My little guy used to sleep 8 hours EVERY night, and then wake for a feed, and then go back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. Then when he went to his 2 month check up and got vaccines, he slept 5 hours for his first stretch and two more three hour stretches the following two nights, then it went to all three hour stretches for a week or so, then two hour stretches, and the past three days, it has been one hour stretches – yikes!
I don't know if this factors in, but he was 11 lbs at birth and came home sleeping through the night (5-6 hours). We had a PP doula come in to help me recover and she was able to get him to 8 hours by the time she left, two weeks PP. So for a glorious month and a half I was able to recover, get sleep, spend time with my toddler (3 ½ yrs old), and thrive as a new mother of two, but now I'm simply surviving – barely.
- When I spoke with the Dr. they simply told me it was a perfect storm – shots, teething, and sleep regression, but he was only 2 ½ months at the time, so I feel like it’s more than that to simply stop sleeping well after one day. I considered the fat in my milk, my diet (or lack of, lol) as an EBF baby, schedule changes, etc. We do have mommy and me preschool with my toddler three days a week and it starts at the end of his first nap and into his second. He is pretty portable though. He does transfer to his car seat when we leave for preschool, and then he will nap at preschool. He is ferociously eating his hands now and is breaking out of his swaddle. I just ordered a zippadee to so he can access his arms if he wants to, but I’d love it if he’d stay swaddled, but he cries if he can’t suck on his hands while he’s putting himself to sleep, but this part has only started happening the past three days or so.-
I asked our PP doula a lot of questions and put him on a good routine, but now looking at some of the schedules from other questions, I think I may have created some problems. My PP doula said to treat naps like a mini bedtime routine, including giving him a quick feed before putting him down and using a pacifier. I think I may have to start there, but first, here’s our (mostly) daily routine. The times aren’t exact, it’s approx. as I follow his lead:
6:30am wake and feed
A – floor mat, or just hangs out on bed while I get ready
7:45am nap (change diaper, feed, burp,sing, swaddle, snuggle, put down (eyes are usually open or close to closing))
9/9:30ish wake and feed at preschool
A – in ergo carrier or sits with me, watching, while we have circle time.
11am –feed, watch kids play for 10 minutes, then try to put down for nap, sometimes he’ll do it in his car seat , in the stroller, other times my SIL (she’s in the class too) will hold him and let him sleep on her. I do swaddle him if he sleeps in the stroller.
11:30 sleeping
12:15 transfer to car seat, drive home – usually wakes up during this time
12:30 take him out of carseat and rock him with paci to go back to bed in his crib.
2:30/3ish wake up and feed
A- exersaucer or bouncer (he is very strong for his age and likes to be standing or using his legs when he is awake)
5ish nap (same routine as morning)
6ish wake and eat
6:30pm get bath and start bedtime routine (bath, lotion, PJ's,turn on starry sky lights and song, sing and eat, swaddle, rock/cuddles, put down either with or without a paci, eyes open, or about to close)
7:30pm sleep
8:30pm whines to cry – I go in and replace the paci or PU/PD
9:30pm whines to cry – same thing as above
10:30pm whines to cry – ditto
11:30pm whines to cry – ditto
12:30 cries – feed and put down w/out paci
2:30am – if I’m lucky
– replace paci – too tired to PU/PD
3:30am – whines to cry – ditto
4:30am cries – feed and put down w/out paci
6:30am –maybe- wake up and feed
Repeat the day!
The days we don’t have preschool I try to do something in the morning, so it does interrupt his morning nap and goes into his second nap. His afternoon naps are longer, about 2-3 hours ish usually.
Any help? I feel like it should be easier to get him back to sleeping 8 hours, but did I create some negative sleep associations those first few nights after shots that made him wake up even more often? I did nurse him every time he woke up for about two weeks after shots, but I don’t now. I just feel very lost and stuck and frustrated. My first baby was a horrible sleeper and I didn’t get this information until he was 12+ months, and he still slept about every 2 hours until he was 2 years old!! I can’t do that again! HELP!
