How long till the wake-to-sleep works?

[nadb]

wondering how long i will need to do wake-to-sleep before my 9 week old will learn to sleep longer than 30 minutes? i do the patting method at 30 min and often he makes it through but sometimes not. i just feel like i have no time for myself as i am always lingering around his room. 2 weeks, 3 weeks? or longer?

also, i took him to my parents house for a couple of days, and my methods didn't work...did he know he was not at home? i would love to go visit more often to help me get through the blues i am experiencing and have him around my family, but he was all out of sorts while i was there.

[nadb]

Here is an example of the routine we had this morning...which is typicaly of most mornings, give or take a half hour.

Stirring at 6:30 ish (could hear him stirring in his crib).
Got him out at 6:50 (always try to give him some time in his crib if he isn't fussing...so that he can get used to some indep time in his crib)
Fed at 7:15 (before that i changed him, talked a  bit with him, than I had him play under his activity gym while i made coffee)
7:45 ish - bath, change, chill in crib while i put his bath away, clothes away)
8:17 a.m. - sleep (before that i do the swaddle, hold him upright in the rocker, play the aqauriam music in the background, and when he is settled and still i put him down...usually 5 min or so)

I went in at the half hour...saw him stir, but thought i would see if he made it through this time...but eyes popped open after a couple of stirs...so i picked him up and held him upright again in the rocker for 15 min or so...i know i am not supposed to do that with a baby less than 3 months, but i thought at least i could get a few more min out of him! i put him down, and he slept till 10:17 when i went in and woek him up).


as for my parents - i brought along my play pen and he slept in there - in the bassinet part. he slept well at night in it.

[nadb]

i have found that he still wakes even at the other naps...where i find i respond to the first yawn. but i will look at getting him down perhaps even a little earlier.

another question - for the wake-to-sleep, do i pat him at the 30 min mark regardless of whether i see him stir, or do i wait to the first stir...cause i found today i waited, and he came out both times.

[soji]

Hi nadb -

I'm in exactly the same boat as you are.  My LO is 9 weeks old too and she likes to give me 40 minute naps.  I have been trying Josie's schedule for 2 days and have been really strict w/ the routine (meaning not going anywhere).  Sticking to the routine has definitely helped. although it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at times.  I have had the baby blues, too.  It was really bad for me during weeks 5 and 6, but seems to be getting better.  You are NOT alone in this.  I have gotten very frustrated and have tried to get out of the house at least once a day (a walk, grocery store) just for my own mental health, but of course, it ruins one of Claire's naps.  Hang in there.  Claire did better today and yesterday.  Wake to sleep worked on 1 or 2 of her 3 naps.  I found that the later it got in the day, she would stir earlier than 40 minutes and i would have to do W2S at 25 minutes.  But the good part is that even though she still woke up, i was able to keep her asleep after about 20-30 minutes of shh/pat and she gave me another 40 minute nap on the back end of her nap.  In 2 cases she even gave me an hour!  Now that is something to celebrate!  It's a lot of work and takes a lot of committment.  I'm working on it too.  I'm sorry that I don't have any real answers for you, but i guess I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in this.  Good luck. 

[nadb]

thanks for your support. i REALLY dread nap times...i feel very anxious about whether i will be able to get him back to sleep...cause if he doesn't, i have to deal with a cranky baby the rest of the day. i don't know what is worse, a cranky baby or having to go through this nap ritual 3 times a day! if this is gonna take to 6 months to sort out, i think i may go crazy well before that! I am only hoping that it will sort out sooner for all our sakes. nobody ever told me that babies have this nap issue!