Author Topic: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(  (Read 1475 times)

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Offline A.F.

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7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« on: September 13, 2016, 20:42:19 pm »
I really hope someone can help me.

After following Tracy's sleeping and routine methods with my first son, i started recommending it to EVERYONE. But now, with my baby Joseph, i just can't seem to get it right...

joseph is very energetic and alert. he is very advanced, and always ahead of babies his age. does not cry a lot, and when he does, it is not hysterical, but more like a moaning. VERy communicative (At around 3.5 months would ask to be picked up, using body language). that comes with having a hard time to fall asleep, and being a light sleeper. this is so since he was a week old.

i trained joseph to fall asleep at 3.5 months. it took 3-4 days, and then i was able to put him down calmly, leave the room, and he would fall asleep. this lasted for like 3 days. i blamed it on the 4 month regression.

tried again at 4.5 months. took longer, and was harder - but he learned to suck his fingers while i was doing shush/pat, and fell asleep within 20 minutes. lasted for like 4 days :(

after this he started screaming when put in to bed. worked hard, and indeed, he fell asleep after 40 minutes of shush/pat, and some quite crying. he no longer sucks his fingers.

now he won't even do this... he is simply immune to being put to sleep. it can take 2 hours, and unless he is over tired, he screams when i try putting him down.

Additional information about babies habits
==========================

baby goes to babysitter when i am at work in the morning, and sleeps very well - in a stroller (sleeps for about an hour and a half, falls a sleep on his own)

baby falls asleep on his own after night feeds

baby does not like to breast feed or bottle feed, will often not want to eat immediately after waking up, but then be hungry 20 minutes later. he now loves solids, and they keep him very happy. he eats 2 small meals a day (rice cereal, vegetables, banana, avocado)

baby does not cry a lot, unless going to sleep....

any advice please.... i would also appreciate references to resources for this type of baby...

Offline A.F.

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2016, 20:40:17 pm »
Can this be separation anxiety? baby shrieks when i leave the room, since about 6 months old...!

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2016, 05:57:54 am »
Hi and sorry this got missed, how are things?

Could you post his routine please?  I wonder if he is a spirited baby whether he could be UT when you try to put him down....

Offline A.F.

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2016, 13:05:13 pm »
Thanks @jessmum.

6:30 wake up and morning feed. can fall back asleep for another few minutes after feed
play
8:00 breakfast - small snack, like rice-cakes or bananas.
9:00 - go to babysitter, play, eat 'real breakfast' - rice cereal
10:00 nap
12:00 wake up, bottle
1:30, come home
2:00 - so tired.... needs to be held and distracted.
3:30 - this is usually when joseph falls asleep for nap
4:00 wake up :( and feed
5:30 - super - vegetables, chicken
6:30 - bath, PJs, songs, quite games in bedroom
7:00 - hopefully bedtime :)
8:00 feed
10:00 feed
12:00 feed

what do you mean by UT?

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2016, 12:56:43 pm »
UT = undertired, as in, not yet tired enough to either go down for a sleep or sleep for a decent length of time

That said, looking at the routine I actually think your LO is more likely overtired, not undertired.  The reason being that although he has what looks like a good length nap in the morning, he is clearly tired a very short A time afterwards which suggests that the nap is not a good, rested sleep, but rather a crash through exhaustion.  He has a disturbed night and long first A time for 7 months (possible, but after a disturbed night many babies need a shorter A time first thing) and it is not unusual I've found for babies to do naps in the 1h30-50 range when super exhausted. 

My suggestions would be to (if possible) move the morning nap earlier, or if not, move the afternoon nap quite a bit earlier as you are getting an OT 30 mins.  You can try say 3pm to begin with, and if not move earlier in 15 min steps until he takes a good nap to catch up.  You can also move BT a touch earlier if the afternoon nap is that short, moving it to 6.30pm may help :) 

It may be that in general he is a baby who does like longer awake times, but that he has just got in a tired spiral and needs things pulling back a bit temporarily to help him catch up :)

Offline A.F.

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2016, 17:46:32 pm »
Thanks. I agree that he is probably overtired, and i am working on getting his morning nap earlier. that said, he does seem to like longer a time. iv'e tried putting him to sleep earlier for his afternoon nap, but he isn't ready (although he looks tired)

Offline A.F.

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2016, 11:47:02 am »
Hi,

i would really appreciate the exports, and other experienced mothers help on this...
basically, what happens is, is that if i put my baby to sleep using shush/pat, or other gentle methods, he can take 40 minutes to fall asleep, and a lot of the time is spent crying! by the time he falls asleep, there is no time left for his nap... he is also so sad during that 40 minutes, and it means that a lot of time is spent only going to sleep.

The other option - i to do what the babysitter does - put him to sleep in the stroller. he cries for a bit, but is a sleep within 5 minutes. but, a. he needs rocking (babysitter doesn't rock him, but i don't know how she does it) b. he wakes up much quicker, and sleeps for half the amount of time then when he sleeps in crib

third option - put baby calmly in crib and walk out. sounds too good to be true? well, he starts screaming as soon as i put him down, but unwinds and is a sleep with 3-5 minutes. he sleeps much better and longer then the other methods, but he does cry for a few minutes first :( he can get hysterical, in which case i walk in, calm him down, put back down and walk out. sometimes this repeats itself a few times, and i see he isn't calming down , in which case i take him out of the room to play, and start over 10 minutes later.

he sleeps the best this way, but it breaks my heart. i can't hear him cry like that.

based on my babies behavior, can it be, that in this case, it is better to let him cry a bit? can some babies just need the space to relax themselves and go to sleep on their own?

and most important - if this is the case, how can we make the process more pleasant for the baby (and me ;) )? is there a way to so thids more efectively, with less crying?

please help....  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
« Last Edit: September 27, 2016, 11:48:38 am by A.F. »

Offline jessmum46

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Re: 7 months HUGE regression, for third time :(
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2016, 12:23:41 pm »
an some babies just need the space to relax themselves and go to sleep on their own?
Yes definitely.  Some can have a very loud cry and need to let off steam before they will settle down.  It sounds like you know his cries well and would always return if it is is escalating to genuine upset to provide reassurance - which is what we'd suggest :)

I'm wondering if perhaps there may be some routine issues causing more difficulty with settling for you?  Could you post a normal/recent day or two for us please?