Confused about my LO's start time?

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

So...I am confused about my LO's start time in the morning. She is 8 weeks tomorrow.

We typically go to bed around 7/7:30. Last night was 8:30. She didn't have great naps so I let her catnap go longer than usual. I woke her from that catnap but she was half asleep through her feeding afterward and only really woke up for her bath. Anyway - typical night is:

6:45ish - top off feeding and then straight to bed around 7:30
Sleep until 3:00 am where we wake up to mantra / fake crying. I am not sure if I should let this go but she is only 8 weeks and asleep for 8 hours....so I usually wait a bit and then end up doing a feeding. She seems hungry at the beginning but this feeding doesn't take as long as typical day feedings. So that would be question #1. She is 8 weeks...should I knock off this feeding or is she too little? Can she go 12 hours?

So after the 3:00 - back to sleep by 3:30 and then she is awake again (fake crying again) around 5/6 am. When she does this at 5 - I really try to let her get it out and go back to sleep. At 6/6:30 - I usually get up and feed her (since it is at least 3 hours from her last feeding) and because a 6:30 day start isn't horrible. It isn't ideal - but it isn't horrible either. So question #2 - is this her start time for the day?

After the 6:30 feeding - my baby is exhausted. She is yawning all the way through the diaper change...so I make sure to get her right back to bed. No A time at all unless you count eating and diaper change. She is back to bed within about 45 minutes. So - on a typical day this nap will take her right to her next cycle at 9/9:30 ish. Three hours from the one before. This morning she woke at 6 to eat, and then went right back to bed at 6:45 and then woke again at 8:15 fake crying. It seems just a bit early...I tried to let her fall back to sleep but fake crying turned slightly into real crying so I fed her at 8:30 and got her up. Am I being to rigid about a 1/2 hour difference? Is it possible that she is getting older and bigger so her A time needs to be extended a bit? Or is it just that 8:15 is her real start time for the day and the 6 wake up was just because she needed to eat?

By the way - after the 8:30 feed this morning - she was yawing away again. After her typical 9:00 - she ALSO goes right back to bed after very minimal A time. She is a sleepy baby this one! If she yawns - it is go time. I have made the mistake of questioning myself and letting her get to a third yawn and then forget it. She is miss cranky pants and has a much harder time getting to sleep.

I am just curious about what some of you may think in this situation. I am not stressed and I am happy that my LO is doing so well. I have to go back to work soon and I wanted to make my morning as easy as possible. I know things are never perfect - but I just wanted to see if I am maybe misreading something.

Thanks in advance! Jessica

[rob1lu2]

Jessica,

I don't think you are misreading her at all. As long as she isn't having NWing, she's doing fine. She needs a lot of sleep, which isn't uncommon at this age. Remember, from 1-3 months LOs need about 15-18 hours of sleep. I don't necessarily know what I would count as her day time start - probably that 6:30 waking since you put her to bed at 6:30. Many LOs shortest A times are first thing in the morning. They are still catching up on their night time sleep.

Do you remember what her Temperment is?

Sounds like Leia is doing great! Enjoy it!

Lu

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

Thanks again Lu. I know I have a lot of questions. I used to think that she was touchy, grumpy...but I am going to retake the quiz today. She may just be textbook - grumpy. She only has one NW - but I think that she is supposed to right? She sleeps between 6-9 hours, wakes to eat, and then is back to bed for about 4-6 and then wakes for the day. Thanks again!!!

[Leia and Sabrina's Mom - Jessica]

PS - good to know about the shorter A times in the morning. I was upset because my father had all this great time with Leia yesterday (like 20 minutes) and she smiled at him twice. I haven't gotten a smile in two weeks. So this morning I selfishly tried to be cute with her and play with her....and she got so cranky. I was like "she hates me." but maybe I will try later (which is when he was playing with her...around 3:00). I do get all of bath time to myself but she never smiles during it. She is happy - she doesn't cry ...but no smiles. She is young still. Anyway - that was a good bit of info.

[rob1lu2]

One NWing at this age is totally normal and to be expected. I meant multiple NWings where she wakes and can't get back to sleep and won't eat, or when she wakes and is up for hours.

When my girls were that age, they could barely stay awake for their first feeding of the day. Their A time got progressively longer asa the day went on.

She may have been "grumpy/touchy" b/c you weren't on a good routine yet. It's amazing what a good routine will do!

Lu