Almost 6 mos-swaddling and squirming

[henrysmomma]

My almost 6 mos old is super squirmy lately during the night and naps.  I have tried loosening up the snug swaddle, one arming it, the Aussie-nothing quite satisfies her.  She acts as if she wants to roll to her side.

She is struggling to learn to roll over during A time; could that be it?!  She is on a wonder week and I have tried to be patient but I feel like she is getting mad with her swaddle. 

She is currently on a 2 hour A time; very easy going textbook baby.  She did have a recent bout of constipation issues that are now resolved.  She is gassy sometimes but we usually can tell the difference.

When we are doing our wind down routine, she is constantly arching her back and looking over her shoulder as if she is trying to get out of my arms.  When I oblige, set her down-she fusses.  A lot.  And won't settle. 

Chalk it up to a wonder week?  I have gone back to bouncing on an exercise ball as she just won't settle and then we get to OT....

Any suggestions?!

[Kellyjs]

How are the naps hun? It could all be ww related, we had issues especially when learning to roll over, but we didn't swaddle I'm afraid.

The only thing I'm thinking is that an increase in A time could be required. Some are pushing 3hrs A around now, so 2 may be a little short?

Would you mind posting your easy so I can take a peek?

[henrysmomma]

Okay!  Good to know on the 3 hour A time.  That totally surprises me because she is super tired around that 2 hour mark.  Should I ignore her exhaustion?  Or push it back slowly?

Because the kiddos are in and out of daycare on a part-time basis, our EASY is a little wonky some days.  Naps are our first priority in our household so they are put down as close to nap time as possible.  We are currently at a 2 hour A time with bedtime around 8-9 depending on when those naps fall.  She is so cut and dried when she wakes (early wakings included)...she is either super happy or cranky. Super happy-there is no getting her back down, etc.  Super cranky-she either settles herself with a paci (swaddled) or I roll her on her side and pat/shhh.  Sick or growth spurt-she won't settle with me rocking, anything. 

Today, the naps have been hideous!  Nothing more than a 30 minute catnap.  SO frustrating.  And wide awake.  After reading the appropriate A time, I feel slightly stupid as I should have been more aware of that!

[1stimer]

My ds started the same at about 5 months. He never liked the swaddle but with the arching the back and wanting to be put down. I started laying him on his side with his paxi, shushing while I stroked his head a few times and walked out. He got really squirmy like your lo and I started finding him on his side sleeping. He also does the 30 min naps and the short a times....that's been another issue all together lol!

[Kellyjs]

It is hard to know as it can be learned behaviour to go down at that time. I wasn't convinced either until I finally found the right A times and eventually got a decent nap length out of her! I would stretch it slowly so as not to confuse her. Maybe add 15mins onto the A time, hold for a couple of days then add on again.

Also double check there's no signs of teeth. That can cause them to wake early from a nap too (although I think pushing the as time has to happen anyway). Around this age is when teeth come through x

[henrysmomma]

Okay, so here's the update. After she wakes in the morning-it is impossible to keep her up past an hour. She will just pass out in your arms etc. should I consider the first waking to be still part of her night then? Feed her in her room then? Keep it calm and quiet and try to get her back down? I tried once a week or more ago and she seems wide awake but if you unwrap her and get her a few toys, she's good for that hour. So, I put her down and she won't sleep longer than an hour. What gives?

So, I get her up and try to make it to 2 1/2-3 hours. That part is going better but it's almost like she has to get way overtired before she will sleep 3 hours in a row in the late afternoon. So, catnaps in the morning: slightly cranky and then a longer afternoon nap. Yikes.

[Kellyjs]

Could she be hungry in the morning? Is she bf and/or does she have any night feeds? Is she waking up before 11hrs ONS?

That seems an UT nap in the morning, so You could try and see if a feed then back down will result in any extra sleep if the ONS is less than 11hrs. However an hour is supposed to be considered restorative.

That A time later on seems to be working though. I suppose it's up to you really, you could keep on this routine as she's getting more than enough day sleep during the day. As long as there's no UT NW's (cot parties) throughout the night or emw because that nap us so soon after wu you could leave as is for a while?

[henrysmomma]

That is possible. She is formula fed and unless something is off, she sttn. She is doing really well with table food. I will try to get her right back down in the morning after a bottle. See what works!

Wonderful suggestions, thank you!!!!

[Kellyjs]

Ok sweetie, just try and keep the solids to a minimum now. Remember milk has far more calories in it than solid food. Has her milk intake dropped since she started solids? Just wondering why she'd be so hungry in the morning now. As the mantra goes 'food before one is just for fun'!

