There are a multitude of problems with our routine currently, but I am hoping to find some answers as DD is waking between 4-5am every morning. The time is different every day, but usually between 4 and 5. There has been a lot going on with dd - went back to work 6 weeks ago, and she started staying with a sitter btwn 7am-1pm. The list of what is "wrong" with our routine is very long and could be posted on multiple boards, but I picked this one because this early wake up is by far my most annoying problem. But feel free to move this to another board if it seems more appropriate
Important info:
DD is 17wks old
Formula fed - ideal bottle amount 7ozs
4hr EASY for two weeks - does well with this on weekends when I am at home and can control things better, but still deal with the early wakeups most times
Currently dealing with an ear infection - been on antibiotics for almost a week, still have 5 days left, and this is definitely not helping the early wake up
Other problems include:
Won't take a good nap for sitter - obviously overtired, and takes 30-45min naps
Won't eat well for sitter - again I think due to being overtired, and will only take 4-5ozs (ideal feed would be 7oz)
Feeding to sleep has become a problem because DD is exhausted when we get home around 1pm and is also starving and almost always feeds to sleep for her second nap of the day
Ideal schedule would be eating at 6,10,2, 6 DF at 11 - we don't cluster feed - takes too much time, and dd doesn't really eat well to begin with. Typically 2 hours of awake time in the AM and 2-2.15A time in pm when we are able to follow the ideal routine.
CURRENTLY our typical day looks something like this
A 4-5am - depends-and I give her PLENTY of time to try and resettle, she rarely does
E-I try to limit this feeding if I give in to about 2-3ozs otherwise she won't be interested in her real first bottle (and I always do give in because I've never had her resettle at this time without having to feed her)
S as soon as I can get her back to sleep
A 6
E 6:15
To the sitter's she goes at 7:00
S Who knows because she doesn't nap well and we've tried quite a few different things. My thoughts are that this nap is the key to most of our problems. She typically sleeps 30-45 minutes. I think dd is addicted to our white noise machine, and have started taking it to the sitters today (although she still only took a 30min nap) and will continue to see if this helps. I may need to tell the sitter WHEN she needs to go down for this nap as that is one thing I haven't addressed with the sitter
A who knows
E whatever sitter will get her to take - ideally again she'd take 7ozs at 10am, but usually when I pick her up there are at LEAST 2-3ozs left in this bottle
I usually get there to pick up dd around 12:30 and we're home and I am trying to get her to finish her 10am bottle at this time.
S She typically falls asleep WHILE eating around 1 - obviously TOOO late for her second nap, especially when the first was a bust, but there is no real way to get home any earlier due to my work schedule.
A - I feel very bad about making her get up at the 2hr mark because she is obviously So exhausted, so she'll typically sleep 2.5hrs, and gets up around 3:30-4:30 depending on what time we got home and she got in the bed
E - again whenever she wakes up from this long afternoon nap - 4:00ish
She is usually awake until I put her to bed around 7, but I try for earlier - I know this is too late, but otherwise DH doesn't get to see her at all, and it usually takes this long to get her to take that last bottle, and again many times this is feeding to sleep. I've tried going in to change her diaper and wake her up after all these bottles where we're feeding to sleep, and many times the jostling just causes her to puke which then delays bedtime more because most of the time she needs a bath from all the puked up formula.
DF at 11 - usually about 4ozs
I know our routine is ALL over the place and that is most likely why we are having the 4-5am wakeup. Any suggestions on anything in how to tweak this routine would be appreciated. Should I be letting her sleep this long for that second nap since she doesn't sleep for the first one? Even if I cut it short there typically isn't enough time to get a catnap in before bed and even when there is she fights it tooth and nail.
Sorry this is so long, but we've been battling this for almost 6 weeks!!!
