Anyone Want To Talk About The 2-1 Transition? Thread #18

[lily528]

yea i try not to do earlier than 6 either...maybe i'll meet in the middle and do 6:30? 

[*Kara*]

Worth a shot Melissa - you don't know until you try! 

We had an EBT here too tonight.  After a 2 hour NW with teeth last night, i left DH with Alexandra this morning to go to a huge community based kids used sale (it was awesome!!!)... She was up at 6am too, so I expected her to need 2 naps today - thinking she would be ready by 10am at the latest.  I got home at 1135am and she had only been down 10 mins!  DH said she was fine all morning so they just played with toys/books on the floor - he gave her half of her lunch and warmed her bottle... she only managed 4 ozs and fell asleep.  He couldn't wake her no matter what he did - poor girl!  I should have left him with instructions to put her down no later than 11am regardless - sigh.  She slept 1 hr 30, woke for 10 mins or so then was quiet again for another 15 mins.  I think she was dozed off during that last 15 mins, but she woke upset :/  Kept it simple all day and she was shattered by 615pm... quick bath and bottle and she was down at 645pm without a sound.  It's been half an hour - not a peep from her yet.  I gave her meds before bed as well.

And - the big news around here:  she is walking and crawling!  I got her a walker push toy at that sale - she played with it for 10 mins, I stood her up and she grabbed the handle and off she went!  She managed all the way down our hallway (about 15 feet) and was so proud of herself!  Then a few hours later, she crawled across the kitchen floor to get something that was out of reach!  So, we are off to get some gates tomorrow!

[ZacsMumme]

She managed all the way down our hallway (about 15 feet) and was so proud of herself!  Then a few hours later, she crawled across the kitchen floor to get something that was out of reach!

Love it, maybe all she needed to crawl was the desire to walk

[choc]

Right ladies, we are in a massive pickle.  I have no idea which way to turn.  I'll try to start from the beginning.  Last week he did 1hr30 am naps on mon and tues and 30 min pm (30 min pm is normal).  The wed he did 1hr am.  This was all with the childminder and was after his birthday weekend so was obviously shattered.  He was home with me thurs and fri and went back to 40min am nap (still 30 min pm-he doesn't EVER extend it if he short naps in the am).  His A times seem short at the moment, 3hr30 to 4 hr in the morning. 

Now he seems really OT, head shaking etc which we haven't had in a long time, but I go by his cues and put him down when he is first tired and I still get short naps so how the hell I am going to get him to catch up???  Yesterday he wouldn't take his pm nap til 4.40pm after a 40 min nap at 11am so a 5 hr A on 40 min nap!!! No wonder he is OT.  What should I do?

I have a week off work starting on friday and was hoping to use that week to get things sorted so I have some decisions to make.  Originally I was thinking I will just jump to one nap and stick to it.  I thought 1 long nap must be better than 2 tiny ones (althpough how long it would take him to learn to sleep longer is anyones guess, weeks probably).  But that was when he was doing more like 4hr45 A time.  Now he has shortened his A so much I don't know if I could get him to 1 nap.  I need him to catch up so we can do it. 

I REALLY wanted to use this week off to make changes.  I don't feel comfortable asking the childminder to keep him up and introduce a new routine.  I need to be able to see for myself if he needs to go to sleep or not.  I feel it needs to be me that implements things, if only for a week, then I can say 'he has been doing this for a week, please continue it'.

He doesn;t seem to be catching up using his night sleep either.  He is doing 7pm til 6.30am.  he has been having a NW between 5.30 and 6 everymorning, (although today it was 4.45!!) but he chats happily and then goes back to sleep in around 10-20mins.  Any thoughts on this too?

So sorry for the long post and the millions of issues we have.  It is really upsetting me but DH won't talk about it.  Any advice I would be grateful for.  It is sooooooo difficult when someone else is putting them to sleep half the week.

[choc]

He has just done 1hr am nap!!  I know that isn't a long nap to you guys but it is to us!  And he hasn't woken up crying either which is a first for a while!  he is just shuffling about in his cot still.  Maybe he will start to catch up a little?

[*Kara*]

Gemma - what is A's personality type?  If he does okay with OT, I would just push him to a one nap schedule.  I have a textbook baby with a bit of angel thrown in and she is almost totally adapted and we are just at day 5 now.  Her nap has lengthened to at least 2 hours each day and she is sleeping 11-11.5 hrs at night and that is starting to get longer too.

Last night, I put her down at 645pm as she was super sleepy... went down without a peep!  Nothing from her until 540am!  She just needed a replug - she had lost her paci and was only half awake - I replugged her and put her back to the middle of her crib and she slept until 625am!  OMG!

[choc]

Hi kara, Aidan is also textbook/angel.  So you think I should just go for it?  I can't carry on like this thats for sure.  Today he did his 1hr am which was fab but then fell asleep in the car 2 hours later!  that was for 30mins, but then he wouldn't sleep again in the afternoon, so has been awake since 2.20pm on a 30 min nap.  EBT for us I think!

