Whyyyyy?

I am now fairly sure it's a solids issue - he has an elevated cot (and a pillow when he's in with me), we love dancing (Lieby's favourites are 1970s disco hits - your should see him do Satying Alive!). Anyway, last night I decided to not feed him, I'd just pace the floor all night if that's what it took. I figured I couldn't get more fatigued at this point!

He did 2 and a half hours between feeds (last feed started 7.40, ended 7.50, asleep 8pm, awake 10.10 and screaming) so I picked him up and started singing his lullaby. After five minutes of him screaming non-stop to this I figure I am engorged so may as well feed him - straight back to sleep. So he is needing to be fed. He did a few more 2-hour stints, but mostly 1-hour stints, so I feel a lot more rested today - only awake for pacing between about 3.30 and 4, then 5.30 and 6.

Anyway, we're seeing my GP today for a proper check-up, if she identifies anything we'll go on that but I think it's time to give him a bit of baby rice now. None of my friends here with boys managed to make it anywhere near six months with their lads (girls were less hungry, apparently) so I'm not going to beat myself up too much about it.

And I'm out of milk now - I am so drained I can't produce more. So I'm typing this while walking up and down with DS and trying to eat breakfast so I can make more milk! Sounds like he's hungry - but if it's something else we'll get it cracked. Seeing a couple of LCs this morning too and will see what they think.

Thank you everyone!

Hi Ryn

You poor love, I hope you get some more answers today. It sounds like he is wanting to be fed more while he is sick, but I think babies are very clever and know that it will help them to bf more often.

I well remember one period with Lucy where she fed every hour during the day and was down to a half hour stint by the evening and I thought there was absolutely nothing left! Thankfully they get better quickly.

I wouldn't think you'd need to introduce solids if he's bfing more. It won't take long for his demand to increase your supply to what he needs and if he's sick it might only be temporary. It'd just be one more thing for you to worry about!

Let us know how you go.

Ryn,
You say your milk supply is drained. I don't know if you have the same stuff, but when I had low milk production my caregiver gave me the recipe for Jungle-berry juice. Its 1 liter of apple juice, mixed with 2 liters of water. Add 50ml blackthornberry-extract and a packet or Rehidrate (electrolyte booster) You can also put some natural shock-remedy drops in it to calm you down (about 10 for the whole batch), but I left that out. It's a day's juice. Drink when your need to. I should last about a day and a half. And it does not taste that bad. Like watered down appeljuice!

I hope the dr can find something - not that I am hoping he is sick. It's just then you know whats bothering him and if and how it can be fixed.

Ps. Blackthornberry-extract is not for diabetics. If it applies to you, I am not sure if you can substitute it with something - sorry

Jennifer, I've just had to fight him so I can eat my toast - he kept trying to grab it and stick it in his mouth. I have this most mornings, and with my cereal too.

My supply was at 0 because DS had about 10 feeds in 12 hours and I had nothing in that time... I may just need to put food by my bed. I ate breakfast and instant milk!

He only possetted, not threw up, twice yesterday and seems to be breathing a lot better so I think he's over his cold and reflux flare-up, but I'm still going to keep an eye on him. I'll be asking for a lot of advice before I start solids... although the main reason I don't want to is (yes, you can beat me with a stick for this) because I don't want my mother to tell me that she told me so - while I was pg she was pushing for me to do solids at 3 months and I kept correcting her with current guidelines of 6-9 months. I know I don't have to tell her, but it's just the principle of the thing. She's NOT right about ANYTHING to do with my son! Then again, she keeps telling me I was eating chocolate at 4 months (we have photos) and had my first hangover at 10m - I've seen pics of me drinking ?red wine/sherry at the party. So I'm determined she will have no say whatsoever in DS's diet... but then, doing this because of her is letting her have a say, isn't it? Well, just see what the LCs and the GP say today.

Ryn, you know your baby better than anyone. Maybe just keep it a secret from your Mum and then you can take the credit for how well he 'takes' to solids after 6 months! I don't think it's a bad thing to aim to do it differently from your Mum if she set a good example of what not to do! I spend a lot of time trying to make sure DP and I don't do anything his parents did and a lot of what mine did!

I like to think of it as learning from the mistakes of those who made them previously.

RYn my DD was the same at 5 and a little bit months - starvin! And milk was only cutting it for an hour or two. See what your GP says, but if all looks well then i'd be inclined to agree that a little something to fill his belly better might be a good idea.

Bec

PS - BOO your mum, YAY you!

Ryn - as you know, I agree with the idea of starting solids - however, have you thought about giving him one formula feed just before bed at night to 'top him up' if you feel your supply is not adequate for him? Might be worth trying and I'm pretty sure you can get anti-reflux formulas. You could maybe give this a go before starting the solids - worth a try anyway! (and you don't have to tell your mum either way)

No sure if anyone else has mensioned it but have you tried giving him some panadol when hes like that? Might just relax him and lessen any pain or irritability he has?

