yet another 4-month post

We seem to be having a nursing crisis, or maybe it's really a sleep crisis,
I hardly know how to pin it down.

First: no sooner do I post that we're not having any problems nursing than
suddenly my nipples are *really* sore. It's actually the inner part of the
areola (about the inner half), around the base of the nipple. I'm pretty
sure this has to do with Sprogly's habit of pulling his head back and to the
side without letting go first. He's done this for some time, and I've tried
to stop him by holding his head in and then unlatching when I think he's
about to do it, but I don't always catch him. It didn't start to really hurt
until a couple of days ago.

Also, in the last couple of weeks, he's wanted to be latched on *all night*,
whether he's really nursing or not. Since the soreness started a few days
ago, I've not let him use me as a pacifier--I unlatch him as soon as he's
done nursing, and give him a pacifier if he'll take it. He's not thrilled
with this arrangement, but I've made a little progress.

When he sleeps, he *must* be touching me, or he wakes right up. He rolls to
either side, still asleep, waving his hands around until he finds me. If he
doesn't find me on the first side, he'll check the other. If he doesn't find
me there, he'll wake up. If he finds me, he'll either root around, or go
back to (somewhat quieter) sleep. He's very restless and thrashy.

Another factor is that I'm worried about my supply in general, because, as
I've posted last week, he's eating more during the day in daycare than I've
been pumping. So my inclination is to nurse him as much as I can at night to
postpone the day when I have to supplement with formula. At the same time,
these last few days it's really hurt to nurse, so I've been gritting my
teeth every time he nurses.


--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/

zeldabee was all, like:

....I seem to have hit send by mistake before I'd finished writing my post
(stoopid MSOE).

Anyway, in general he seems to be much more needy this last week, wanting to
be held all the time, not being able to play by himself for periods of time,
as he was for a while. I've been feeling like an incompetent mother, because
I have no idea what's going on with him, and over the weekend I couldn't get
him to nap at all without lying down with him. I actually gave him 3oz of
EBM because he just seemed so dissatisfied. He doesn't seem to be in pain or
uncomfortable, just dissatisfied.

I've had a much harder time than usual getting anything done, because he
doesn't want to be put down at all. I hadn't seen Sprogly as a high-need
baby until the last week or two. It seems like 4-month-olds often go through
lots of...I don't know what to call it...developmental *stuff*, just from
reading this list. I'm hoping, *hoping* this is a phase, and will pass soon.

I think he really wants to sit up, and can't do it yet. I've ordered a high
chair with a 5-point harness, hoping that he'll be happier playing by
himself for some amount of time, so I can fix dinner for myself, etc.,
without feeling like I'm neglecting my poor little baby over there fussing
and waving his arms (and who's overjoyed when I go back and pick him
up...breaks my heart).

Someone tell me this is a phase...

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m
http://NewsReader.Com/

Combining my replies to both halves of your post:

First: no sooner do I post that we're not having any problems nursing than
suddenly my nipples are *really* sore.

I noticed this at the end of last month as AF made her way back. Never
noticed it with my daughter. Both kids did the "keep firm grip on nipple
while looking at the world" thing.


Also, in the last couple of weeks, he's wanted to be latched on *all
night*,
whether he's really nursing or not.

Could well be the reaction to you leaving him during the daytime. During
your holiday break he got used to you being home and recognizes now that
you're gone.

When he sleeps, he *must* be touching me, or he wakes right up. He rolls
to
either side, still asleep, waving his hands around until he finds me. If
he
doesn't find me on the first side, he'll check the other. If he doesn't
find
me there, he'll wake up. If he finds me, he'll either root around, or go
back to (somewhat quieter) sleep. He's very restless and thrashy.

Sounds very much like my kids. I can't remember if you've tried the No Cry
Sleep Solution or not, but you are his sleep association and you can try and
change that at this point if you want to.

Another factor is that I'm worried about my supply in general, because, as
I've posted last week, he's eating more during the day in daycare than
I've
been pumping. So my inclination is to nurse him as much as I can at night
to
postpone the day when I have to supplement with formula. At the same time,
these last few days it's really hurt to nurse, so I've been gritting my
teeth every time he nurses.

Remember - even if he ends up switching to full supplementation your body
will almost surely be able to keep supplying what he needs at night and on
the weekends. You've made it past the hump of switching to produce,
produce, produce to produce on demand.

Anyway, in general he seems to be much more needy this last week, wanting
to
be held all the time, not being able to play by himself for periods of
time,
as he was for a while. I've been feeling like an incompetent mother,
because
I have no idea what's going on with him, and over the weekend I couldn't
get
him to nap at all without lying down with him. I actually gave him 3oz of
EBM because he just seemed so dissatisfied. He doesn't seem to be in pain
or
uncomfortable, just dissatisfied.

I've had a much harder time than usual getting anything done, because he
doesn't want to be put down at all. I hadn't seen Sprogly as a high-need
baby until the last week or two. It seems like 4-month-olds often go
through
lots of...I don't know what to call it...developmental *stuff*, just from
reading this list. I'm hoping, *hoping* this is a phase, and will pass
soon.


My DS (7 months on Friday) has been going through the same thing. I'm
attributing it to separation anxiety. Another thought is that he also
stopped sleeping through the night at four months in the way we hear so
often happens. Its a huge time for development and his brain is really
switching on so its pretty normal. Not something that you necessarily want
to hear because you do have to be up and moving and thinking during the day.

I think he really wants to sit up, and can't do it yet. I've ordered a
high
chair with a 5-point harness, hoping that he'll be happier playing by
himself for some amount of time, so I can fix dinner for myself, etc.,
without feeling like I'm neglecting my poor little baby over there fussing
and waving his arms (and who's overjoyed when I go back and pick him
up...breaks my heart).

