Crying for a nap an hour after waking in AM?

[MLC]

Does anyone elses' LO do this?  My 5 mo wakes up around 7-7.30am, feeds, and then rubs her face all over my shoulder trying to go back to sleep!  Most mornings, she is asleep about 1-1.5hr after she wakes up.  But she will only sleep for maybe 30min or 1 hour max.  This means I don't get a proper EASY routine going in the morning...  This is what I mean :

7.30AM : E
8.30AM : S
9.30AM : A (Bathe - sometimes she gets tired after her bath and may nap another 30min)
10.30AM : S (only sometimes)

11.00AM: E
and so on

[stlmom03]

I have a 15 week old who is doing the same thing, except sometimes she is only awake for thirty minutes before she goes down again.  I want to increase her A time but also know that if I do she will get OT and we won't have good naps-which are already a struggle.  I haven't tried yet to increase that morning A time but that is the advice that someone gave me.   

[marensmama]

Most 5 month old babes can handle 2 - 2.5 hours of A time, but that first one is always the shortest.  If you put her down and she naps at least an hour, then I'd say she needs that short A time.  If she naps 45 minutes, then it's time to stretch it out a bit.  Also, sleepy cues do get less reliable at this age, so your best judge is nap length. 

[stlmom03]

My lo is sleeping for three hours after that am awake time !  I think that it might also be messing up her day naps as they are never more than 45 minutes almost to the minute!  I have a touchy/spirited lo and I have been trying to increase awake time but it seems like she gets OT.  Also, just when I think I have an EASY from say 7-7, she changes it up on me.  I am not sure where to go from her - do I just flow with her needs and not worry about a schedule, or do I try and get her on a routine? 

[marensmama]

stlmom03, I think that you need to increase the A time, but go slowly - 10 minutes at a time and then once that's established after a few days, add another 10 minutes.  And they will always change it up on you, because they are growing and their needs change over time.  The nice thing about BW is that EASY is a flexible routine so that you can change it as needed, but you both still know what to expect - it's not a schedule per se.

HTH!

[stlmom03]

That does help...thank you!  I think that gradual approach may work for her better than a big change. 
BTW- you little ones are sooo cute!

[marensmama]

Awww, thanks!