It was the solids/starvation... he slept normally again last night. Well, awake for the day at 5.30, but thst just shows how much sleep he has been missing because he was happy then. He was spoon-feeding himself (grabbing the spoon in my hand and my hand to stick that food in his mouth ASAP) and had babyrice with my milk (which is pretty yuk, I tried it myself after DS finished with it) then banana, which he loved and kept saying/drooling "bbbbbbb" all evening after that.

Anyway, we're all happy now, thank you for all your encouragement and ideas. Guess I didn't "need" the cream buns and apricot danishes yesterday then... oh well, at least they went to a good home! (Yummy yum in my tummy tum!)

Aww, so cute with the "bbbbb". Esme says "nana! Nana!" and points enthusiastically at the fruit bowl. :)

Glad you got it sorted out Ryn :) Liebling's Mumma knew best now didn't she?!

Bx

Hungry man ate twice as much banana tonight - I had to get him seconds! Now just have to hope he sleeps even longer... wouldn't it be nice to have my (nice clean with fresh sheets) bed to myself for a bit tonight!

Banana was one of Lucy's faves when she was little too and still is! She's even gone to the bin to retrieve the skin at her godmother's house to tell her she wanted more!

Hope you get a good sleep and enjoy your fresh sheets!

Dear Ryn, You are not a bad mother, my Mum forgot what is was like to be a new Mum too. She told me my milk wasn't "strong" enough and that was why my baby cried. What rubbish! They forget what it was like i'm sure. My little man has never been a great sleeper, he thinks sleep is for losers! Pity his Mummy doesn't share his opinion....He is now 16 months old and we still get up one (sometimes twice)a night and have just accepted him for who he is. He is a very out there child who gets lonely and wants comfort through the night. Luckily for us it has always been a quick feed, nappy change and we are all back in bed in 20 mins or so. The times when I have been a bit cranky or stressed he senses it and gets very upset and cries much longer. We wEnt to sleep school when he was 8 months old and they had a lullaby CD that played all night which we now use, it's supposed to be a bit comforting to hear familiar music when they wake in the dark of night. He also has a bed buddy - a Gund bear that he adores, it too helps him feel less alone when he wakes up. He is starting to get better we will sometimes get a few nights a week of straight through sleeping from 7.30pm to 6.30-7ish am.He did go for 2 weeks straight with no wake ups but he has popped a new tooth this week so has been a bit unsettled again. I know probably none of this helps but sometimes it's just good to know that not all babies sleep through from 6 weeks no matter what our mothers tell us!

Hi there
I really feel for you. You sound like a great mother, just ignore all those with hazy memories of how brilliant their babies slept! My MIL likes to tell me how her sons slept through the night FROM BIRTH - ???

Anyway your bub sounds like what my DD did until recently. She was a reflux baby, has been on zantac and losec and neither did much. We finally saw a new specialist about a month ago and he diagnosed her with food intolerances - apparently most reflux babies have these, especially to dairy. Have you tried that path at all? My DD's severe symptoms didn't start till around 5 months, which is also apparently common for food problems (she is almost one now)

I went on an elimination diet and so far we've identified dairy, soy and wheat are problems for her. She used to wake screaming between 5 and 10 times a night. She has slept through the last two nights after a month on the new diet. We've also been able to drop the losec dose by two thirds - seems the tummy pain was causing most of the reflux symptoms.

May be worth a try? The elimination diet really sucks but it was soooo worth it for us - let me know if you'd like info about the one I did.

Thanks girls, DS is back to normal now, the only food thing I have to do is sus out what he likes; he doesn't like necterine so didn't eat much and thus slept poorly last night. He loved apricot and slept for long stretches after scoffing loads of that. And avoid E numbers; Calpol makes DS hyper so no E122 for us!

I actually want a calming music CD on low all night; we have no plug points in the bedroom save one for a bedside lamp (I know!) so that means my DH doing a lot of re-wiring. Battery powered lullaby machines just make DS cranky. He also has a bed bunny and this has worked - he grabs it and cuddles/eats it. Having to wear it again today as it's not working so well of late.

I do have one friend who delights in telling me over and over that I don't have it bad, her son is 2 and has never slept through. After 3 months of her doing the "I'm more hard-done-to" routine I mentioned to a friend (who hears this from her a lot too) how much this bothered me; she told me the lad doesn't sleep because he drinks tea and coke all day. Well, at least I have no caffeine so can eliminate that reason. It's good to know not all babies sleep through, but it's not a "poor me" contest!