise he is miserable). The past 2 weeks, he has been very fussy Bfing with a lot of gas. He roots but then starts tugging and sometimes crying on the breast. He usually wants to BF 24/7. He is crying more, but what is more troublesome is that he has been moaning/whining A LOT. I cannot describe the sound, but it sounds like it comes from the back of his throat. He is smiling and cooing less. I spoke to his doctor last Thursday and she prescribed him omeprazole, which he has been taking. So last night he woke at 4am for a feeding, ate great, but woke up when going back in the crib. He did not cry (I do not believe in CIO for us), but started with the moaning again. I figure since he does this whether I am comforting him or not, I would see what would happen if I did not respond. He moaned off and on for 30 minutes, until I picked him up and nursed him. He was asleep in 10 minutes. Is he so dependent on BFing to sleep that there is no other way he can fall asleep? Maybe since his stomach hurts or he is not so hungry he is not napping, which is making him overtired and miserable? Has anyone gone through this- any advice please!

 

[missk1989]

Some babies just cant self settle. My lo only learnt this skill at 14 months old! before this he would only let me feed him to sleep but would let OH rock him.

 

[Jaymelynn]

I have accepted that he needs bf-ing to fall asleep and self soothe. But now that he is refusing or having troubling nursing he will not go to sleep for naps. It is becoming an awful cycle of being overtired and not eating. Oddly he is better at nighttime, so I wonder if it is really a medical issue. He has a doctor appt on Tuesday.

 

[misspriss]

Perhaps it is the 4 month sleep regression playing in a bit as well.

Mine missed the 4 month, but did the exact same thing at the 8/9 month regression. He refused to nurse, but acted hungry, and he was just "fussy" for lack of a better word. When I finally convinced him to nurse, he would fall asleep.

4 months is a rough time for babies with sleep, very hard for them to settle. Big growth going on.

 

[Jaymelynn]

Perhaps it is the 4 month sleep regression playing in a bit as well.

Mine missed the 4 month, but did the exact same thing at the 8/9 month regression. He refused to nurse, but acted hungry, and he was just "fussy" for lack of a better word. When I finally convinced him to nurse, he would fall asleep.

4 months is a rough time for babies with sleep, very hard for them to settle. Big growth going on.

I did not think of the 4 month sleep regression! How long did it last for your lo? Did he nurse a lot less? I was planning on getting him to nap not on my lap, but then this started.

 

[misspriss]

Hardcore, 7-10 days. He is still not back to normal yet, but he feeds normally now. It is all just a blur, he fed fine during the day but wouldn't after midnight. We cosleep so it may be a bit different if you don't.

He also got a cold at first, I think he might have had a sore throat?

 

[Noo]

4 month sleep regression started at 13 weeks here... Still going strong at 18 and a half weeks! Have you tried nursing in bed for nap time? I sometimes need to as he is just so damn interested in anything BUT laying to eat and sleep. I also got a BF necklace to help with day time distractions. He loves it.

 

[Jaymelynn]

I guess the gassiness could be from all of the tugging/fussing at the boob instead of the other way around? His reflux has been bad the past few days. He took a 2.5 hour nap this afternoon and is sleeping now with only a few mins of nursing- both on my lap. But I won't get my hopes up quite yet. If this is a sleep regression should I wait until it is over to start working on him napping in his crib? He sleeps for the first part of the night in the crib and the second part in bed with me. He was even fighting to nurse while cosleeping, but I have not tried it for naps.
Noo- do you leave him alone in your bed at nap time? I have to look up this bf necklace, never heard of it.

 

[Noo]

Noo- do you leave him alone in your bed at nap time? I have to look up this bf necklace, never heard of it.

No, if I take him to bed I nap too... It's be rude not to 9/10 he naps on my lap though. We co-sleep so he doesn't sleep in his cot at night yet. He won't be going in his cot till he is over 6 months due to sids guidelines (and the fact he'd sleep 15 min)

I've uploaded photos of my BF beads I got it from HERE