Hello!
UPDATE: Information I did not include:
- Our routine is wake at 7, eat, awake for between 1.5 - 2 hrs (depending on cues but is always closer to the 1:30 - 1:40), nap routine (baby massage with music, 5 - 10 mins max) Our eat time sometimes lands in the middle of the awake because he is an every 3 - 4 hour eater and his naps are sometime 1.5 to once in a while 3 hrs!
- naps are between 1.5 - 2hrs, although third nap is difficult at 4 or 5 depending on time of last nap. we never have gotten this into a good nap.
- bedtime routine is change diaper, baby massage with music, kisses, sleep phrase over and over, and then put to bed. (Same as naps a little longer message and some more cuddles but again 10 - 15 max)
-breastfeed every 3 - 4 hours in the day and between 5 - 6hrs at night for between 20 - 40 mins, both breasts
-wake ups are about 5 - 7 a nights. First half of the night is usually anywhere from 4 - 6 hours of sleep then after that up every 30mins to an hour.
- When he wakes he fussy quietly, sucking his hand, tossing his head back and forth and he will settle for 30 seconds approx. then do this again a few times and then finally his cry become "I am awake cry/ screech" If I shush pat him he is up for about 10 minutes, but if I take my hand off his back before 20 minutes he wakes up within minutes. If I wait the 20 he then wakes up about 30 minutes later.
-He sleeps in crib right next to our bed (one bedroom apartment) so I wait to help him until the mantra cry has turned to the screech and then I give him a couple minutes to try and work it out himself. Really two minutes is the most and maybe less because it is so hard to hear him cry. I try just laying my hand on his back again but I always end up having to shush pat all over.
- For A time we do floor mat, tummy time, books, swing, games with mommy, walks, of course non of these everytime. I keep A time stimulating but not overly so. We have a quiet apartment and I like it peaceful not noisy or loud in our home.
- I am unsure about teething but my instinct tells me he started weeks ago with the drool and love of chewing everything. I have often helped him to put the cold teething ring in to chew and he likes that but he likes chewing so who knows? He does love having his gums rubbed.
- no food, just breast milk
-His prop was nursing, and maybe he still seeks that, but we have been doing shush pat for over two weeks and moved feeding to after waking up or at least 30 minutes before bed and not with the bedtime routine. However his night feed does still happen in the bed lying beside me. I feel like the shush pat is now his prop!!!!
Thank you for the help, sorry I didn't include this info sooner!
Hello!
My baby is just about to turn 4 months in a couple days but for the past 2 and a half weeks we have been working on breaking his sleeping prop of nursing to sleep by using the shush pat. It has worked and most nights/naps if I get him in his ideal window he goes to sleep with very little fuss. He was starting to get to the point of eating only once a night about 5 - 6 hours after his last feed. That is still the case but what is happening is that after I feed him and shush pat him back to sleep I keep my hand on his back for about 20 minutes then take it off. Within 20 -30 minutes he is up again. I have tried letting him settle himself but I only let him cry (like real cry no sucking thumb, moaning, mantra cry) for like a max of 2 minutes. After that I shush pat him again, he falls asleep within 10 minutes, I keep my hand on his back another 20, and then voila we start again! I have tried feeding him at the 3 and 4 hour mark again just in case he was hungry but it made not difference. Also he does settle with the shush pat and I know if he was hungry he probably wouldn't, but maybe I am wrong. I am not sure if the issue is now a sleep association with the shush pat but I should also mention that he is always really drools and puts everything he is holding in his mouth to chew (his thumb/hand sucking is mostly chewing). I think he has always been a sucker/chewer though so I am unsure if he is teething. He came out of the womb with a blister on his wrist from sucking!
Its frustrating because for a few nights he seemed to have great sleep! His bed time is between 7 - 8, we have a routine, I work really hard to make sure he gets at least three scheduled naps that are 1.5hrs, 2hrs, and then a third 30-1hr. The last nap around 4 is the worst and often he doesn't get more than 30 minutes.
I really want to know what I am doing wrong to help him get through that 130 - 7 am difficult sleep time. Last night he made it until 330 before fussing which was 3.5 hours after eating. Any thoughts would be very very welcomed!