1st Day on EASY - look and help!

[mickey44]

If you try to force a nap sooner you are going to get a UT nap (if any nap at all) and UT naps are usually pretty impossible to resettle.  OT naps are sometime resettlable (this is my experience anyways) so I think I would be tempted to do an OT nap on preschool days.  As for the late bedtime nights I think I would let her sleep to avoid OT but I don't think I would go much over 30 min past normal wake up time to keep things a little consistent with times and all.  Just my opinion though.

[ambula603]

Mickey44- that makes the most sense to me, so that is what I did.  I am trying to get our wakeup time at 7:30 but it has been anywhere from 6:40 to almost 8 so I am going to start waking her soon if she keeps sleeping in.


Next question -
I have been extending A times by 10-15 minutes.  However, if she wakes at the 40 minute mark (like clockwork, even though I am trying the HTTJ and WtS methods) and is happy as a lark until her next nap time, should I just let her get up?  She rarely cries during the day, smiles alot and seems overall very happy. The only real time she cries is when I try to extend that darn nap! But if it is going to help with everything else, I will keep at it.  I just feel like it might be a developmental thing (she is such a textbook baby) and it will extend on its own.  But then again, I have thought that about a lot of this and have been WRONG!

[mickey44]

If she wakes and is happy upon waking I think I would just get her up as it is likely a UT nap and you and your LO will just be frustrated trying to extend it.  When extending A times I would stick with the new A time for atleast 3 days then if you are still getting UT naps I would try extending a little more.......if you just extend, extend you will end up with an OT baby, IFKWIM.

How are you getting her to sleep?  Are you doing shh/pat? 

[ambula603]

Thanks, Mickey.  That makes sense!  She falls asleep on her own - I put her in wide awake - she takes a lovey but not a paci.  But once I leave she will lightly fuss and I will go back in, give her the paci that she will then take, and then she falls right to sleep.  So I don't even pat or shh her anymore.

Yesterday, after I posted about the 40 minute nap, I let her talk in her crib for about 20 minutes and then she began to fuss a bit.  It was the "I'm still tired" fuss so I gave her the paci and she ended up napping for another hour or so!  It was awesome.

That long nap must have helped because last night she went to bed at 7:20 and didn't wake until 11:45!!  We had intended to do a dream feed at 10:30 like normal but my husband forgot to set his alarm.  After that bottle she slept another 5 hours! It was AMAZING!  She did get up a couple times after that (I think she was unhappy with her wet diaper) but overall, the best night we have had in months.

This morning I did the same - she napped for 45 minutes but I didn't go right to get her up, instead let her play in her crib until she fell back asleep.  She has been asleep now for 1.5 hours.  Incredible.


Today's question - do you think we should keep setting the alarm to do a dream feed (because we go to bed before 10) or let her wake when she is hungry?  We just started the DF last week and I am still confused how that is better than just letting her wake...because like last night, she went longer between feedings when she did that.

[RachelC]

Ahhh, the "To DF or not to DF" question.  Totally up to you.  You may want to just leave it out, since you are actually going to bed before the DF time (good job!).  One of the ideas behind the DF is that it teaches the LO how to sleep a longer stretch of time (so LO is getting 8+ hours of straight sleep, know what I mean?).

I am happy to hear about your great nap success!  Maybe she'll figure out how to work past the 45 minute nap on her own

[mickey44]

Yup I agree with Rachel DF is totally up to you.  Personally I love the DF, we did it with DD1 and it worked amazingly well as she would go to bed at 7ish and sleep till 6/6:30 with a 10:00pm DF!  We are also doing to DF with DD2 and she is still little yet so still waking for one feed plus we do the DF.  When we started the DF with DD1 and DD2 I found it took a good couple of weeks for it to become effective.

[ambula603]

Hey friends!

Last night was another good night - we didn't do a DF but she woke around 11:00 to eat, then again at 2:30.   Each time was exactly 3.5 hours since the previous feeding.  She is clearly stuck at 3.5 hours between feedings, that is what we do all day as well. I am ok with 2 feedings at night, but at what age do I need to move her to 4 hour EASY?

The next issue is she wants to wake at 5:20 and every thirty minutes after that until I feed her.  Today I just did one side at 5:30 and she slept another 1.5 hours or so, but I don't think I should continue this.  Thoughts?

As for naps, she is doing GREAT.   I have been just leaving her in the crib to "talk" happily after the 40 minute wake-up.  After about 10-15 minutes she fusses, I go in and tell her it's nap time and give her the pacifier, and she sleeps another 45+ minutes.  Right now she is going on a super long nap - but she has been awake for a couple different 10-15 minute spurts.  So I don't know how to "count" this.  She went down at 12:45 and needs to eat at 3:30 so I plan to wake her then.  I cannot believe she is napping still!  Is it ok that she gets her long nap in spurts?  I guess it is better than just 45 min...

I can't keep thanking you all and BW forums in general.  Last week I was exhausted and stressed and feeling pretty depressed.  This week I am happy and informed and feel like I am doing a good job as a mom!

[amayzie]

Jumping in to say GREAT job!! It's amazing how much we connect our LOs sleeping with our sense of self worth!! We've ALL been there!!! AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE that pic!!! Ah- a reason o have a little girl!! (my guy would not look anywhere near as cute ;P P

My thoughts on the night feeds- i'd feed her at that extra 5.20 wake up. It's the one that stayed longest for us, so i'd suggest feeding her then and the other might go first... The other ladies might have other thoughts....

[mickey44]

Is she on formula or breastmilk?  If BM she may never get to a 4 hour EASY.  Otherwise around 4 months is when you want them to be on a 4 hour EASY.

I agree on the 5:20 feed.  I would feed and treat it like a NF. 

So glad you are feeling so good about things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ambula603]

Amayzie-
Thank you!! I think she is pretty cute, hehe.  I took that yesterday while her sis was at preschool.  I think I will keep with that feeding, thanks for your advice!

Mickey44-
She is mostly breastfed but I do supplement on occasion with formula.  She has some intolerances (dairy, which I have cut out) so we use Alimentum - but I have found she will only take the liquid Ready to Feed kind.  Picky little girl!  Last night she took 6 ounces - half BM and half F.  She then slept over 5 hours!  It was awesome!  But the problem is getting her to take that much, often she will fall asleep and only take 1-3 ounces.

I like where we are now, on the 3.5 EASY.  I think it is working having the 2 hour awake time and she ends up in her crib the rest (sleeping/talking) so I feel like I have some time to get other things done.

[mickey44]

That is great....if she is mostly BF then the 3.5 hour EASY is great!!

[ambula603]

Just wanted to give another update -

She is doing GREAT!  Last night she only woke twice, at 2 and 5:30 and both times she ate and went back to sleep easily.  Naps are consistently 1.5-2 hours long.  Sometimes she wakes and needs to be soothed in the middle of those naps but other times she does it on her own.  Incredible.

I know I will be back when something comes up (teething, etc) but for now I am enjoying my baby and staying off the computer! 

Hugs to all!

[RachelC]

Woo-hoo!!!  That's awesome!

[mickey44]

yay!!!

[amayzie]

YAY!!