Reassurance needed for flexible EASY

[Mummy2two]

Hi there,
I have been following the easy routine with my 4 week old more or less since birth.  Her routine is still developing but typically it starts 7-8am and finishes 7.30-8pm.  Nights are good so far.  Naps are hit and miss.  The reason I have to be flexi is because I have a toddler so some naps have to be in car or pram.
She feeds typically every three hours with the occasional top up.  We use white noise, swaddling and Luther down sleepy but awake.  Sometimesit works and she will sleep 2 hours, sometimes it won't and she wont sleep even withshsh pat and other times she will sleep for twenty minutes.  I guess I just want advice or reassurance that what we are doing is ok.  It is particularly hard tiger her to sleep in the late avo 4pmish and I have used a sleepy wrap just so I can get through dinner and bath with toddler otherwise it would be a nightmare and cause serious anxiety. 

I can't really post a routine ad times vary for naps and depend how long they are but our bedtime routine  seems to work well.

Many thanks!

Wendy

[Ima shel Alon]

Hi Wendy and welcome to the boards!

Sounds to me like you are doing great At 4 weeks there is not much of sleep patterns and many babies, most actually, need still help falling asleep and staying asleep. You will read many mommies here telling that LO "spends" the afternoon in the wrap so they have time to get things done and be with the older child.
If it reassure you even more we had all naps in the pram till 5m old, because that's what worked for us. When they grow a bit it is so much easier to sleep train.

[Mummy2two]

Thanks for the reply!

Naps are actually getting harder and I wonder if it's discomfort some of the time.

Usually bedtime is good but last night after unsuccessful pat sh for about 45 mins I had to feed her again.  Is this ok at this age?  I'm feeling a little lost this time around....

Also I have a cradle swing which I haven't used for naps yet but am considering it or do you think she will become reliant on it.

One more thing, her pattern at night had changed slightly and her last stretch of sleep seems longer as she wakes about 9-9.30am after a 6am feed.  Is it ok to leave her sleeping especially since its difficult to get any decent naps in unless they are in the pram and we are out walking.

I know I have heaps of questions but I feel insecure this time round.   I think because she sleeps differently from my first.  My first would feed to sleep and take a dummy.  This one will do neither.

Thanks so much for any help/support you can give!

[Ima shel Alon]

Naps are actually getting harder and I wonder if it's discomfort some of the time.

What makes you think discomfort? Did you check her for Reflux with your ped.? Wind maybe?

Usually bedtime is good but last night after unsuccessful pat sh for about 45 mins I had to feed her again.  Is this ok at this age?

Is she exactly 4 weeks old? There is a big GS at 4 weeks and maybe she hit that and needs to feed more.

Also I have a cradle swing which I haven't used for naps yet but am considering it or do you think she will become reliant on it.

I don't see a problem with it Not at this age, anyway. I'd say for now do whatever it takes to get her to sleep and that you are happy to do at the same time. For us with the pram, for example, I was always happy with it, I didn't have a problem it was a prop.

One more thing, her pattern at night had changed slightly and her last stretch of sleep seems longer as she wakes about 9-9.30am after a 6am feed.  Is it ok to leave her sleeping especially since its difficult to get any decent naps in unless they are in the pram and we are out walking.

Is she doing this on nights that it takes her long to fall asleep at BT? If so, then she probably shifted her night later so she is also awake later. This is up to you what to do with it, if you want BT to be earlier then you'd need to stick to it and wake her up in the morning around 12h after she went to sleep. You are aiming for 12h day and 12h night, some babies move this to 13-11 in either direction

I know I have heaps of questions but I feel insecure this time round.

(((Hugs))), we are always here to hold your hand

[Mummy2two]

Thanks so much again for your reply!!!

I have had mastitis this week so it may have affected my supply slightly.  There is no doubt she is hungry this week.  She is five weeks today.  I thought discomfort as she wriggles a lot when going to bed.
This morning she had two crappy 20 minute sleeps and lots of breast feeds, then a bottle of formula 130mls and straight to sleep and has been for 2.5 hours so far!  The only thing I did differently was put a small blanket under her bassinet mattress to elevate her slightly.

It's so hit and miss at this age and I will have to learn to accept this!

Thanks again!

[Ima shel Alon]

It's so hit and miss at this age and I will have to learn to accept this!

That's so true. I worried so much about sleep that I forgot to watch him grow

I really would check him for Reflux, just to make sure, yk?