16 week old and naps

[dubma]

Hi sara, here's what yesterday looked like.
7am - wake and eat (he was up at 2am and 4.30 am and breastfed both times - still ate pretty well at 7)
8.35 - down to room for wind-down, dim room, slow dance and into cot within 5 minutes- let him grizzle away for 15 minutes, but it escalated into crying, so tried to calm him in the cot,no-go so started pupd. tried for 45 minutes and then abandoned.
10.20 - feed, very sleepy at breast, kept him up for 5 minutes after, did nappy change and put him down. he was so exhausted, I had to blow on his face several times and he barely opened his eyes. slept for 1hr 20 minutes (v unusual) (11am to 12.20)

1.10 feed (hungry)
2.00 - started wind down, after 10-15 minutes of low level crying had to do pupd for 40 minutes and finally took him out in the sling so he wouldn't be totally overwrought by bedtime, slept for 50 mins

4.30 feed
5.30 20 min catnap in sling
6.30 bath & massage etc
6.50 feed
7.30 - bed - took 25 mins of pupd, lots of crying

I skipped the dream feed to see what his waking would be (as he had woken twice night before). He just woke once at 2.20, fed and went straight back down, waking at 6am.
To answer your questions, I think he may be teething - I can see teeth below the gumline and he is biting down a lot, but is generally in good spirits ie at 2pm he is happy and smiling, but 2.,15 naptime, he is crying lots...don't think I can blame that on teething can I?! When you say bouncing, do you mean in a bouncy chair? He spends lots of time in his bouncy chair and has been kicking/making it bounce A LOT in the last week or 2. not at crawling stage yet, rolled over (tummy to back) a month ago, hasn't mastered the opposite direction yet.

[~Sara~]

I think he wasn't tired enough for the first nap, tbh.  At 4 months, most LOs are doing an A time of ~1h45-2h (thus getting closer to the 4h EASY).  What probably happened is that he fought going to sleep for the first nap, then missed his sleep window and was OT the rest of the day.  It's a classic UT/OT cycle, and lengthening out the A times--and getting the first nap just right--fixes it.

So, I think A times are something to look at, in addition to him teething.  Have any popped through?  Teething can be tricky because it can make LO want to go to sleep sooner, but cause disrupted, short naps, and then add general fussiness to the whole day.  It's a tough time.  Have you tried giving him some pain meds to see if that helps any?

[arbour01]

hey.. just a suggestion for the long Shh /pat - I have a folding chair that I keep in the room becuase Im almost 6ft and have a crappie back.. I just keep my DS near the front of the crib and shh pat from the sitting position.

Try it and see if it helps..

[~Sara~]

Yeah, I used to sit down and lean over the crib railing, too.  Wish I were 6', though.  I just have a weak back.

[Khalam's Mama]

There is no ld do shush/pat standing up. There is a chair right next to Ds cot. It is really annoying at my sister's when I use her cot and there is no chair. I sit on the floor!