Alternate routine for 3rd baby during 3-2 transition?

[shresmummy]

I'll give that a go tomorrow.. Thanks Katherine

[shresmummy]

Go figure... We are having the best night we've had in ages.. Somehow he did a long small nap today and two shorter ones. This was our day:

Wu 6:30
Nap 9:25-10:50ish (in ergo at dds school swim meet)
Nap 1:35-2:08 (was whining heaps and didn't have a good nap) ot? Ut?woje up crying but after feed was very happy till I forced a cn at 4:15
Nap 4:15-4:45 (once again cried heaps for it..ot? Angry I made him nap?
Bt - asleep 7:30-10:10 and he's just woken up..might feed him

What do you think?..

[jessmum46]

Sometimes there's just no logic in it. We've had great days followed by hideous nights and vice versa.  Maybe he managed to catch up a bit so was more settled?

[shresmummy]

I am so seriously over trying yo set a reasonable routine for this kid! Last night he was up and fidgeting not really sleeping for hours on end.. And now he's started doing that for naps as well. He's starts to fall asleep then he suddenly stops sucking his thumb and starts kicking his leg and flapping his arms madly. He did that every hour last night!, today was a day of APd naps because his first one was a no go.

Wu   6:30
Nap .: tried 9:25.. He kept doing the on/off sleep till 9:50 then refused to sleep anymore
Nap 11:30-12:55 (nearly 1 ) in ergo
Nap 3::15-4:35 ( in ergo)
Bt took in at 6:55 fed and started to fall asleep. But then kept doing this sleeping and waking up thing till 9:!!! If I left he would scream blue murder so I had to keep carrying him and calm him then repeat pd only to have him flap all over the place.

Finally he slept . 9-10:15 and he woke and I'm feeding.

What is going on? What am I doing wrong ( feeling so disheartened at the moment.

He is 32 weeks nearly 33. Is there something I'm missing?

[jessmum46]

Any teething at the moment?  I do wonder if you've ended up with an UT/OT loop though.....after a 1h20 nap in the afternoon he may well have been overall tired enough to look like he'd settle at BT, but UT because of the late long nap with only 2h20 A time after it.  Then ended up OT again from protesting. 

I would honestly limit your third nap to a catnap, if you need one at all.  If it feels like it will be forever to bedtime then bring BT early rather than allowing a long late nap.  I would push out your first A time to a bit longer, 3h15 or so and see if that helps him settle better and see if you can get through the day on two naps.  I did BT at 5.30/6pm a lot when going through the 3-2 with DD x

[shresmummy]

You know Katherine I also wonder if he's teething. He's been SO whingy refuses to let me put him down to play.. Just wants to be carried.. Either that or he's falling ill because my ds1 has been sick.

With. 5:30 bt how was the early part of your nights? I remember with dd the ebt trick worked beautifully, but with my other DS he used to keep waking up every 45 mins/1 hr. And plus have ew. I guess I've never tried it with lo so worth giving it a go.

Today I've been aping naps bcos he's so clingy in ergo.

Wu 6:40
Nap 9:30-10:45 was outright crying from tiredness/ something else
Nap 1-2:05 he once again was crying and rubbing his face off!

Now what about bt?

[jessmum46]

Ugh those days are horrid, I used to dread the 2/2.30pm WU from second nap! I would have tried for a very short CN around 4.30/5 and if no joy abandoned in favour of 5.30pm bedtime I think.  What did you do in the end? EBT always worked beautifully for DD, not quite so sure yet with DS but probably because when I've tried it for him it hasn't been early enough.

[shresmummy]

Well I had not much choice today bcos we were at dds swimming. He didn't sleep there which he used to do. Then we got home around 5 and I tried for a short cn. May have got 15/20 mins out of him cos it was dinner at other two were mucking around. Anyway I did bt as usual but he only slept by 8!

