Desperate...new to EASY...need help from the pros!

[Littlebugsmom]

Dear Friends,
I am a new mom and new to the EASY method and desperately in need of some coaching.  My 5-week old little girl is fairly fussy and so far has only been able to fall asleep after feeding (thus eliminating the "A" in EASY), on my husband's chest, or in her "evil" swing (I know Tracy would not approve).  How in the world do I get her to sleep without these "props"?  Also, a bath in the evening only upsets her, doesn't soothe her.
Any help is so appreciated!!!   
Thank you!

[momofclaire]

Hi and congrats on the new baby!

At 5 weeks, A time is so short that it may be tough to keep her awake after feeds.  Do you have Tracy's second book?  Have you tried shh/pat?  The key to easy is the order of events and reading your babies cues. Are you on a decent routine during the day?  Can you post it?  Don't worry, your little one is still young.
Myia

[Littlebugsmom]

Thanks so much for replying...I just ordered Tracy's second book from Amazon and am eagerly awaiting its arrival! 
I wish I could say that our routine is regular, but it tends to be fairly flexible, esp. in the afternoons.  On a GOOD day, our schedule might look like this:
Baby usually wakes up for a 6:30 am feed, then comes to bed with me and will sleep until about 8:30 or 9.  We get up and she eats, then I put her in her bouncy chair while I eat breakfast.  She is tired about by 10, but may or may not sleep.  If I can get her down by 11, she might sleep for 45 min. or so.  Then up again to eat and some "play" time (hard to find activities with a 5 week old) then she may go down around two.
2:00  sleep?
3:00  eat, then usually falls asleep again and is ready to eat when she wakes up around 4:45

Our evening routine is still kind of a mess.  I would love to get her on a bed time routine beginning at a certain time, but if she's all over the place during the day it's hard to get started at a specific time if she's in the middle of eating or something!

Anyways, any advice is appreciated.
Thanks!

[momirem]

Hello,
The following topics can be useful until your book arrives. They explain how to start with EASY.
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63243.0
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=62100.0
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=65842.0

[MJMom]

Also, as a 5 week old, don't stress too much about the routines.  The biggest thing is to consider the EAS cycle.  Those links should help, but it does take a while for the routine to start to come together.  The best part about EASY at that age is you can often eliminate hunger as a culprit when a child is crying by understanding the order and how long it should be between feeds. 

HTH

[momofclaire]

How are things going?  Did you get the books?

[Littlebugsmom]

Yes, I got the "Secrets" book and have found that I'm getting a bit too obsessive, to the point where I needed to put the book away for a bit.
I posted a sleep problem on the SLEEP board, but maybe you can help me!  When I try to put Meghan down for her mid-morning snooze, she just cries!  I try to catch her after the first yawn or so and get her swaddled but she soon gets hysterical and I can't get her wrapped.  By then she's so squirmy that even holding her on my shoulder is a challenge, let alone shh/pat.  It goes on well beyond the 20min. mark, by which point she is so overtired and overwrought that I end up putting her in her swing, which is of course where she sleeps best!  Any suggestions?
Thank you!

[momofclaire]

It is possible that by the time you see the first yawn she is already passed the window.  Some babies, especially spirited ones have a short window. I would try to start a windown routine about 10 minutes before you normally would and see how that goes.  Do you have a consistant windown routine?  I would start one and try to do the same thing for every nap so that she starts to recognize that it is time to relax.
Myia