Need help with almost 8 month old awake times

[Conniesmummy]

Hi,  I've received lots of support on here over the months so here I am back again.
Despite my best efforts, my LG remains a catnapper, 30 mins on the dot, unless I intervene and then she can settle for over an hour.
I've been working on awake tine around 2.5-3 hours and she is really difficult to spot cues these days, grumpy cutting teeth, separation anxiety etc
She has been ot a lot lately and has started to wake early hours, having slept 11 hours straight since she was almost 4 months.
I'm exhausted again and worried it will flare up my pnd again, which has been so controlled. This last week my hubby has worked away and I can honestly say it's been her worst ever. Screaming most of the day when I turn my back for a second.
When she has a good nap she is much happier. She has always self settled at night but struggled with naps.
Her usual routine looks something like this
A 6:30-6:45 milk at 7:00
Breakfast at 8-8:30
S 9:15-9:30
A 10:30 (only when I intervene to help her stay asleep)
Milk 11:00 can be funny with this feed
Lunch 11:30-12:30 ish depending on whether she wanted milk
S 13:15-13:30
A anywhere between 14:15-14:45
Milk 15:00 ish, again being fussy with this too.
Will sometimes have cn 16:30-17:00 for 30 mins. Then tea half an hour later
BT routine starts with bath at 18:30 milk story and doen awake in her cot at 19:10-19:20 usually asleep by 19:30
This can change if been out and had rubbish naps. Will do BT earlier.
This last week has been horrific. Refusing milk and picking at food, we are blw.
And has woken in the night 3 times out of 4 refusing to resettle and I gave in and Co slept. Well she slept, I haven't for days.
I thought at her age 2 decent naps and a possible cn is what she would need. Am I wrong?

[lauradj]

Hi there, I'm sorry you're having a rough go again!  There is an 8 month sleep regression, just so you know.  It's a bit of a cold comfort but it will likely help explain some what you're going through right now.
At your LO's age, most babies are awake for 3-4 hrs and are down to two naps.  I think if you push that extra 15 mins for a consistent time of 3hrs, it will likely help.  Also getting rid of the CN will hopefully diminish the NW's.  Do you have a babysitter or a friend or family you can call on to get a nap yourself, or even get out for a walk without baby?

[Conniesmummy]

Thanks for your help.
I do tend to rest when she naps.
Just another question, what times would you say we're good for naps if doing 2?
The reason I ask is today we are going swimming at 2 and I'm struggling as to whether she is better napping before or after?? She has currently been napping for an hour.

[Conniesmummy]

Also how much daytime sleep should she be having? She has averaged 2.5 hours for a few weeks now,  is this enough? I just feel like I'm getting things so wrong at the moment 

[lauradj]

I'm trying to recall what LO's schedule was at 8 months.  I think that was the time he and DS1 were still slightly out of sync, naps wise so I'd say 9:30-11:00 and 2:00pm-4. Bedtime was/is at 6:45.
I've included two links below that might help alleviate your fears 

All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months
Typical Amounts of Day and Night Sleep

[Conniesmummy]

Thanks again.
I tried to push awake time this morning but she was very cranky and tired, probably due to her nw 
She napped for 1.5 hrs but then I had the dilemma of swimming. We are also dropping from 4-3 feeds a day as she hadn't been drinking much at both middle day feeds so I thought I'd try skipping the 11:00 feed and just doing lunch instead. She seemed ok with it and then drank all her milk at the next feed which she hadn't done for a couple of weeks now. She is eating more at mealtimes now, we are doing baby led weaning.
I managed to keep her occupied, she loves swimming and she stayed pleasant, even getting dried and dressed which is when she would normally have a meltdown if ot.
Managed to just get home as she was nodding off in the car and she drank her milk and went down for about an hour and 15 mins. She woke up pleasant, played, had tea, then about an hour and a half after waking we started bedtime routine of Bath bottle and bed. It has been the easiest feed before bed in a while and she settled herself to sleep quietly instead of crashing which is what I think she's been doing as she was getting grumpy and rubbing eyes and refusing milk at bedtime.
She did go almost 5 hours awake which I don't want to do on a regular basis bit she managed it. Now I have more of an idea how to manage naps and feeds and meals. I think her dropping the 11:00 feed will make things easier.
Thanks again for your support. She isn't an easy baby to read. Some days she will seem obviously tired and others it is like she's on rechargeable batteries and could go forever!! She does seem to like a routine though 

[lauradj]

Great! I'm glad you saw an improvement so quickly!

[Conniesmummy]

She slept through til 6:45!!
I've pushed her awake time this morning to 3.5 as she seemed happy playing quietly and she has just settled off to sleep with no fuss, just the usual moan and babble.
Because she tends to do an 11.5 day and only a total of 2.5-2.75 naps it's hard to plan the day without pushing the earlier awake times.  Just hope it works x

[Conniesmummy]

Well that was short lived 
Last 2 bedtimes have been horrific, screaming and refusing to settle. I thought ot so we went for an earlier BT tonight cos 2nd nap was only 30 mins out in the park in her pram as this was over by 14:15, she was tired again at 16:00 so she had another 30 mins. This pushed teatime back so now I'm worried that she is eating tea too close to bedtime which is upsetting her tummy. She doesn't eat loads as she is blw, but she is having milk about 45 mins after her tea.
It just put a dampener on a really nice day, she's been so happy all day, then this 
I just feel like I get it wrong all the time.
It doesn't help that I have pnd and anxiety so I have to take lots of deep breaths to help keep the anxiety at bay. Last night I struggled to wind down to sleep too as I was so wound up. I hate her crying, I just want to cuddle her and tell her it's ok, buy like I said, me going in just makes her worse re the separation anxiety so hubby does the checking in 

My mission tomorrow