7 wk old-good first nap of the day-then it all goes haywire! would LOVE advice

[JacobM]

hi - i'm trying to establish some kind of routine, but finding it really hard and feel totally lost and wondered if anyone could offer some help.

my 7 week old sleeps well for his first nap of the day, but all other naps are awful, resulting in a very OT and OS baby until his bedtime at 8-8.30! (we are seeing a cranial osteopath for his digestion - he had reflux, which is now under control, but still has bad wind...also for his 'wiredness'!)

here's today's routine to give you an idea of what im doing wrong...

E 7.30
A
S 8.30-10.15 (sleep straight away)
Y

E 10.15
A
S 11.10-12.00 (took 20 mins to wind down/ go to sleep)
Y

E 12.15 (i tried to get him down for 15 mins, but he seemed hungry, so i fed him - he lasted 5 mins)
A
S 1.45 - 2 (from 12.20 to 1.45 - he was awake and not that happy, but not crying lots yet - eventually i jigged him like mad and he dropeed off...for 15 mins - woke up crying, but then smiled at me...so i picked him up, he started doing a hunger cry, so i fed him again
Y

E 2.15
A
S NONE - not having any of it - very unhappy - crying, OT - no sleep for this LO
Y

E 4.15 - eventually fed him again
A
S went for long walk in pram, so he slept from 4.45 - 7
Y

E 7
A Bath at 7.30
E 8
S 8.30 (went down quite easily
Y

I am actually on a 3hour feeding schedule - but when he is awake for a long time, getting OT, i think he gets hungry - or maybe needs to suckle?

i usually dreamfeed him at 11, and then he wakes up in the night with wind pains at 2/3 or 5/6 and for feeding once.

can anyone offer any advice - is there a simple solution i'm missing.
thanks
x

[JacobM]

Can anyone help? i'm so confused - it might be I just start going with the flow and just doing what my LO wants? would that be advisable? it might stop my stress!
x

[JacobM]

ok - so i've just noticed in the FAQ that maybe his first nap of 1.45 mins is too long, disrupting the rest of his naps. but if woke him after 1.5 hours (10), then i would have to wait half an hour to feed him (10.30)- resulting in half an hour activity time BEFORE his next feed...and if i then do that time AND do normal activity time after his feed (45 mins -1 hour for my very OS baby) then, he;ll be getting an extra half an hour overall, and then be extra OT...
OR do i feed him as soon as i wake him up...half an hour early?
HELP! thanks ...any experts advice so appreciated.
x

[Mashi]

Is it possible that you are putting him down too early for that second nap? It's only a bit more than an hour of awake time, and if it took 20 minutes to get him down to sleep, it could be that he's not ready for sleep yet, so the short nap may be from undertired. then, because he had a short sleep he ended up overtired faster?  could you try stretchign him out until 1130 / 1140 for his first nap and see if that works?

[JacobM]

tks - that does make sense - but do you mean stretch to 11.40 for his second nap (rather than first?)

or do you think i should shorten his first nap? but then he'll end up with a longer A time, which could cause him to become OS and OT!!!

x

[Mashi]

NO, I'm thinking keep his first nap from 830 - 1015 (let him go until 1030 if he will, as 1.5 hours is a good nap for his age), but then don't put him down for his second nap until 1140+. By putting him down for his second nap too early, I'm wondering if he's not tired enough (why it took him 20 minutes to fall asleep), and that's why he has a short nap, which then in turn mucks up the rest of the day  on you. 

Does that help at all?

[JacobM]

yes, thanks so much.

x