Maybe I need to go down the route of a super long am nap and shorter cn at school pick up? Bcos I can't let him sleep past 2 really cos I need to feed before I leave at 2:30. It's so hard juggling!! Lately I find even after a short am nap he's not going down before 12:45 so that doesn't give more than 1.5 hrs max and that can't get him to ebt can it?

Perhaps I should try 3h 15 min am A time like you said and see how long that nap is?

I'll grow a hundred grey hairs before he transitions to 1 nap!,

Update: he's up now at 9:25 refusing to settle without a feed..

[jessmum46]

What time do you start your day?  Could you get up sooner and allow a short am nap aiming for long lunchtime nap of 12-2/2.15?  Say something like WU 6.30, nap 9-9.30 capped then put him down again at 12?  Just a guess but may work?

[shresmummy]

Well we do get up normally around 6:30 but lately he hasn't been sleepy enough around 9. Realistically I only make it back home by 9:15 after drop off.

Today I did 2 naps in a wierd way bcos of his cues..and ebt went hortibly wrong

Wu 6:20 after a rougher night
Nap 9:20-11:15!!! (In ergo cosi was out)
Nap -started crying and fussing by 1 and I had to put him down still 1:25 he let till 2:05
Then I tried to put him down for a short cn around 4:30 didn't work..I had to get dinner etc for others so got him I'm the room by 5:30.

He fed. Looked very sleepy and after his feed he sat up wide awake and started playing!, crap!

I couldn't spend more than 15 mins with him, so I gave up still 6:15 and brought him out again then took him back in with other two at 7. He took forever and I am writing now as I feed him to sleep still 7:45:(

[jessmum46]

Hugs, we had a similarly awful day here x

[shresmummy]

Geez, as luck would have it he was sick for the past few days. He's better now and it's back yo juggling the A times.

He's still going down at 3hrs A time in the morning and doing a 40 min nap. It's the next one he's struggling with! Today he did

Wu 6:30
Nap 9:35-10:10
Nap took him in at  12:40 took a while to settle but then slept -1:30 and I'm resettling in ergo now.

I wonder I should just go the really long A time first thing route bcos now I'm getting stuck beefing a third cn and bad nights. Ebt just isn't working for him he drinks his milk falls asleep then eyes pop open and he's happy again!

I wonder if I bf before am nap say around 9:46 then do a short walk in garden or something and try put him down at 10 he may nap longer? He's nearly 8 mo and has a max A time of 3 hrs..

Ideally I'd like wu 7:30 nap 11-12:30 nap 3:30-4:15 and bt at 6:30. How do I get there!?. X:))

[shresmummy]

So I managed to resettle that nap till 3:30! Admittedly it was I the ergo but now I can getaway without a can I think. My aim now I think is to get 1 long and 1 short nap. Anything else and I have to do that 3rd nap which ends at 5:15 and bt gets messy. Normally I can't let him sleep till 3:30 but today kids were home sick so I could.

Hence my thinking of the long am short pm CN idea. Sorry I keep changing g my mind ! Do you think it's worth posting on naps board to try and fix this kid!!

[jessmum46]

I'm happy to keep helping here but do feel free to post on naps if you'd prefer

In terms of how you get to where you want to be, just push A times slowly 5-10 mins every few days until that morning nap is at 11ish.  I'd suggest a bit of a tweak though - probably aiming for a 12h day and making that second nap a bit later, he may not be willing to go down just 3h after a long morning nap.  I'd probably go more like 4-4.45 and BT at 7/7.30pm but don't know if that would suit you?  Just think 11h day is too short....

[shresmummy]

Thanks Katherine you're probably right about the 11 hr day.  I'm thinking I might try and post on there just to see if I can get some eyes on how to get him to agree to a set nap routine! I guess this post is no longer about an alternate routine anymore is it?  Would love for you to pop on there if you don't mind though..cos you know my sob story from way back I'm going to bed now but will post on the naps board tmro..and will then paste that link here for you if that's ok? Thanks heaps again