Schedule is a disaster after hospital stay for pneumonia

[Jessika015]

My son is 7 weeks old and recently had RSV and pneumonia and spent two days in the hospital. We've been home for over a week now but I can't get him back on track st all. I also have two older children (3 and 5 years old), so I am busy with them too. I have to drop off and pick up my 5 yr old at kindergarten everyday at 9am and noon so those car rides make it tough for naps. Here's a typical day:
Wake up 8am
E 8am
A
S 8:45am-9:30am (only because we have to drive brother to school and he falls asleep in the car seat) I know this nap isn't long enough and it seems to throw off our whole day
A
E 10am
A
S 11am-11:45am (I put him down in his crib but then have to move him to his car seat to go pick up brother from school)
A
E12:30
A
S 1pm-3pm ( sleeps in swing because I am desperate for a real nap)
E 3pm
A
S 4:30pm-5:15pm
E 6pm
A bath
E 7:15pm
S bedtime
E 12:30am
E 4:30am

Please help!!!

[creations]

Hi there
Really sorry to read your LO was so poorly

It always seems to me that routines take a good while to get back on track after illness, especially with young babies.
It could also seem like things were going well because your LO was in the new born sleepy phase - which can seem like all they do is sleep and in terms of routine might even seem easier than when they come out of it - and then came out of it around the same time he became ill.

Looks like you are coping pretty well with 3 children to care for - and really all you can do is fit LOs naps into the family routine which looks like you are doing.  Your DD3 is still very young and many people wouldn't be experiencing an ideal routine at this age, not yet, even without the commitments of the school run to work around.
Things you might try:
- waking LO up earlier in the morning so that you can fit a 1hr 15 A time before getting into the car for the school run. So 7.30 WU and 8.45 nap in car seat (personally I wouldn't want to wake baby in the morning but it can help set up a more workable routine for you)
- allow LO to sleep longer in the car seat instead of transferring (car seats are not ideal sleeping places but often this can't be avoided due to there being other children to care for)
- if the first nap remains short, a CN, to reduce the A time following it and put LO down for the 2nd nap earlier, say 10.30am  whilst this is only 1hr A time and for age guidance is more like 1hr 15min it comes after a short nap rather than a long one. You might find with some help he can lengthen this second nap and sleep 10.30 - 11.45 when you have to transfer to the car seat for the school run.  It's not an ideal length nap time but it's better than only 45min
- with some jiggling around with times you could, if you chose, aim for
an earlier WU (7am)
A 1hr
S a CN before the school run (8 - 8.45am)
A 1hr 15
S a longer 2nd nap 10 - 11.30 (up in time for school run)
A 1hr 15
S 12.45 - 2.15/2.45
etc

As A times naturally increase with age you could then drop the morning CN and go directly to the longer nap at home after school - sounds great in writing, perhaps not so easy in real life.

[Jessika015]

I will definitely try the earlier wake up and squeezing that catnap in before we leave for school drop offs. Would you suggest keeping feeding times 3 hours apart even if it doesn't keep the EAS pattern?

[creations]

I noticed in your EASY there were some E at 2hrs and 2.5hrs.  If your LO can make it to 3hrs then yes I would keep feed times 3hrs apart and just fit them in around the naps. To fit in with naps you might need to feed at less than 3hrs so that the nap doesn't come too late but just aim not to feed to sleep, if LO nods off try a nappy change before putting down for the nap.
However - if your LO can't yet make it to 3hrs (I assumed so looking at your E times in your routine) then you don't have to make him wait too long if he is hungry.  He is so young that many will still be working towards 3hrly E and perhaps more importantly he might need to eat earlier than 3hrs because he was poorly.  If you feel you can gently extend up to 3hrs then great, but it's gentle, the idea isn't about making LO wait a long time when hungry the idea is to avoid snacking.
In terms of the EAS pattern then, mainly just aim to avoid feeding to sleep. The pattern might be EASAEASA for instance which is fine.

Hope it works out for you - shout if you need support