Anyone want to talk about the 3-2 Nap transition? Part 2

[Moma of two]

A time is 2.5 for first nap 1.5 hour normally here.  Then 2.75 h and I only get 40 minutes.  Then 2.5 till third nap.  Having a heck of a time getting rid of catnap.  Early BT isn't an option

[becj86]

Any NW's/EW's? If not, trying pushing the second A time to 3hr.

[Moma of two]

Funny that you asked we had both last night.  Still recovering from OT the day b4 I guess.

[*Becky*]

How are all you 3-2 ladies getting on atm?

[Moma of two]

3-2 not going well as second nap is consistently 40 min.  She has been getting up earlier and earlier so she has a really long day.  I will have to keep three naps for a while I guess

[Johnnyha65]

Hello,
Needing some help ladies!
My little boys is 29 weeks adjusted and we follow EASY all be it loosely. We seem to be experiencing EMW's which have gradually worsened over the last month, the wake ups are creeping earlier and earlier but generally it's around the 5am mark 10 hours after he went bed. He's good in that he will chat and play in his cot until he's hungry of course.
I have been trying to stretch him out to 9.30 for the first nap as I believe that taking the nap any earlier at this ages causes EMWs but all I think I'm doing is making him more and more over tired, he goes from grumpy to what I can only describe as wired. I'm having to APOP all naps and transitions which are not always successful and then im still having to fit in a catnap. previously he was an independent sleeper for naps, he does go down at night no problem independently and sleeps through till 5ish.
How do I get him out of the OTness?? Does it carryover from one day to the next?

Our EASY so far today
Woke at 5.20 (that's when I heard him)
GU 6.40 as started to cry - hunger
E 6.45 milk
E 8.45 solids
S 9.30. - 10.55 woke crying hunger or thirst I suspect and was still clearly tired
E 11 Milk
E 12.30 solids
E 1.15 milk top up
S 1.25 woke at 1.56 managed to re-settle at 2.10 woke at 2.20 managed to re-settle 2.40 - 3.50 when he woke happy
E 4.15 solids
Bath 5.45
E 6.10 milk
S 6.25

Bedtime is normally pd at 6.45 and he's asleep by 7 but moved it forward today

TIA

[lily_layne]

Sorry I can't help you Johnnyha, I have some questions too!  This 3-2 transition is yucky
DD is just over 5 months old and we've been working on the transition slowly and she stepped up the game with some long NWs where she just wanted to play - she is definitely ready to ditch the 3rd nap but can't quite handle long enough A times yet.  Stretching her A times slowly has seemed to help with the long NWs and we do ok on the days when there's time for a short (15-20 m) CN.  It's the days that we run out time for the CN that we struggle with.  Yesterday was one of those days. 

WU and E: 8:10
S: 10:30-12:15
A: 12:15-2:35
S: 2:35-4:30
A:4:30-7:30 (I tried to APOP a CN but she wasn't interested in sleeping)
BT: Started at 7:30, asleep by 7:40 (She usually does 2h of A time after a 20 m CN.)

She slept for 30 m and then was up and ready to play.  It took over an hour to get her to sleep for the night. 

The same thing happened last time we skipped the CN and did EBT.  Is it possible she thinks EBT is just her 3rd nap or is it OT???  I'm reluctant to move her BT any earlier on because then she doesn't get enough A time and we get long NWs. What's the best way to handle this?  Do we give in and let her have some A time if she's ready to play or do we do whatever it takes to get her to sleep? Any suggestions for routine changes to handle these kind of days (cap the second nap so we have time for a CN??)?

[*Becky*]

Moma of two - have you tried pushing her second A time a little to see if it will get you a better nap?

Johnnyha56 - the general advice is not to let your day go over 13 hours so if he is up at 5.20am then BT at 6.15/20pm would be best. Waking at 10 hours has always been OT here. The first A time is def very long so I would pull back to more like 3 hours for a couple of days and just see if it helps although he is taking a good nap really - could be a lot worse. On the day you have posted he took 2 sleeps - is that the norm? Are you pretty much through the 3-2?

lily_layne - your day looks good. Tbh I would not try APing a CN if she wakes at that time. She has done 2 good naps so just go for EBT if you think you need to. I would imagine after a 2 hour nap she could do somewhere around 2.5 hours A time so maybe aim for 7pm BT and see if that helps. It will be a bit of trial and error to see what BT suits her best.

[Moma of two]

Thanks I was trying to stick to guideline but she seems to need more A as day goes on. I went cold turkey last night as CN is more trouble than t s worth.  She was up from 2;45 to about 7:10.  Not ideal PU I will keep pushing out A time

[Johnnyha65]

I think the earlier bedtime last night helped, he woke at 6.15 this morning, but showed tired signs around 8.30 so I pd at 9 but seems it was slightly too earlier & I should have gone for 3 hrs like you said, he woke at 45 minutes took 10 mins to re-settle but then had another 45 minutes. For 2nd nap I went for 3 hours A time and he settled quickly without my help for the first time in ages, so fingers crossed we are nearly there! Let's see how long he naps for this one!

[lily_layne]

maybe aim for 7pm BT and see if that helps. It will be a bit of trial and error to see what BT suits her best.

Thanks.  We'll try that next time we run out of time for the CN.  If she ends up waking up and wanting to play, 1/2 hr after EBT should we try PU/PD or leave her playing on her own until she's ready to go back to sleep? 

[*Becky*]

My feeling if lo is happy is to leave them. I only go in if they are upset.

[Skadiver13]

And you can't do PUPD if they aren't crying.

[Johnnyha65]

Okay so yesterday went like this

Awake at 6.15
E 7 milk
E 8.15 solids only had a few spoonfuls seemed tired
E 8.45 milk top up
S 9-9.45 resettled 9.55-10.40
E 10.50 finger food snacks
E 12.15 solids
E 1.25 milk top up
S 1.40-3.25
E 4.40 solids
E 6.20
S pd at 6.35 asleep by 6.45

Woke at 11 and resettled woke at 3 I had to resettle and woke this morning at 6.
He got very fussy and showed tired signs from about 4.30 onwards which is around when he would normally have had his CN I this normal even though he had only been awake an hour.
Things have improved EMW is there anything you think I need to tweak?

[lily_layne]

The last 2 days we've had some short naps so we needed a 20 min CN.   On both days she went down easily at BT (yesterday she went to sleep by herself which has never happened at BT before ) after 2 h 20 min of A time which is how much she gets before each nap.  I would've thought that was way too long and only tried it because DH wanted to but I guess I was wrong.  If she can do a full A time in the evening after a short nap, is it likely that she would need an even longer A time before BT on days when she doesn't have the CN?