4.5 month old routine??

[ikesmummy]

I have posted in getting back on track as my son has just got over a gastro bug and ear infection but just wondering how this routine looks to anyone for a 4.5 month old? He seemed quite comfortable with this until a week ago

E - 7am
A - 7.10 - 9am
S - 9am - 9.45
A - 9.45 - 11
E - 11am
A - 11.10 - 12
S - 12 - 2.30
E - 2.30
A - 2.45 - 4.30
S - 4.30 - 5
E - 5
A - 5.10 - 6.30
E - 6.30
S - 6.45

DF - 10.30

E - 4.30 - 7

He's a spirited baby and think I am going to struggle with getting rid of the props I had to introduce to get through his time being ill (feeding to sleep and a bit of co-sleeping in the early mornings) but just wondering if the routine we had is a good one for me to be working towards getting back to?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[Yazzie]

Hope your little one gets better soon & you guys are back on track..


I think that you may want to extend his first A time a bit, to about 2.10~2.15 hrs, as that first nap is UT & I think he can handle a longer A time, since his next A is 2,15hrs & resulting in a nice long nap.

Considering that he's spirited, why now jump over here & get ideas from other fellow mums:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=162643.0

Good luck..!

[* Paula *]

I agree with Adams mum, I would definitely consider increasing the first A time slighly and see how your lo does.  45 minute naps generally mean that your lo is UT.

Give it a try and see how your lo does.

Keep us posted on how you get on.

[ikesmummy]

Thanks very much for both your replies. I had a much better night last night and I think as a result a better today. I did try extending his first A time but he still only slept for 45 minutes. I tried leaving him for a few minutes as he often wakes and resettles himself in his second nap and as his wails escalated I went to try and help him resettle hm but he was adamant he wasn't going back to sleep. So far today has gone like this

E - 7am
A - 7.10 - 9.15
S - 9.15 - 10 (tried to resettle until about 10.15)
E - 10.20
A - 10.30 - 12
S -12 - 2.15
E - 2.20
A - 2.30 - 4.40
S - 4.40

Feeling lots better today after a better sleep and due to the fact that I haven't had to feed Keaton to sleep for any of his naps today - using PU/PD and lots of shushing (he goes mad if I try to pat so holding his hand instead)

Hoping that I can PU a bit less tomorrow and so on and so forth - have had a bit of a look at the spirited babies thread which has made me smile lots (Keaton is so different to my older son who was a textbook baby but am enjoying him just as much just have to keep a closer eye on him as he appears most upset if I miss something he is trying to tell me!)

[Yazzie]

Glad you had some rest, makes a world of difference..

A quick question, there seems to be something wrong with the routine you posted:

S -12 - 2.15
E - 2.20
A - 2.30 - 4.40

So what are the right times..?

[ikesmummy]

Think I may have just not written it properly. He slept from 12 until 2.15 I changed his nappy and was breastfeeding him at 2.20 (10 minute feed) and then he was up until 4.40, he had a 30 minute sleep. Just had the biggest breakthrough of the day, gave him a bath, fed him, read him a story tucked him up in bed, listened to him mummering on the monitor from downstairs for 10 minutes before all went quiet, just been up to check and he is fast alseep. Knew he could settle himself it's just that he hasn't for over a week and thought it would be longer before he was doing it again, just hoping he'll be asleep until DF time.

[Yazzie]

Have you tried W2S for that first nap?

[ikesmummy]

No I haven't ever used W2S (first son never needed it) I have lent my BW book to a friend at the moment but have had a bit of a search on here for W2S. I am guessing as Keaton doesn't have a dummy and seems to be very sensitive to visual stimulation I should keep the room dark and possibly try the method holding his legs and chest?? For getting him off for all his naps today I had some weight on his chest and held his hand which seems to calm him although I am hoping I can reduce this quickly (big improvement from nursing him to sleep though!

How long am I aiming for this nap to be - an hour and a half to two hours? I presume this will also mean that his second nap is likely to be a fair bit shorter? He doesn't seem overtired at the end of the day so I guess maybe the amount of daytime sleep he is getting is ok but just needs to be redistributed a bit?

[Yazzie]

Best case scenario, you're looking @ 2x1.5hrs naps & a 30 mins cat nap, that's the recommendation, but of course no lo is the same as the other, this is a good nap about what you're looking for: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85130.0

TBH, I've never done W2S myself, but did HTTJ, which helped loads & I found that as ds got older, the better he was able to get through sleep cycles on his own & you're lo seems to be on the right path:)

Maybe keep A times the same & work on extending the nap using these techniques & we'll see how things go.

[ikesmummy]

Yes I will give the W2S a go, what is HTTJ? I know Keaton can resettle himself during naps as he does often with his second nap so hopefully I can help him extend the first one as well.

Thanks for all your help

[Yazzie]

"Hold Through The Jolts" , you place pressure on their hands and/or legs to reduce the intensity of movement as they go through sleep cycles & prevent them from waking themselves.

I'll try looking for a link & will post it if I find it....good luck..

[ikesmummy]

Thanks very much, sounds like something I was reading last night when I was looking at W2S and was the mehod I was going to try first as don't imagine he would take well to me rousing him  think his eyes would spring open and that would be that!! Maybe that's the spirited side of him. Have been reading the spirited babies thread and laughing lots, Keaton does have some texbook in him but I am having to learn fast that in lots of ways he is nothing like my older child who was textbook through and through - Keaton just won't tolerate certain things and he has volume on him that I didn't think possible for such a small fellow.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

[Yazzie]

Let us know how things go for today.....totally understand what u're saying abt Keaton, my ds is textbook/angel with dashes of spirited & touchy, but when he's in spirited mode, oh my god, he's one strong minded little guy @ not even 8 months........!!!!!

[ikesmummy]

OMG breakthrough!!!

Not sure what happened but Put Keaton at 9 as he had been awake since somewhen before 7 he fought with it until about 9.10 I was going to go in just before the 45 minute mark but my older son distracted me so did't get up there, he's just woken up so he slept for nearly 1 1/2 h. lets see how the rest of the day pans out.

[Yazzie]

Hope we keep hearing good news sweetie..xx