6 weeks and confused!

[emily3434]

Hi all  - please help with my routine-I just can't figure this girl out. I'm trying to " let go",  be flexible, but she is so miserable the second half of everyday something must change! We have wxperimemted with A times but nothing helps

This is our easy;

715 wake/eat
8 start winddown for nap
1030 wake from nap and eat
1130 winddown for nap

Here It goes nuts-a few days a week I get a good nap until 1 ish-then put down about 1 hr after wake up for the next nap. The third nap is always short and I try to extend and let her sleep on me do to avoid OT. So we extend or do A time until about 4-430 and eat again. The catnap is always a struggle especially if we can't extend that nap and she eats and goes back down for a nap.

For example:

230 nap
330 awake-tried to extend-unsuccessful
4/430 eat
Sleep right after feeding
515-530 awake
6 try for a catnap....
7 feed to sleep for bedtime

Today she was awake 2 hours from 430-630 before she crashed, and she slept about 30 min. So At 7 i changed her, fed her, and tried to put her back down.

Bedtime is always a struggle. My husband or I go up every 40 minutes or so I resettle her until I finally go and feed her at 10.  Sometimes she will sleep after 10. Other times she will wake one more time at 1130 and need resettling. 

I am mostly upset about the bedtime sleeping until the dream feed. What can I do! This is exhausting mentally and physically and very hard on our marriage and toddler.  I assume she is OT-but I feel I am doing everything I can to help her sleep!

[Jiinx]

Hi there!
 *hugs* Congratulations on your new baby girl!! These days are so precious but can be maddening if they're not sleeping Let's see if we can figure something out..

 Just out of curiousity, any gas issues? Reflux? Is she swaddled? Black out blinds? Sound machine?

The witching hour is so common in the late afternoon. I thought it was due to my daughter's reflux..but it could be a few things. Is she okay while feeding?

Looking briefly at your EASY, it could be that she may need a little push in her A time. Maybe add 5-10 minutes to her first A time and then cap her nap to 2 hours ...2.5 hours MAY be cutting into her day sleep and affecting her next nap.

Have you seen any sample routines?
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164027.0

I'm so sorry that it's putting a strain on your relationship with your toddler and your spouse. I'm not there yet..but I'm mentally preparing myself for chaos. Do you have any support? Friends? Family? This phase WILL pass.