Anyone want to talk about the 3-2 Nap transition? Part 2

[Skadiver13]

Hi all just wanted to join the thread we're doing the dreaded 3-2 right now. My LO is 5.5months old and was doing 2 1.5hr naps and a 20-30 min cat nap before bed. He then started refusing the cat nap and waking early like 4:45/5am and I was getting shorter naps like 1hr15min naps. We tried changing bed times etc but nothing worked so I started extending his A times to 2.45 but we're still getting that shorter nap in the AM but a good nap in the PM. Yesterday he woke at 6:15am for my husband as I'm out of town. He put him down at 9am he only slept 1hr 15min. So he was up from 10:15-1:10 (almost 3hrs) went to sleep well but woke up at 1:50 (40 min later) crying. My husband thinks it was from pain I think (but wasn't there) it was from being OT. My Husband coudln't get him back to sleep as he's just not used to dealing with these issues. Then my LO refused the cat nap and by mistake becaue he didnt' know better DH kept him up till a BT of 6:45. Luckily it didnt cause NW but once he woke up at 4am but was able to get him back to sleep till 5:20 (which was really 620 as last night was the end of day light savings time). So I'm wondering should I continue pushing till 3hrs or cut back to 2hrs 45min? It seems like he's not tired enough for the AM nap but then OT for the PM nap?

[Papaya]

Hi Skadiver! How're things going? Maybe try pushing the morning A, but only push the second one if you get a really good morning nap? And if the second nap is a disaster and you can't get a catnap, do a super EBT. Does he tack well?

xx

[Carren_m]

Hi everyone, just jumping in here to ask my own question about the 3-2 transition - can anyone give a rough outline for an EASY routine on 2 naps? Do you still try to feed every 4 hours, or does this get pushed out to 4.5 ish? It seems 4hrs isn't long enough for extending the wake time and getting a good nap. Thanks, Carren

[Papaya]

Hi Carren_m, sorry we missed this.  Basically as your A times increase, you're on a 4hr+ EASY - so just keep on feeding on WU from nap, unless it seems like your LO is not handling this (eg, waking early from naps because of hunger rather than some other reason). Some bf LOs can do the longer A times to be on two naps, but aren't quite ready to space their feeds out that much.

There's a new sticky just up about this transition today. Let us know if this doesn't answer all your questions.

All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months

[Lovejoy]

am extending a time for Angel dd3 who is 7 months old.  currently i've got her to 21/2 A time.  Iposted on EASY that as I have school run in the afternoon I can not give my dd3 her full afternoon nap. 
Currently awake and sleep routine is
A 7am
Nap 9.30
A 11.30
Nap 2pm
But then i'll have to wake her 2.45pm for collecting other children (by buggy) from school.
This means i'll never lose the 3rd nap and it will get later as her A time increases.

I'm getting stressed about it!! Also she's not a great buggy sleeper, so I can't extend her nap in buggy or start it in there - HELP!!

[Papaya]

That is tough with the school run in there! Maybe you could cap the morning nap and aim for a long midday nap so she's up just before the school run, with a very short catnap in the early evening if need be? I also know some people who have really worked on training their LO to transition from carseat/buggy to cot or vice-versa.

[Lovejoy]

how did they work on the cot to buggy transition, I tried once after her sleep of 10 mins - disaster, no pushing in buggy settled her back to sleep!

Is there a reason why the morning nap would be shortened instead of the midday nap?  Is there difference either way?

Thanks

[Papaya]

I'll see if I can get someone to pop over.  I wonder if she'd fall asleep in the buggy if she were really ready for that nap, so if it were a bit later?

Personally I'd shorten the morning nap so she's ready to take a pm nap sooner, and then if it's a nice long one it'll keep her going for longer. She might still then need a very short catnap for a while , but it won't be long until she'll be able to just get through to bedtime on a long pm nap.

[becj86]

I trained L to transition car/pram to cot... basically did shush/pat from car to bed, then once in bed til he settled (gradually reduced the patting in the cot as he learned to settle in there) and even now I just tell him I've got him and I'm carrying him to bed, put him in and he sleeps The only thing is the timeframe - any more than about 10-15mins sleep in the car and the transfer is a more like 50% success rate than the 99% success rate with the minimal sleep time in the car.

If I was doing cot to pram transition after only 10min in the cot, I'd just put LO straight in the pram and walk a little slower or take a longer route... especially if I was doing a catnap either end of the day with a longer nap around lunch time.

[Lovejoy]

so my "ideal" day would be:
WU 7am
Nap 9.45
WU 10.30
Nap 1.15/1.30pm
WP 2.45
catnap 5.30
WU 6pm
but then short A time before bedtime at 7.30?

Thanks!!! xx

[becj86]

I'd say so - you'd need a short A to BT with the two shorter naps and only one restorative one. You're still having a 12.5hr day with is pretty normal for this age

[Lovejoy]

just having a routine makes all the mental release to me!
just last 2 questions:

when I have the opp to give her 2 long naps ie wends or if DH is at home, should I do it or stick to my 3 naps instead to avoid messing up her body rhythm?

also how long will this routine last??
thanks

x

[becj86]

when I have the opp to give her 2 long naps ie wends or if DH is at home, should I do it or stick to my 3 naps instead to avoid messing up her body rhythm?

I'd stick with the normal routine to avoid messing up her clock - should mean the routine may stick around a while longer than otherwise too.

Not sure how long it will last, totally depends on the baby. DS was on a CN and a long nap at 8 months... guess yours will be a little later than that but you will know its time for a change when LO refuses either one of the CN's consistently.

[Moma of two]

Wanting to jump in here.  So with the schedule just posted if at 6 months LO having 1.5 hour and two 40 min naps is OK?  I am really stumbling over this transition attempt.  I can only get only one long nap.  Yesterday I go two, dropped catna and LO was up multiple times before DF.

[becj86]

So with the schedule just posted if at 6 months LO having 1.5 hour and two 40 min naps is OK?

Its not ideal but it is often the only way to get around school runs.

What's your A time?