Thanks Kara I think I will just go for it then.  Could you post your EASY for me? x

[*Kara*]

Hey Gemma - it sounds like you are at the point we were a week ago... fighting to get a nap in the AM, often waking her from her it to ensure some type of PM nap... fighting to get a 20 min CN in and then waking her from that... made for way too little sleep - our nights were less than 10 hours for 4 days so I made the leap and she is taking to it like a duck to water!

This is what I try to get close to (with success most days!).  DD is 11 months, 1 week.

6.15-6.30am - wake and bottle (8 oz)
8.15am - solids breakfast
11.15am - bottle (8 oz)
1130.1145am - nap
1.45-2.15pm - wake from nap  (aim for 2 - 2.5 hours, she sometimes wakes at 1 hr 45min so I move BT early if I need to)
2.30pm - solids lunch
5.30pm - solids dinner
6.30pm - bath
6.45pm - bottle (9 oz)
7pm - asleep (if she takes a shorter nap, I put her own at 6.45pm)

[ZacsMumme]

Gemma I would also try to resettle A if he wakes after 1hr15 or less and keep him in his room until the 2hr mark for that week so that his body gets used to the nap time and period he should be sleeping or at least relaxed.

I dont know how EBT work for you but 6pm BT were my best friend during this period. If they work, use them. If they don't maybe try a slightly EBT by 30mins or so like Kara does.

You really do need to stick with it for a good week or so to see how he adjusts. Good luck and (HUGS)

[choc]

Thank you for all the advice girls.  I will definitley keep him in his room for 2 hours and try to resettle, thanks for that tip!  I have 8 days off work so will stick religiously to it and then pass it on to the childminder.

I have never tried an early bedtime, too scared!  DH isn't too taken with the idea either BUT we have never had a real, real reason to do a proper early bedtime, so we can at least try it once, hey!

Just having a plan formed in my head makes me feel so much better already!

[choc]

Just thinking it through now.  What should I do with him til the 2hr is up?  He is likely to be crying.  Should he stay in his cot?

[ZacsMumme]

You don't have to do this, it worked well for us though. I just calmed Zac and cuddled him, sung to him with him up on my chest. I didn't really do PU/PD but just tried to keep him calm and in his room/cot as long as he wasn't screaming. If your LO loses the plot then its not worth it, if we get screaming its over really but sometimes Zac is clearly tired and will chill out in my arms or back in his cot till the nap is over IYKWIM?

I think EBT are worth a try, they either work or they don't. If your LO goes down 1hr early, but wakes at usual time then it works (ie 6pm- WU 6am when usually wakes at 6am anyway)...if they wake earlier or have just as unsettled night then its probably not worth it. (ie 6pm - WU at 5am with a rough night. So if you had PD at 7 he would have woken at 6am)

[*Kara*]

I do the same thing as Sara when Alexandra wakes a bit early... I keep her in her room and generally sit with her on my chest to keep her calm if nothing else.  She just screams if I put her in the crib again - so we snuggle.  There aren't many of those snuggles anymore so I take advantage when I can

EBT never worked for us until the 2-1!  Even if you had done it before, give it another try.

[lily528]

i agree with the girls just STICK IT OUT...you will see progress as the days wear on...its hard not to give up hope on the rolleroaster but really try to do it..we are on day 4 I think with the set time one nap and finally seeing some progress all 4 days she has woken at the 30-40 min mark whines a bit for 5 mins TOPS and settles back to sleep...the first day she went b2s for 30 more mins..2nd day it was 40 more minutes and yesterday it was a little over an hour more!!! so total of 1 hr 45 min nap! which isn't perfect but SO close...hoping today is even BETTER...so far she did wake and whine but this time it was at the 50 min mark (so even further into the nap today)...my mom said it was only a min or two and she went back to sleep (and believe me when i say I NEVER thought she'd resettle back to sleep like that) i don't intervene AT ALL...but that is because its just a fuss/whine not screaming and carryin on you know so it depends..at least for me where I would go in and help resettle..but I think regardless it can't hurt to try and let him go for a minute or two and give him a chance to do it on his own...if I intervene she has NEVER gone back to sleep for a nap...so you got to know your lo I guess...anyway still sleeping so we are at 1 hr 15 mins and counting....knock on wood...haha...i know this can all come crashing down but i have to have hope or I will come crashing down lol..even last night she DID wake but resettle on her own 2-3 times between 4-6:30 a.m. I couldn't believe she didn't need me...so proud...my big girl...lots of luck choc...vacation time is perfect time to try it out...stay strong and keep us posted


edit:  just an update she did 1 hr 40 mins...was hoping for longer but its not bad...gonna keep on keeping on with this set nap

[*Kara*]

Excellent news Melissa!!!  She is doing so much better with that set nap   We have seen huge progress here as well!

First day was a short nap (movers woke her up at 1 hr 40 min), second day was 2.5 hrs after a brutal teething night, then we have had consistent 2 hrs since then.  Nights are getting better with each day as well!

I don't want to say it too loud for fear I jinx it, BUT MY BABY SLEPT FROM 7.10PM - 6.55AM!!!!  No NW, just a quick noise and self-resettle around 5.45am (I suspect she replugged herself).  Was awake less than a minute!  HAPPY MOMMA!