Waking from nap with poo

[amanda55]

Hello,

Struggling with my 9 month old DS's naps, usually morn but sometimes aft as well. He wakes after 30mins and I leave to see if will resettle and if he hasn't and I go in 20/30 mins later and there is a poo.  do you think he is waking to poo or pooing because he is awake.  I have tried different breakfast times and cut fruit out from breakfast but still does it.  He sometimes also does it for the afternoon nap also so can have 2 30 mins naps a day!  He always stirs as 30/33mins and eyes open but can resettle just recently isn't! He seems very tired at mo although doesn't really get fussy, rub eyes or anything and gives no clue.  Whenever I put him down he goes very quickly to sleep ~5mins with no fussing whether kept up for 2.5 or 3/5 hours.  Could someone outline a rough ideal schedule at this age, he starts getting fussy at 5:30 then is happy in bath at 6 but before bottle when getting dry and dressed gets really upset then is ok after bottle and goes to bed and usually asleep about 6:45/7 I ideally want him going to be about 7:30pm and up nearer 7 as at the moment its quite often 6/6:30 and he wakes loudly (not crying) and this wakes my 3 year old who has recently stopped napping so could do with setting s schedule and sticking to it but no idea where to go as no tired signs until 5:30pm!  Please help.
He has 3 small meals a day, 7/8oz morn bottle, 7/8oz round dinner and 9/10oz at bed. If someone could please help me with a routine to work towards that will get me 2 good naps or one short one long, not sure which is best. Sorry for the waffle!

[Bella89]

Hi there,
sorry you waited so long for the reply. It's Valentines Day craziness:)

About the poo. He is probably waking up because he needs to poo (in my opinion). Obviously, he needs to poo and believe me, it's better to have 4 poos than none:) But that being said - how many does he have? And also, did you start potty training? Do you think you could help him poo before the nap?

About the routine. There are things you can do to shift your routine to fit the needs of your family, but unfortunately it's not always that easy to do:/
Let me see. Is yur easy more or less like this?
6:30 WU
6:40 E
10-11:00 S nap1
11:00 E
2:00-3:00 S
3:00 E
6:45 BT

I just want to make sure if I get the idea. Please, write it down for me in that format if you can

[amanda55]

He usually wakes every morn and poos so again believe he wakes to poo as if doesn't poo wakes nearer to 7am.  He is left in his room till 7am anyway as chatters and is quite happy. Usually poos 2/3 times a day usually in cot!!

Today:

WU:6:15 (not as happy as usual so got him out of cot at 6:30 [poo!] we were out later than his normal bedtime last night)
E: 6:45 7oz milk
E: 8:15 breakfast, porridge, toast and water
S: 9.30-10:30 (very upset when did brief winddown which hasn't done for a long time so think overtired this morn as was very whingy all morn, calmed then tried again, cried, had to leave as 2.75 yr old shouting from downstairs! asleep within 10/15mins for an hour) no poo when woke.
E: 10:45 3oz milk (keep him going for a later lunch so could go for a walk)
E: 12:30 lunch, veg puree, pieces of carrot, sweetcorn fritter, cheese and yogurt, and water, remainder of milk straight after 5oz.  sometimes give some milk and late dinner and milk straight after, other times dinner at 11:30 and milk at 1/1:30 depends what we are doing (mix an 8oz bottle).
S: 1:50-3:15 ish (1hr 15/20) no poo again so only once today!
E: 4:30 tea, veg puree, pieces of pasta, veg etc. pudding
E: bedtime bottle, story song and in bed awake
S:7pm

He falls asleep independently at night and naps and has done since November when removed dummy (usually did anyway for nights). Has always struggled with short naps but a lot of the time recently looks like due to poo although still get the odd ones even when no poo!

[Bella89]

He usually wakes every morn and poos so again believe he wakes to poo as if doesn't poo wakes nearer to 7am.  He is left in his room till 7am anyway as chatters and is quite happy. Usually poos 2/3 times a day usually in cot!!

Hmmm. My 1yo does the exact same thing so I have no advice here:/ But I know my DS poos in the morning in a crib, because a)he wakes up earlier than I do and has some spare time and b) he can stand up and hold on to rails and it's easier for him that way, as we are going through a rough path with potty (I don't want to push it)
I am not sure If I get this right, but does he eat all those things at 1 meal or are these just examples of meal. If so, he eats a lot- he poos a lot. Normal thing

As for the routine. It looks good to me. That morning he was OT so the nap was shorter, but when they get older, but still on 2 naps and they are getting ready for 1 nap transition 1h 20min nap starts to be a good nap He doesn't have to sleep 2h to rest anymore

What do you think?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Maybe he poos in his cot because he is relaxed and it is private? My oldest DD always ran off and hid to poo in her diaper. 2-3 poos a day where he is having lots of good meals sounds totally normal. You could always try popping him on a potty prior to his nap for fun just to see if he goes...otherwise in time he will be transitioning to one nap and things will change anyways.

[amanda55]

Thanks for the help

He woke early again today 5:50 (again poo) wasn't happy. Don't think he'd go back at that time if go in and change and leave and have just started getting up with him now as he chatters too noisly if leave till 7 and waking 2.75yr old who has just dropped nap so need her to sleep in a bit more!

Is it ok that he is having 13hr days or are these too long?

He's never done 12 hours overnight and hopefully get 11-11.5 but seems a long day 6am-7pm with hopefully 2-2.5 hrs sleep in naps.

