Hope someone can help - after a week of almost no sleep I'm getting increasingly desperate!
My four-month-old DS is EBF. He's never been a good sleeper and has always fed three or four times in the night. He did a seven-hour stretch of sleep once, so I know he can, but this was a one-off - usually he has a last feed at 11pm ish and then it's every two or three hours after that.
Up until about a week ago he used to settle okay in his crib after each feed. It'd take about half an hour of shushing, patting, rubbing his tummy etc, but he'd always go back to sleep in his crib eventually.
However, he's just started refusing to lie down on his back after a feed. Arching his back, bringing his knees up, screaming, when I try and lie him back down. So I'll hold him or sit him up, burp him some more and put him back down. He screams again. He keeps this up until eventually I bring him into bed with me and cuddle him to sleep. Even then though, he won't lie on his back.
The only way I'm getting any sleep at all is by letting him sleep with me. DH has been relegated to the spare room. However, I've returned to work and I find I barely sleep when we're cosleeping, as I'm so tense and worried about crushing him etc. I'd therefore like to get him back in his crib next to our bed, as it's difficult working on two or three hours of broken sleep a night.
Several night feeds were ok to cope with when he'd settle afterwards, but when it's two hours of shouting after each feed, it's very difficult.
This refusing-to-lie-on-his-back behaviour has been accompanied by a marked increase in possetting. He never used to spit much milk back up, but now there's quite a lot coming up after each feed.
So I'm thinking the refusal to sleep in his crib could be one of three things... reflux? Which makes it uncomfortable for him to lie on his back? But, if so, why has it just started?
Teething? He is dribbling a lot, but surely this would bother him whatever position he was in, not just on his back.
Or maybe it's just four-month sleep regression and he's refusing to lie on his back because he's refusing to sleep at all? He barely sleeps in the day either, just catnapping for 10-15 mins here and there, and then only when he's in the car, in his buggy or being held. Again, he screams if I try and put him in his crib during the day.
Any help would be much appreciated!! (and if this would be better in Sleep then obviously I don't mind it being moved).