[henrysmomma]

Bless you! You are so sweet! We are always making the bottle the first priority. She is so ready for table food and if you eat around her she will almost cry. It is really quite interesting. I gave her a bottle and for tuna half hours this morning. She did pretty well and slept for two hours for her first nap. Here we are not even two hours into her awake time and she is definitely tired. Rubbing her eyes, etc. She does seem to be a little on the teething order but really not bad.

[Kellyjs]

Ahh bless her.. She's obviously wants to be involved! You're doing absolutely brilliant wrt the milk, as lomg as she's still getting enough there, let her go with it!

That's amazing about her first nap. Go you! She could be slightly more tired when teething is going on so I wouldn't push her too hard, but still I would prefer to see those A times higher than 2hrs so as not to affect the night sleep. She may be on the higher end of sleep needs, which won't be a problem, we can adjust things to work for her.

Would you mind posting a few days easy over the next couple of days to see if we can see a pattern to her longer naps against her night sleep against her A times then I think we'll be able to see a full picture x

[henrysmomma]

We are keeping to the 2.5 hour+ A times and we are STILL getting 1 hour or less naps.  She is wide awake and happy at one hour when she wakes up!  I leave her there to re-settle but it never happens.  I stop in to pop in her paci if she is whiny but I don't do anything else.  She is super cranky past the two hour awake point.  She sleeps 10-12 hours/night and is overall a very easy angel/textbook baby....we are out of her wonder week by over a week and doesn't seem to be sick or teething.  Grrr....

Any other ideas?  It is like pulling teeth to keep her happy until just under 3 hours...seriously this is getting old.  Plus, I work from home and am getting horribly frustrated.  It is my slow period to be catching up on work from the holidays and I am seriously getting nothing done. 

[Kellyjs]

I hate to say it hun, but I'm thinking she needs another slight bump in A time. Perhaps another 10/15mins or so? An hour is considered restorative but I'm still thinking slightly UT.

I know you work from home, but is she bored, or overstimulated at the 2-hr mark? A change of scenery can work wonders but appreciate that's difficult if you're trying to get some work done  xx

[henrysmomma]

I have bumped her to 3 hours (even slightly more) and we are still getting a one hour nap.  I have included new activities, stood on my head to keep her awake (she nodded off once at about 2 hours 45 minutes) and have been a nap monitor these last few days.  I am so beyond frustrated with her.  She is so freaking happy when she is awake.  Happy little clam.  I am afraid that if we don't figure this out soon we are going to be a year old with a horrible napper and a whole new set of problems. 

My son would wake crying after 45 minutes for the longest time.  It was easy to determine what to do then.  Shh/pat/paci and he was out for another hour.  She is just so darn happy-I leave her be and very rarely does she ever fall back asleep.  If she does, it is usually after time at daycare. 

She wakes after an hour, just lays there happily and starts jabbering...and then get frustrated after 20+ minutes of being left alone.  I go back in shh/pat and she looks at me like 'hey ma-let's go conquer the world!'  She is most definitely awake. 

What. Am. I. Missing.

She always wakes up warm.  We are down to swaddling her (in a very breathable material/wrapped twice) in a onesie with socks.  Her room is not warm and is not cold; 64-67.  Anything warmer and she struggles. 

Is it time to unswaddle?  We are noticing that she is definitely a 'shove it in my face and snuggle' kind of girl.  She had her Aden and Anais comfort blankie (mini blankie with satin trim) the other night and had it shoved in her face.  She passed out like that so I swaddled her arms up and swaddled up to her chin, leaving her hands out.  It was a nightmare of a nap.  Oh my.  Should we try to break the swaddle? 

Or should we bump her to 3 hours and 15 minutes?  She seems like she is always wanting to roll over in the crib, but I feel like it is more to bury her face than to roll over....she never rolls over from her back to her tummy and will take 15-20+ minutes on her tummy to roll back on to her back. 

I know that each kid present their own issues, trust me.  I know.  I just feel like we are missing something.  I am going to start tracking her times down to the minute tomorrow.  And follow that for about three days.  SO BEYOND FRUSTRATED. 

Nights are still good.  Usually one waking to get her paci back. 

I also am dreading the whole breaking the swaddle as we are going to be gone for a week in April and a week in May into June for vacation and work travels and I KNOW that my mom is going to give her a paci regardless of my wishes.  I don't see the point in breaking her of the paci right now because of that fact.  But if we are going to break the swaddle, the paci situation will become a nightmare and my already short nights  are going to get much shorter....

She doesn't seem to be teething and she seems otherwise healthy. 

[henrysmomma]

And thank you SO much Kellyjs for all of your help; it does not go unappreciated!!!!  Huge hugs to you!