He never plays before sleep and apart from yesterday doesn't cry before naps so don't know if I'm getting right timings.  Saw that he should be having 14-16 hrs sleep a day on the site. 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

The day can get a bit longer before the transition to one nap as they may need more A time but still need two naps yk?

The word "should" can be hard one to ignore but some lsn babies do need less than average. My DD3 would never have gotten 14 hrs in 24 at this age - 12 was her magic number for ages. And she was not ot and perfectly happy on that amount. In fact now at 2.5 she sleeps only slightly more than her 7.5 & 9.5 yr old sisters!

[amanda55]

He was waking later with 3 naps but sometimes up for an hour or two in the middle of the night (left to settle himself) but since dropping to two naps is waking earlier in morn!

most mornings this week before 6am, today 5:40 (big loose poo), kept in bed as could see trying to go back, bout 6:20 went back for 10/15mins then crying then trying again, looked like went again at 6:55 but his lamp comes on at 7 so was chatting away when that came on so got him up, I read about keeping them up for nap so kept up till asleep at 9:30, only slept 30mins then awake (no poo!) took in car to see if would extend but didn't. Was he overtired as up since 5:40 or undertired as left in bed till 7am so not officially up?! 

Hes gone down for second nap now at 1:20pm so 3hr 15 awake time.

He doesn't really show tired signs and will keep going quite happily till I start windown, which is only short, upstairs, in bag, short story, song in dark room and left to settle.  Settles within 5-10mins.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

How have the last couple days been?  I am not sure whether to count to wake time in bed - definitely not true A time but still might affect the day and the first nap.

[amanda55]

last few days:
W:7am
E:7: 8oz milk then 8:15 bit of porridge, toast and water
S:10:15 for hour and 10
E: 11:45 dinner and water then 1:30 7oz milk
S: hubby looking after him, put down 2:50 but cried (unusual) left till 3:30 as kept stopping and starting, went in had done a massive poo, changed nappy etc and put back still crying, took in car so slept 4:20 for 30mins
E:5pm tea with water, 6:20 milk
S:7:15pm

yesterday:
W:6:10 (left till 7 as kept trying to go back, did for about 10mins then neighbours dog barking!)
E:7:15 8oz, 8:15 breakfast
S:9:45 for an hour and 10
E:12 dinner, water, 1:50 milk (late getting back from friends)
S:2:40 for 35mins, then upset after 10/15 mins, had pooed
E:4:15 tea and water
S:7pm

Today:
W:6.10 (again left till 7, same thing went for 10mins then his light came on at 7!) had pooed earlier as went in straight away.
E: 7:15 8oz, 8:30 breakfast.
S: 9:40 for 34 mins (awake now, not got him up yet, mum round to pick up daughter so doors opening/closing or another poo?!)

So having less than 2hrs a day sleep, not sure when to put him down next as going to be a long stretch at some point after an already long stretch this morn, not sure when to start A from when up but in cot but when started other week getting him straight up he was starting to get up earlier and earlier so try to leave till as near to 7 as can as isn't upset!

[amanda55]

Update, looked like went back for 5/10mins after awake for 20 but then upset, went in and had pooed, when changed, no chance of going back!

Do I need to move solids nearer to milk or to just before put down, I tend to leave an hour from milk or solids till put down for nap and am getting early waking from naps with poo.

so awake since 10:10 and unsure when to put back down, thinking asleep for 1:30 otherwise going to be a long time till bedtime if put down earlier and he prefers 3-3.5 before bed. Aghhhh short naps are rubbish especially when he is tierd and really tries but cant as a poo in his nappy!

[Bella89]

Do I need to move solids nearer to milk or to just before put down, I tend to leave an hour from milk or solids till put down for nap and am getting early waking from naps with poo.

So this is probably what most of us is doing. Giving milk than waiting about an hour and then solids. This helped with my DS and a proper milk and solids intake.
But there is no reason why you couldn't try giving him solids sooner, 40min maybe instead of 1h?

To be honest, I suspect his poo when he is napping is just because he is more relaxed. I tell you this only because my DS has been waking up early past 3 days just because he has diarrhea from teething:/

I am not sure if I saw an answear to my previous question... Have you start PT him yet?

[amanda55]

No, I haven't started potty training yet.  My daughter isn't potty trained yet properly and shes 2.75.

He had 1hr and 30 yesterday at 1:30pm.

This morn woke again after 30mins but no poo.  I have just put him down now and he hasn't pooed yet since woke this morning so know he will wake early with a poo from this nap!

[Bella89]

I think we suggested it before here, but sometimes when you know the poo is coming, sitting LO on the ptty will help them go.
We're not saying he is suppose to sign the need and you put them down. It's rather you catching it and helping. The sitting position is helpful for poo.

[amanda55]

I never know when the poo is coming! I cant even tell watching monitor whether he has done one or not when wakes, morn and naps, like this morn thought must have but hadn't.  A few times he groans in highchair and looks like straining so I think 'yes hes having a poo outside of cot!' but then nothing in nappy!

Do you think if I moved meals closer together might prompt him to do it before sleep and try him on potty as well before nap.  Would I just hold him over it for a few mins and see what happens?

Not sure if not tired enough so wakes after 30mins then poos or is tired enough but just needs to poo so wakes then.

[Bella89]

Let's try moving solids closer. But you also have to pay attention, because it may cause him to eat less and he will be hungry after nap.You will see.

I always put my DS on the potty, gave him a book and talked to him until he wanted to leave. NO more than 5-7 min.
If he goes, he goes. If not, I don't think there is anything else we can do:/