By connie on Monday, January 29, 2007 - 03:56 pm:

Our little cherub has been "wired alert" since birth - even the nursery nurses couldn't settle her. The tried the usual rocking, patting (after I had fed and fed), dummies and even formula!

She only sleeps in the sling during the day, and needs to be worn for her wind-down time prior her sleeps.

She also hates the car and pram (see posting on 11 wk old baby not liking these - she's mine!)

Until 12 weeks, she would sleep in the bassinet once worn to sleep (will seldom breastfed to sleep and does not like being nursed lying down), waking twice a night for feeds - about midnight and 4am(between being put to bed asleep around 9.30pm and waking for her feed at 6am-ish).

Since 12 weeks, she's been up 4 or 5 times between 9.30pm and 6am-ish. I assumed this was the growth spurt at 12 weeks, as I have noticed her more alert in the day during wake time.

But - a growth spurt lasting almost a week? (She's 13 weeks in 2 days). My first had growth spurts where she would feed 2 hourly for 2 or 3 days and it would all go back to "normal" (whatever that was)...

From a very tired, none-the-wiser mum.

By Zoe on Monday, March 5, 2007 - 09:38 am:

Hi Connie,

I too have noticed a change since around 12 weeks where my little man has been a lot more 'wired' as you put it, and more difficult to settle during day and night. I too thought it could be a growth spurt, but I thought he would have settled by now!

Most difficult to cope with however is that has been off his feeds, feeding less frequently and also refusing feeds (before this he has fed really well). I will go to put him on the breast (after around 3-4 hours since his last feed) and he will scream and cry and get really worked up after being perfectly calm before I tried to feed him. I can't imagine what's going on with him - perhaps he's just not as hungry as I think he should be?

Have been to the doctor about it and he can't find anything wrong with little man, and despite his less frequent feeding, he's still putting on weight, so I just don't know! Has anyone else experienced this around this time??

PS - also drooling, wanting to chew everything and VERY whiny - could he possibly be teething at 3 1/2 months old??

By Michelle on Monday, March 5, 2007 - 02:47 pm:

Hi Zoe, I had a very similar thing happen with my little man, I ended up going to a lactation consultant which pretty much solved the problem (of not wanting to latch on). It turned out I was holding his head and there was some sort of reflex (sorry, not very official here, but it was awhile ago and a bit of a blur) that meant he would push back against my hand (and away from the breast) anytime it was touched. Also I had to be more aware that all his limbs were in comfortable positions before I tried feeding him, as his arm was getting squashed between us (I've big boobs, so i didnt notice!).

Of course, the best thing to do would probably to see a LC, but this article might be worth a read for you too
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/baby-knows-how.html

Hope that helps and you are able to work it out quickly
Michelle

By julie on Monday, March 5, 2007 - 04:58 pm:

Hi Zoe. I know your proberbly thinking i'm crazy here but if bub drolling and wanting to chew sounds like teething. Every baby is different dose not mean bub will get them straight away. But could be getting them in the gums.My second bub dose this every time she teeths she changes on me,i have not had much sleep since god knows when. You may see in a couple of weeks or even a month or so pop out that nasty tooth. My son got his first tooth around 4 months old where my daughter got her first tooth around 7 months. So they are all different.I do hope i'm wrong for you. If you do agree maybe try teething ring put in the freezer then let bub have a little chew might be worth a try. I do hope i've been a help i'm shure it is teething. Good Luck zoe. Cheers julie.

By Annette on Monday, March 5, 2007 - 10:45 pm:

Hi Zoe, My son got his first tooth the day before his 4 month birthday and the second one a week later (Saturday just past)

By connie on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - 08:15 am:

hi Zoe

Bubby's now 4 mths. She did get better with feeds - but instead of aiming for 3 hourly or whatever feeds, I just aim for 4 - 5 feeds between midnight & midday, and 4 - 5 between midday & midnight. I find that if she has a better night with fewer feeds, she's less settled and hungrier in the morning. The reverse seems to apply also.

Having said that, around 16 weeks, she fed continuously every 2 hours day & night for a week and a half. Needless to say, I'm still getting over that!

She's been drooling madly since 12 wks but no teeth yet... just soaks a bib an hour!

hang in there!
connie

By Zoe on Friday, March 9, 2007 - 08:19 am:

Tnanks for your advice and supportive words ladies!

I spoke to a LC at my ABA meeting last week, and she reassured me that everything was normal, and that little man is just going through a phase where the wide world around him is far more interesting than my breasts! (ie, gets easily distracted).
She advised spacing his feeds out a bit more (more four hourly) in the hope he would be hungry enough at each feed to not get distracted. This has worked! YAY!
Thank goodness for the ABA and their wonderful counsellers!

By Rowena on Friday, March 9, 2007 - 03:32 pm:

On the teething thing, my nearly 9 month old has dribbled constantly since she was 3.5 months old, still no teeth though! Thumbs down to the MCHN who said at 4 months her red cheeks were a "teething rash", the doc has just told us it is excema!
I'm glad things are going well for you Zoe, it is so reasuring to hear possitive results about child associations workers in our community.