Longer A time needed?

[ariesmom]

My 7 month old was doing great with S after months of prop sleeping. Then, as she approached 7 months, she started sitting up, pulling herself up to standing, and crawling. We had stopped having to do pu/pd after only 3 days of implementing the method when she was 6 months old. We could just put our hand on her back and she would go to sleep. Until she learned these new skills. I posted on PU/PD and they suggested perhaps I needed to post here because it could be an issue of A time.

We are now stuck with laying her down over and over (and over) again when it's time for nap/night sleep. Even if she's showing cues of yawning or eye rubbing, she will repeatedly sit up and pull herself up to stand when we put her in the crib. It was starting to take me 45 minutes of laying her down repeatedly to get her to go to sleep. According to my pediatrician, this has become a game for her. She won't get upset when I'm in the room, so pu/pd doesn't apply. When I do leave the room, she'll get upset, and when I start pu/pd, she'll just start back up with sitting up and pulling to stand!
I don't know what to do!!!!

Naptime Wind Down Routine = nurse (sometimes a lot, sometimes a little), book, song, bed.
Nighttime Wind Down Routine = bath, nurse, book, song, bed.

EASY =
Awake & Nurse: 6:30
E: 7:15 (solids)
S: 9:30
Awake & nurse: 11
E: 12:15 (solids)
S: 2 or 2:30
Awake & nurse: 4
E: 5:15 (solids)
S: 7

Do I need to adjust my A time to have her more tired so she's not popping up over and over again? Afraid to make her OT!!!

[Khalam's Mama]

Since you are getting good long naps and ?STTN I would say it is developmental in that she just learned a new thing and wants to do it. I would give her as much time to do this in her A time as possible. If you don't usually leave the room I would sit next to the cot but not put her down unless she is upset. Just sit in the room and say your sleepy phrase (it's sleepy time etc) and wait until she either lays down or gets upset. If she gets upset just lay her back down, with a quick cuddle only if you really feel she needs it.

[ariesmom]

Can I just clarify what you said above?

"If you don't usually leave the room I would sit next to the cot but not put her down unless she is upset. Just sit in the room and say your sleepy phrase (it's sleepy time etc) and wait until she either lays down or gets upset. If she gets upset just lay her back down, with a quick cuddle only if you really feel she needs it."

Did you mean sit next to the cot but not pick her up unless she is upset? So if she does get upset, I should just lay her down, but if she keeps sitting up do I just repeatedly lay her back down and only a quick PU/cuddle if she's really starting to get worked up?

I just want to make sure I have some clear direction to go before her bedtime. I'm at a loss of how to get her to go to sleep right now, so I really appreciate your guidance!

[Khalam's Mama]

Sorry. I meant if you do wd and then when you lay her down if she stands up but is ok i wouldn't lay her down. That is when it becomes a game. Remember pupd is meant to soothe her if she is upset while helping her settle to sleep. It isn't to speed up the going to sleep when she is messing around. So if she is happy just say your phrase and leave her. If she stands for 10mins happy just leave her. Only when she criesher i need you cry would i lay her down. Avoid picking up at this age unless she is really very upset. Hopefully she Will either stand a while then lay down and sleep. Or she Will stand a while then get fed up and cry and you can lay her down and she Will sleep. Can she lay down herself? If not again do lots of practice in her a time. Is that any more helpful?

[ariesmom]

Yes, thank you so much. I will give this a try tonight. She can and has laid herself down, so I know she's capable of doing it. We'll see how this goes in a bit.

[Claudiamummy]

Hi ariesmom,

You have some great advice there but I just wanted to say what a clever lo you have.... Sitting etc at only 7 months... Clever little bub!!:)

[Khalam's Mama]

Yes my 7mo just sit or stand where you put them but no transition between. I got into the same game as you at 9mo with Ds1 and one time i had to go bathroom in the middle of a 30min session and when i got back he had just laid back down and so i realised i had been going in too quickly. How did it go?

[ariesmom]

It was a tough night, to be sure. She cried immediately upon going into her crib, stood up right away, and reached for me. I essentially stood next to the for, rubbing her back, saying my "sleepy time" phrase for about 35-40 min until I was able to lay her down and she stayed down. I never left the room because she seemed so upset right away.
Should I be leaving?
I'm currently in the middle of her morning nap attempt, sitting in her room for about 30 min now and she's standing and crying her eyes out.
Not sure to do

[Khalam's Mama]

If you normally stay and put a hand on her i wouldn't try to leave. If she is crying her eyes out just keep laying her down. If she is really in need you could give her a quick cuddle. What is your feeling about her being ut? Do you think she needs more A time?

[ariesmom]

So right after I posted the above, I gave her a quick cuddle (just leaned into the crib and hugged her while she stood), then I laid her down and put her little stuffed animal into her hands and rubbed her back. She stayed down and went to sleep (whew!). However, she's woke up within 30 min and I had to put her back down. I'm sure this is because she's OT because she cried for 30 minutes past her usual nap time.

In regards to UT, I have been trying to wait for her cues before I start the WD. She was staying awake for 3 hours of A time typically, and at her age I don't want to extend that too much. I did her WD today but didn't put her in her crib until she actually yawned, however, yeah I do wonder if she was UT when we started the WD.

Newest development in this situ is that she went from sleeping without EW for 1.5 hrs and since I changed what I was doing with her sleep time yesterday, she's been EW at 30 min intervals. I feel like I'm trying to remedy one issue while creating another!!!

[Khalam's Mama]

30mins sounds OT. Hopefully once she settles easily thay will settle too.