Hi, DS2 had just turned 9 weeks (DS1 had just turned 17 months - I'm mad I know!)& since he was born things have been a bit of a challenge. We are ebf but the poor little mite had reflux which had up until this point had a huge knock on effect to everything from feeding (would suck a little, scream, suck a little, scream & then scream & cry inconsolably from around 5pm - 10pm every night) to sleep (could not & I mean could NOT be put down anywhere without wakining within minutes).
The reflux is now being treated with Ranitidine & Gaviscon & Ds2 is doing much better in terms of feeding & sleep, to a point.
At the moment DS2 wakes up somewhere between 6 - 7pm has a feed, will suit with us while we eat (or be being fed himself) DS1 goes to bed (depending on Ds2 either me or dh takes him to bed) between 8 - 9pm ds2 is bathed & then 9pm - 10pm fed & goes to sleep. We take him up with us between 10pm - 11pm because if he's not really asleep he wakes very quickly after being put in his bed which is next to me. He will then sleep for about 4 hours on a good night, wakes up to be fed which he seems to do in 20minutes max before dozing off so we change his nappy to try to get him to feed a bit more which he will for all of 5 minutes & is then asleep again. So I'm thinking he must be full as really hungry babies don't sleep?
He will then be put down 20 minutes later to make sure he's really asleep but will then wake again anywhere between 5 minutes or 2 hour's later if we're lucky & so the fun begins. I try to feed him again but to be honest whether he's asked within 5 minutes or 2 hour's makes no difference he will feed for a max 5 minutes doze off, no matter what I do won't feed (so can't be hungry? ) but the second we try to put him down is awake. He then ends up being propped on mine or dh chest out of desperation where he will happily sleep for at least another 2 hour's so we can get some much needed sleep before ds1 wakes up at 8am.
Im not by any means expecting him to sleep through (although would be bloody fantastic!) but am concerned by this not sleeping in his own bed lark as am concerned about safety & creating a bad habit we will struggle to break later. The other thing thatis worrying / frustrating me is what's waking him so quickly second time around hunger but falls back to sleep quickly, reflux but have propped mattress up & built a nest so is nice & snug & tried putting a used top of mine in with him or just not being tired anymore? I know the answer is probably to persevere & keep him at home for a while so every time he sleeps he gets put in his bed?
Rationally I know that it's probably still far too early to be worrying about sleep patterns & forming bad habits & that this behaviour is completely normal Fir an ebf 9 week old but I can't help it as the only thing we have to benchmark against is Ds1 who was exceptionally good & slept through in his own bed from around 10 weeks but he was combined fed so is a different kettle of fish. Sorry for the massive essay but really just needed to say it out loud & get it off my chest.