help with newborn 45 minute nap transition

[VnessMorris]

How old is DS now? 5 weeks?

I've attached a link that helped me keep track of EAS cycles when DD2 was really young. I just remember those pesky catnaps were annoying and the carrier was used many times to get her to CN and not get OT.

http://noobmommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/EASY-Schedule-Cheat-Sheet.pdf
V

[mommykay410]

He is 3 weeks old. Which is probably too young to be worrying about his schedule as much as I am but I need it for sanity and fairness to DD. Today has been the worst day yet. He hardly napped at all. I spent forever trying to get him down for both naps today and for the second one he only slept 15 minutes when I brought him downstairs to the swing bc I had to feed DD lunch. I feel like he is never going to be able to consistently fall asleep on his own 

Thanks for the cheat sheet, I will keep it handy. I have not been doing the cluster feeds bc I hate to keep waking him up at night and taking forever to get him back down. I have done the dreamfeed all but one night bc I wanted to see what would happen. That night he slept from 7:10-11:45 and then got up again at 3:50 to eat and up for the day shortly after 7. I didn't really dreamfeed with DD so I'm not sure if I want to continue doing it or not.

[VnessMorris]

Maybe just keep the EAS routine for DS but don't worry about the nap length? If he wakes early, just continue on until next feeding e.g. EASAE? At least it will help him get into a "routine" and you can still tend to your DD.

At 4 weeks he's still pretty young. DD2 had 2-3x NWs for feedings around that age. Hang in there!
V.

[mommykay410]

I could try that routine, although when he wakes early he is still super tired so if I give him A time and then feed at normal time he will fall asleep while eating and then be all backwards.  I did get one good nap today after I fed him at 1:30 and he slept from 2:10-4:30, but then I couldn't get him to catnap at all while DD ate dinner.  I tried to put him in the carrier but he was not too happy with that.  It was the first time I had him in it though, so maybe he was just uncomfortable. 

The main issue now is just getting him to go down for nap since that seems like it's taking him forever each time.  I don't know if waiting til the first yawn is already too late since he starts fussing right away then?  So perhaps I'm missing the window? 

I'm definitely not looking to drop any night feeds yet, just considering not doing the dreamfeed and just letting him wake on his own since he has such trouble falling asleep in the first place.  If I did the cluster feeds and dreamfeed in the suggested EASY I would end up waking him 2 extra times once he's fallen asleep for the night in addition to the two times he wakes on his own. 

Hoping once he hits 4 or 5 weeks things will smooth out.

[VnessMorris]

Hey mommykay410,

My personal experience can't offer you anymore help; I'm not sure what the best route for you and your LO's are at this point, other than riding it out as you've said. 

However, I did find this resource that has some great tips on how to sleep train #2 with #1 at home. Not sure if you had a chance to read this from BW Forums?

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68058.0

HTH!
V.

[mommykay410]

Your advice and experience has been very helpful and appreciated! It helps me just to know someone who gets it is listening sometimes. That link is great and gives me hope too haha. Today was much better, as he went down fairly easily for all of his naps and catnapped in the stroller on a walk with DD and DH. It seems like a day to day thing with him whether he cooperates or not, so I will just wait for the day that it clicks at this point and hope it's soon!