Someone tell me this is a phase...

It is. He most likely won't be doing this when he's two :-) I can't say
that it stops. My daughter was always very demanding and high needs. DS
has been an easy baby, but lately he's changed and I too have found myself
hoping that it ends soon. Good luck!

--
--
Rhiannon
Mom to M. Girl (28 1/2 months) and O. Boy (7 months)

She's A Goddess was all, like:
Combining my replies to both halves of your post:

First: no sooner do I post that we're not having any problems
nursing than suddenly my nipples are *really* sore.

I noticed this at the end of last month as AF made her way back.
Never noticed it with my daughter. Both kids did the "keep firm grip
on nipple while looking at the world" thing.

Mine are cracked. The day before yesterday they were even bleeding. They're
a bit better today.

Daycare Lady is pretty sure he's teething, though I see no evidence on his
gums. He is chewing like a madman, though. I've asked her (her daughter was
there to translate yesterday, thankfully) not to let Sprogly chew/bite/play
with the nipple on his bottle.

I've been very vigilant about not falling asleep while he's nursing at
night, and unlatching him when I'm sure he's done.

The other night, he actually started gurgling with the boob in his
mouth..."doodle deedle dew dew..." (gums still firmly clamped) and I said,
"ok, you're done," and took the boobie away.

Also, in the last couple of weeks, he's wanted to be latched on *all
night*, whether he's really nursing or not.

Could well be the reaction to you leaving him during the daytime.
During your holiday break he got used to you being home and
recognizes now that you're gone.

I suppose that could be. He only wants Bloke if they're playing--if he
doesn't want to play, he wants me. He *sobs* when I leave him with Bloke so
that I can take a shower.

When he sleeps, he *must* be touching me, or he wakes right up. He
rolls to either side, still asleep, waving his hands around until he
finds me. If he doesn't find me on the first side, he'll check the
other. If he doesn't find me there, he'll wake up. If he finds me,
he'll either root around, or go back to (somewhat quieter) sleep.
He's very restless and thrashy.

Sounds very much like my kids. I can't remember if you've tried the
No Cry Sleep Solution or not, but you are his sleep association and
you can try and change that at this point if you want to.

Yes, I thumbed through that book when my baby was a few weeks old, and
realized that it was intended for older babies. I should at least read it
through, and maybe try it.

Another factor is that I'm worried about my supply in general,
because, as I've posted last week, he's eating more during the day
in daycare than I've been pumping. [...]

Remember - even if he ends up switching to full supplementation your
body will almost surely be able to keep supplying what he needs at
night and on the weekends. You've made it past the hump of switching
to produce, produce, produce to produce on demand.

I'd only switch to full supplementation at daycare if I stopped pumping,
though, which I don't plan to do any time soon.

[...] I'm hoping,
*hoping* this is a phase, and will pass soon.

My DS (7 months on Friday) has been going through the same thing. I'm
attributing it to separation anxiety. Another thought is that he also
stopped sleeping through the night at four months in the way we hear
so often happens. Its a huge time for development and his brain is
really switching on so its pretty normal.

He really is switching on--he seems more grown up every day, and has a new
trick every day. Yesterday he found his feet. It was so cute, he was
grabbing them and grinning at me, so proud of himself.

Not something that you
necessarily want to hear because you do have to be up and moving and
thinking during the day.

Sleep isn't so bad. it's sometimes hard to get him to sleep, but once he's
asleep he'll stay that way, at least when I'm with him. I've just got to
figure out the nap thing, and how to get him to sleep for a while before I
go to bed. Maybe NCSS will have the answer.

[...]

Someone tell me this is a phase...

It is. He most likely won't be doing this when he's two :-)

Oh, I just *love* it when people tell me that... )

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m
http://NewsReader.Com/

"zeldabee" wrote in message
Mine are cracked. The day before yesterday they were even bleeding.
They're
a bit better today.

Yikes, zeladabee! I'm sorry to hear that. Especially when you probably feel
like you should have "escaped" sore nipples by now. I've never had cracking
or bleeding, but on a few separate occasions, my baby has done *something*
to my right nipple so that for a few days following the trauma it feels
abraded each time he nurses. I haven't been able to figure out what he has
specifically done to it and hypothesize that it happened at night when I was
less aware. He does the tug-extremely-hard thing, but that doesn't seem to
be what causes the problem (because he tugs much more often than I have the
soreness problem).

Good luck!

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 4 months

"zeldabee" wrote in message
When he sleeps, he *must* be touching me, or he wakes right up. He rolls
to
either side, still asleep, waving his hands around until he finds me. If
he
doesn't find me on the first side, he'll check the other. If he doesn't
find
me there, he'll wake up. If he finds me, he'll either root around, or go
back to (somewhat quieter) sleep. He's very restless and thrashy.
snip

You've probably tried almost everything, but I thought I'd offer two
suggestions that sometimes work for us. My DS goes through thrashy spells at
night too and sometimes it really helps to just put my hand firmly on his
stomach--seems to somehow send him off into a deeper phase of sleep. He has
an annoying habit of flailing his arms about and *scrubbing* at his eyes
while still asleep--it is like he is waking himself up though. I have found
that if I kind of trap his right hand with mine (he seems very dominantly
right-handed, even though they say it is too early to identify a preference)
and hold it flat against his belly with my hand on top, that helps too. My
DS also seems to sometimes disturb himself by his rooting around for the
breast (but then not really wanting to nurse). The thing that sometimes
helps with that is to turn him so his back is to my front. then, he settles
down.

Good luck!

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 4 months