EW and 2nd A time questions

[spodnic]

Hi all my LO is 8.5 months and has finally started to STTN hooray! However, she's started to have a poor 2nd nap in the day, I can't seem to get the timing right and I think this is what's causing the EW, which is 4.30, 5 or 5.30am and has been for the last couple of weeks.

I only recently cut the dream feed as it seemed to be causing unsettled nights and struggle to get any more food into her than I already am (she is only 13lb 4oz still), but this definitely coincided with the EW. Plus we had to move her into her own cot and room as suddenly she could pull up. The swaddle also went too. So we did a lot of change at once which wasn't planned, but had to because of her physical development.

Her routine is typically:

5.30 wake
5.45 E - breastfeed
5.55 A
7.45 E - breakfast
9.15 S
10.45 E - breastfeed
10.55 A
12 lunch
12.30 A
1.45 S
2.15 E - breastfeed
2.25 A
4.30 E - dinner
5.00 A
6.45 E - breastfeed
7.10 S

So in the morning she goes about 3hrs 40mins then 2nd activity I have been doing 3 hours and +/- 30 mins of that in an attempt to catch her sleep window but mostly it's not working. I usually wait for her to yawn around this time and take it as my cue but obviously I'm not quite getting it right. In the morning she is yawning and rubbing her face the whole morning as she's still tired from the EW so I really have been watching the clock.

Anyone have any thoughts? She can't really make it from 2.15 till bedtime without getting very tired and clumsy, but I got rid of the catnap at about 6.5 months as it was making her undertired at bedtime and difficult to get to bed.

Thanks Nicola

[oc_1980]

Hi Nicola, first of all great job with her! I'm sure this set back has been making you just as tired as yuor LO. I'm a FTM so of course I have limited experience, but from looking at your EASY and you stating that she is rubbing her eyes all morning cuz of the EW, have you tried extending the wake-up or putting her down for an early nap?

[empowered mama]

Hi there Nicola,

Are you having any NWs?  My first guess for the EW would be OT from the day before.  That last A time is very high - almost 5 hrs, right?  If your LO is waking early, I might suggest to bring bedtime up early to prevent your LO from getting so OT.  You could try for bedtime around 6/6:30 and she is likely to wake more rested so you can then push her day out.

Make sense?  EWs really are the worst   (((hugs)))

[spodnic]

Hi, thanks, yep, absolutely agree, it's caused by OT. Although there is a niggle in my mind that thinks maybe I should feed her as soon as she wakes, maybe she's hungry? Because she isn't really getting the missed dream feed calories in the day, I try but she's not interested. But of course, I don't want to set up a pattern of learned hunger when she can hold out till 6am+. With the naps, I just can't work out the optimum timing to put her down for the 2nd, and I've tried 2hrs40, 3hrs, 3.5 hrs, everything in between. She does generally seem tired from the first nap when she wakes after 1.5hrs.

I can't really put her to bed any earlier as I've a 3yo running round and DH only comes in at either 6.30 or 7 to take him off my hands. When I can go for the early bedtime I always do. He's a good boy but always too hyper just before bed no matter what I do! In a week we probably get 2-3 STTN the rest of the time 1 or 2 NWs each night, just put her dummy back in again so I don't mind that, especially thinking about where she was a month go - waking every hour every night and sometimes awake for 1-2 hrs for no obvious reason. But you're right EW is the worst! At least I'm getting about 7hrs now.

Any more thoughts?

[empowered mama]

Is there a way you can up her calories during the day to rule out hunger at night?  Are you doing solids?  I would think since she is 8.5 months, that by now she could go through the night w/o feeds....but only you know your LO best and if you really think she's hungry, then by all means I would say to feed her.

Are you getting a long 2nd nap at this point?

I really understand about having another LO to tend to...though I have heard of some moms putting the toddler in another room with a gate while they manage putting the baby to sleep.  I'm sure you've thought of this though

[spodnic]

That's exactly it, I'm trying to crack the long 2nd nap. I get maybe one a week but can't work out why.

And yes, I can't contain the toddler, the younger one adores him and any noise from him (gate or otherwise!) gets her head turning.

So it's just the first A time is about 3hrs 40mins, then the second, she seems tired about 2.5hrs, but surely she should be able to go a bit longer?