Well, we have been struggling to get him to the 2.5 hr routine since day one but here's what the day is supposed to look like (then I'll show what it does look like.)
E-0830 Right now he does this pretty well, waking on own. We have gotten his nights stretches to 3-3.5 hrs so usually 12 or so, then 3 ish and 6 ish
A- 0830-9:30- He won't stay awake for more than 30 minutes and then he's just out
S- 0930-11 Yesterday I had to wake him at 11, today he only slept till 10. First my DH tried rocking him back to sleep with paci for 15, then I just put him to bed with the paci and he fell asleep for short increments but he kept waking until feed time.
E- 11- fed and he ate about 5 oz (expressed milk).
A 11-12 Stayed very low key, did not do much of anything today- bouncy seat and held him for a while
S 12-130- Today he woke at 1, yesterday he woke at 1250. Neither time we were successful at really getting him back to sleep. He stayed in bed until feed time today and I just stayed in there and kept putting the paci in over and over. He'd wake every few minutes and he always acts hungry but he'll take the paci anyway for a few minutes... it keeps him from crying at least. Yesterday I tried giving him first one oz, then another since he acts hungry when he wakes, but it did not work to get him back to sleep so the whole rest of the day got off...
E-1:30 Yesterday the whole day was off... and I pretty much called the afternoon a wash... His eat times were off and his naps lasted 45 minutes- 1 hr
A 130-230. Today he was ready for sleep shortly after 2 and I held him off till 215, changed him and swaddled him (HE HATES THIS!) and he was asleep by 220.
S 230-4
E 4
A 4-5
S 5-6:30
E 630
A 630-730
S 730-830/845
E 830/845
S at 9 PM
So here we are... reverting to a 1.5 hour routine (and I was frustrated for weeks when he was on a 2 hr routine and sleeping exactly one hour!). The only bad part of this routine was that he would miss an awake time a couple of times a day and so we couldn't get him to the "timed" feedings. We are desperately wanting him to make it 2.5 hrs during the day and at least 3 at night. It seems this is as long as he can make it right now since it's never the same amount of time at night and he's only been doing this for a couple of nights. Before this he was starting to go about 3 hr stretches then suddenly at 6 weeks he started waking every 1.5 hrs so I figured it must be a growth spurt. That started only at nights for a couple of nights and then it progressed into the days. After several days I decided to pump to ensure that he was getting enough and he was so we figured out it was habit or behavioral and that it was something we needed to make him work past. This went very well for nights. But days are a whole different story! I feel like I've tried it ALL! We have a white noise machine, we have a quiet house, we have stayed home. We have tried the swing, we've tried feeding him when he wakes (which seems to be the best option but I'm trying to put a stop to it since I've been pumping the last couple of days to ensure he's getting plenty of milk, but he still acts hungry when he wakes!) and I've tried adjusting wake times. When he was on the 2 hr routine it didn't matter if i put him down early or tried keeping him up later, he was out at 1 hr (or got very grouchy!) He weighs 13 lbs at 7 weeks. So I know he is not starving to death. However, he apparently didn't gain since last week?? Still at 13 lbs... He is huge for his age, and I thought maybe I've been over feeding him- which is why I'm so hesitant to give into him at only 1.5 or 2 hrs after he eats. I've started pumping because of oversupply issues and thought that maybe he wasn't getting to the hind-milk (even on one sided nursing) and I also came down with mastitis which really has me thinking that I have to get to a constant routine to regulate my supply. It doesn't know what to do when the kiddo goes from eating every 1.5 hrs round the clock to 3 hrs at night to 1.5 hrs in the day and I just feel like we are all over the place and can't for the life of us get to the "EASY" routine. We've been working towards it for 7 weeks now and I just am about ready to give up. I don't know what to do! So sorry for such the long post. Any advice would be truly appreciated.
