I have two under 2 (thankfully both Angels
) DS1 (22mo) is on a great schedule. #2 (3mo) got on a schedule a bit late, but is taking to the idea well, Im just having some trouble getting the times right. He is 13lb+, ebf, born 36 weeks (so technically, not yet 3 mo really.).
Main things I need advice on are:
in working towards letting him lead the night feeds to 4hourly, I let him demand bf (I never do less than 3 hour gaps at night, he occasionally does 4/5 hour gaps.) so that's my main problem is the mornings can start off different times. and risk ESA and falling asleep on the boob. Sometimes I have to do a 2.5 hour gap during the day to get back on a EAS -
2. bed time routine usually ends up in falling asleep on the boob because his awake time is just that long. (See sample routines below.) I usually don't get to 11pm for df because he goes to sleep at 6:30 (Same time as DS1 who is with DH for bath and bed after dinner) - I want to bf DS2, dinner DS1 (hand over to DH) then bath DS2 (so that the baby doesn't use dirty toddler water - then he is tired and falls asleep drinking at the bed time feed. I don’t have time to get him to cat nap during this awake time (feeding and bathing everyone.)
3. He is struggling to join 45min day time naps so we are working on teaching him that... (I think he was UT so i make sure he has a first A time of 2 hours, then the rest of the day work on 1/5hours A time at most, Eating every 3 hours, trying hard to EAS. He is good at falling asleep by himself when given the chance. He often has one sleep of the day in a carrier or stroller because of other LO's needs.
He does have a medical issue which makes nights difficult (
Anal stretching )
The schedule changes times every day
but it's E every 3 hours during the day until tank up time in the early evening, then a little erratic nights as I let him take over with 3hr+ demand feeding. One problem is he will often be ready to drink at 7am but only want to wake at 8am. that puts us on a ESA
It's hard to make him wake up at 7am because I REALLY want to sleep then too after a long night of him straining to fart (the medical problem) I'm up and down with the paci, he doesn't need ssh-pat, just head stroking and my close breathing and regular paci replacement, but is unhappy and straining for hours I have him swaddled and with a weighted blanket in a cot next to my bed. (Recently moved out of the bed.)
Sample when not messed up:
E -5:30am
Wake up 8am (13 or 13.5 hours sleep with waking up for short periods.)
A
E -8:30am
A
S -10- 11:30am
E - 11:30am
A
S - 1:00 -2:30pm
E - 2:30
S - 4-5 catnap in carrier/pram
E - 5:30 pm
A - bath
E - 6:15/6:30
S - 6:30 usually on the boob because too tired… (often he has not had the fill 17+ hours described above - sometimes a nap will only be 45 mins, but he usually gets at least 16 hours p/day.)
Then can go many different ways:
my ideal at this point is:
E - 10:00pm
E - 2:00am
E - 5:30am
but it can be
E - 10:00pm
E - 1:00am
E - 4:00am
E - 7:00am
Wake up at 8am!
then I’ll
E - 9:30 (falls asleep drinking)
S 9:30 -10:15
A
E -12 (falls asleep drinking)
and so on
I have noticed that he generally demand feeds every 3 hours at night but seems quite happy to do 4 hours during the day given the chance. (I always offer breast at 3 hours daytimes -unless I can't- because I want him to get his food during the day so we have the best chance of him stretching himself to 4 hours or more at night.) It would be nice though to have a set schedule every day & night so that I don't spend so much time figuring out the days plan and counting the hours etc. At the moment I enter projected sleeps and feeds into iCal every morning so that I can keep a handle on the day - because every day is different depending on what time he drank/woke up.
Any suggested shedules/tips thoughts are welcomed! I guess I will soon need to move him to a 4 hours EASY anyway. But that’s not todays challenge! Bless all you luvlies. I hope this long ramble is clear enough to advise on!
XXX
Karla
