CHANGING ROUTINES.

[gillythekid]

My DS is 3 months and we've been fairly consistent since day one with a not too rigid structure. He always feeds well (expressed milk) after his evening bath and often settles himself till we wake him at 11. He's gone back to waking at 4am instead of nearer 6 but has had his first cold this week, we started to cut the amount of this feed down some weeks ago. It's the daytime that is the real problem. He wakes between 7 and 7.30am and used to be really hungry but now feeds for a couple of minutes and gets really windy and grouchy and wants to go back to sleep but will only settle after more food, this can take till 9am. Feeding little and often means he gets a sore belly and cries every time he farts (which is becoming more frequent!) The rubbing of the eyes and yawning goes on all day as he only naps for 45 mins after lots of coaxing. We're not having much quality time as he constantly seems tired yet we always have the constant battle to get him to sleep.
I feel like I could read my baby so well and now I haven't a clue! Any ideas? HV is crap and says to leave him if he won't nap but then he starts screaming and gets really upset.

Hi gilly hope you are OK, sorry no advice, but thought I'd bump this thread for you. Hope you don't mind.

He sounds like a really good baby but is struggling with his first cold. I would keep doing your best until he is well again when he will settle back down. If he is full up at 4am, perhaps he's not hungry yet at 7? I used to panic that my ds's weren't hungry when they woke up at 7ish but apparently this is quite normal! You could try waiting a bit longer. At his age the only comfort he knows is feeding, even if not hungry. Do you let him sleep on you when he's ill or in his cot?

The little and often might be because his nose is blocked and feeding for a long time is difficult?

This all started to change way before the cold! He used to nap for 2.5 hours at lunchtime and was always refreshed but now he is constantly tired and I fear that I'm feeding him to sleep too often. Sometimes he's genuinely hungry, sometimes I think it's a comfort thing, either way it makes it difficult to get the wind out and he wakes up grouchy after 45 mins. I offer the dummy but he spits it out or gags. I walk him in the pram for his evening nap as it's impossible to get him to sleep in his basket. Any ideas? I'm seriously cracking up!