Getting my newborn to nap

[~*Nicole*~]

Just popping on to lend HUGS and to also just say FWIW your LO is still SO SO young and honestly, if you peak at EASY sample routines you won't find too many for babies under about 6 weeks old. Many start around 8 weeks. This is very likely due to the unpredictable patterns of newborns with being sleepy, getting vaccines, cluster feeding and growth spurts, etc. I think it is okay if you do what you need to get through to a more predictable age and then work on some more consistent sleeping. Not trying to say you can't or shouldn't follow a routine but I know I did a lot of APOP with my older two around when DD2 first came home from the hospital and that truly got us through the roughest parts of the newborn days and didn't create any habits as LOs that young don't really form associations or develop habits as of yet. Have a read through the sample routines for 0-3 months. The lady who compiled them even points out that she could not find a routine that was submitted for any babies under 6 weeks. So you have plenty of time! Try to enjoy your newborn baby and get lots of snuggles and cuddles!

chronological EASY samples, 0-3 months

[choc]

Thank you, I know I need to just chill out, I just find it so hard. He has had a half hour nap all day today and it is 2.30pm. We'vebeen resettling him all day and even apop doesn't always work. I think he is suffering from wind and also reflux so we are seeing a doctor next week. I just don't know what to do with him the times he won't sleep anywhere!

[~*Nicole*~]

If he does have reflux that could definitely be causing problems with sleep especially as he gets older. My son had it and week 3 was the worst ever and I was being the doctor to help. They did and things started to settle down after zantac and me eliminating dairy from my diet.

I know it's hard to relax when they're so upset. Do you have anyone who can step in and give you a break at all?

[choc]

My husband takes over when he gets home but then I never really see him as I need to go to bed pretty soon afterwards!! I am praying the doctor will help us. I have just been talking to my husbands cousin who's little one has reflux and she said everything I described sounded exactly like her lo. It has made me feel a bit better that it's not my fault and out of my control in some ways. I just wish more apop would work. He won't always sleep on me/in the swing etc. And at night he is wide awake after he Has had hiccups and won't usually sleep on me then either. But we will see.

[lily_layne]

(((hugs))) Nicole's given you great advice. These really are early days and unpredictability is part and parcel of that. My DD had a week of very few naps (and only 20-30 minutes) at 4 weeks. It was a tough week but we got through it and then things got better again. Try not to spend all of your time putting him to sleep or worrying about if he should be sleeping. Get out a bit if you can - I find that always helps me.

[choc]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm more and more convinced that it's the reflux causing a lot of the problems and I just pray the doctors will help. I've heard it's not easy to get the right meds from a gp so fingers crossed it will be OK for us. Until I see the doc I will try to keep calm!

[~*Nicole*~]

Good Luck!

[choc]

My problem right now is that no apop seems to work! I tried to get him to sleep for 2 hours in my arms but he just won't close his eyes. He won't sleep in a swing either. I haven't got the car and anyhow have had no time to get dressed and eat breakfast anyway! I don't have a sling yet either although to be honest I can't see him sleeping in one anyway, he is always too busy looking around. I covered his eyes a day That didn't work either. Any other ideas?

[lily_layne]

Some LOs just don't respond to apop. My DD was one of them. I could get her to sleep in a sling but only in a dark, quiet room which is silly really. Sorry, probably not what you want to hear.

I think as he goes through this wonder week, I would just try to make peace with the fact that he's going to be awake a lot. You can lead a baby to bed, but you can't make him sleep, yk?

[choc]

Ok, so we had two 30min naps today! I'll have to hope for better next week then!

[~*Nicole*~]

My DD does best in her bed. She takes really really short naps in a carrier or stroller or swing. I feel your frustration. It'll get better. I promise.

[choc]

He went to sleep really easily in his pushchair today on the school run but woke up at 30min on the dot! Used to be 2 hours! I'm trying to resettle him now by pushing the pushchair back and forward but I don't think he'll go.
I have a question though, when he short naps how do I keep my  easy going? We are on a really good eating routine every 3 hours but how do I avoid messing that up and not getting into a ES routine as he will be ready for sleep straight after the feed I imagine as his A time will have been before the feed?!

[lily_layne]

but woke up at 30min on the dot! Used to be 2 hours!

Try not to think about what it used to be. This is just a blip. Things change so fast when they're tiny and you'll settle into a new routine for him soon.

As it's still early days, I wouldn't stress too much about doing ES. I would stick with the feeding routine that works for you and if you can't do any A before S, so be it. I rarely did ES with DD because I was fearful of creating a prop but the few times I did (when naps had been short) it did often lead to a longer nap. I relaxed more with DS and there were lots of times I fed him right before sleep (still do, actually). There were times he fell asleep nursing but it didn't become a prop. If it did, your DS is young enough that it could be undone fairly easily.

[choc]

Ok brill, thanks for the advice.

[choc]

I'm back with a new development! Ds has started to self settle a little! It started after his night feeds, he stopped dropping off on the bottle so much and so we had to put him down awake and henjust fell asleep. So I decided to see if he would do the same for naps and sometimes he does. This is what we are doing at the moment and he will usually settle himself: he usually yawns dead on an hour A time. We go to his room, wind down, and by the time I leave the room it's about 10 mins later. Then he takes about 20mins to drop off. Which I know is normal. The problem is that he is now waking after 20 mins, not even doing 30min anymore. Is it because his A time actually works out at 1.5 hours by the time he's asleep? Should I have him in the basket before the 1 hour and first yawn? I'm worried he will then be UT and resist the nap. Or are the 20 min naps because he has learnt to self settle and will they extend on their own? I can't always resettle. Sometimes he does himself but it can take  good half an hour, with or without my help!
Any insight? X