routine check

[charmie]

I'm glad it's going better 

My dd always did best with a very short last a time, so don't worry about it.  If you want you can post your routine as it is now and I can have another look.


xxx
charm

[*Becky*]

Hi Charmie,
I am back again! Please could you have a look at our day yesterday as I am still a bit confused about the second A time.
Awake at 6am
E - 6.30am - solids at 7.30am
S - 8.30-10am

E - 10.30 - solids at 12pm
S - put him down at 1pm but he fussed/cried until 1.15pm - slept till 2.15pm

E - 2.30pm
S - catnap from 4.45-5.15pm - fought a bit.

Solids at 5.15pm
Bed and milk at 6.30pm - asleep by 6.45pm

He woke at 5am today - yuck! Managed to get him to sleep again until 6.30am and have put him down for nap at 9am.

I remember you saying to keep him up for 3 hours at the beginning of the day. He just seems tired - proper signs, rubbing eyes and yawning and goes to sleep like a dream but I am a bit worried that he is using it to extend night sleep. What do you think? I cannot do a 5am start! We dropped the df this week and he has woken once or twice each night but resettled and I am pretty sure he is not waking hungry. I know when he is hungry!!!

Maybe I need to wait for tired signs for the second nap??? Yesterday he had not shown any but it got to 3 hours A time and I thought he should be tired but he fought it. When he woke from this nap I thought UT as it was an hour but he was quite grumpy...very confused.

Maybe he needs to drop the catnap - I know a lot do around 7 months but he has never done 3.5 hours A time and he would need to do this in order to drop it...

Sorry - very long but would be grateful for any advice.

Thanks
Becky x

[*Becky*]

Also - he is cranky when awake so I am always thinking OT but he may be bored? Always been super alert and health visitors etc commented on this when he was 4 weeks old! Fusses a lot - very hard to amuse. Likes to be moving all the time which is why he likes the buggy, car etc. Was touchy/grumpy at birth but def more than a touch of spirited now!

[LizzieN]

Hey there lovely,

Been a while since I've heard how you are going...sorry things are a bit tricky, but it sounds like you are doing great   If you want to drop the cat nap, could you make bed time a little earlier.  Most of the advice I have read suggests most babies don't wake earlier just because they go down earlier???...

I think sometimes babies just wake up grumpy, not alway an OT sign.  Our LO often only sleeps for an hour, it's not ideal and I know that if he has had 1.15 hours he has woken because he has had enough...but it's better than nothing (and MUCH better than less than an hour which always happens if our LO has a poo coming).

Hey things will get heaps easier when your LO starts moving around himself, imagine how frustrating it must be to see all these lovely things that they want to get into, but can't unless you take them there....when our LO started motoring it became apparent all the things he had wanted but couldn't get to It's pretty cute actually!!!

Great to see your post, you are going brilliantly, well done!!

Lizzie

[*Becky*]

Thanks Lizzie!
Well an update on today - if a moderator sees this would SO love some help.
Slept for 1.45 for first nap. Just put him down for second nap after 3 hours A time but fighting it. Did not give tired signs but as I went to put him into the bed he was rubbing his eyes. Please please could someone suggest an EASY for us to try tomorrow as I am so confused as to whether this is OT or UT. Pretty sure he is not OT but not 100%.
Thanks
Becky

[*Becky*]

ok so fell asleep within 5 mins so not bad - will see how he does.

[charmie]

I think he needs shorter a time for the 2nd nap.  You are doing 2.5hrs for the 1st a time so maybe try 2.5 or 2.75 for the 2nd one.  It's a bit on the lower end of a times for a 7month old but if that's what he needs that's what he should get.  Keep the catnap for now.  You still need it until you sort out both naps.


xxx
charm

[*Becky*]

ok thanks Charmie. Will try that tomorrow. If we get another EW do you think I should keep to usual nap time i.e. around 8.30-9am or do 2.5 hours from when he wakes?
Thanks
Becky

[charmie]

If you get an EW keep the normal nap time.  It should discourage EW's


xxx
charm

[*Becky*]

ok - one more question. If he wakes before 6am so in our case an EW should I get him up but keep him up till usual nap time or should I try to get him back to sleep and then do nap 2.5 hours later? What do you think? Thanks v much Charmie - really appreciate your help x

[charmie]

You can either treat the 6am as a NW.  So feed and back to sleep till 7 or your normal wake up time.  If he won't go back to sleep keep him up until normal nap time.  If you keep him up for his usual a time it will become his new routine and you will not get rid of the EW's.


xxx
charm

[*Becky*]

ok thanks. Slept from 6.30-6.30am this morning so very pleased about that.
However - this is today so far. I kept him up for 2.45 for the second A time. He fussed a bit to go down and then woke after 35/40 mins. Any suggestions? Sorry, this is not an easy one to crack I know!
Awake - 6.35am
E - 7am - solids at 8am
S - 9.10-10.40am (I woke him)

E - 11am - solids at 12pm
S - 1.30pm - fussed a little and woke at 2.10pm

Going to give a catnap from 4.30-5pm and then bed for 6.30pm to help prevent OT.

Any suggestions for the second A time for tomorrow?
Thanks Charmie
Becky x

[charmie]

Why did you wake him from the am nap?

I think he needs slightly less a time for the pm nap.


xxx
charm

[*Becky*]

I woke him as I thought 1.5 hours was a good nap and I was worried that he might sleep too much and so then just keep doing short lunch naps. Who knows!?
Ok - so do I try 2.5 hours tomorrow for the second nap? Seems so short but then again I am willing to try anything. I did put him down today after 2.45 A time as we said but he took a little while to fall asleep.
Thanks
Becky

[*Becky*]

An update - today he went down after 2.5 hours for the first nap but we have had fussing the last couple of days and that had stopped. He slept for 1.15 and then I took him to his room today after 2.5 A time. He yawned which gave me a clue at least. He was in bed after 2.35 A time as he was fussing during the wind down I kept it very short. I am confused I have to say.
He is teething and I think this can affect their A times - am I right? Just that 2.5 A time seems so short for his age. Maybe he needs to go down even earlier as he fusses?
Thanks
Becky