3/2 causing nap issues

[Mandy.kamal]

We've just started the 3-2 transition. DD is 5 months now and was doing 2, 2 hour naps and a 40 min catnap.

Now things have gotten a little fishy and she's doing odd 1 hour naps but still acting tired. I think I need another A push but it's just becoming hard to read her because we are in a bit of and UT/OT loop.

Yesterday was:
Woke her up at 7:05
S 9:30-10:38
S 1:00-1:35 (had to resettle her) had to wake her up at 3:30 to preserve catnap
CN 5:30-5:53
BT 8:15
NW 4:45- fed

Woke her at 7:00 today
S 9:25-10:28 woke crying but hard to resettle so just got her up

A push?

And to add- she's hard to get back to sleep at the 4:30/5:00am feed. She usually is back to sleep by 6:00 and then I have to wake her at 7:00. Not sure if that affects her first nap or A time. She starts fussing to sleep after 2 hours A time and I just keep her awake until 2hours 25 mins usually

[Lindsay27]

Yes sounds like an A push is in order . When we went through the 3-2 we had to push right to a 3hr A.  It was hard and there was lots of OT but it was what was necessary at the time.  Now her A times have kind of settled at 3.15 or around there and we have 2 good naps (or 1 really long and 1 shorter) and a 7pm BT.  The transition is really awkward I'm not going to lie, but we had to do a huge A time push to make it through.

[Bella89]

Hi,
why did you decide to 3-2? Was it the 4:30 EW? Do you feed her then? I remember when DS was ST most of the night he was still waking up from hunger at 4:30...So I wonder if it's hunger or EW.
I would personally use the fact that she goes back to sleep and sleeps to eliminate 3rd nap. She still needs to do more than 2,5h A time to be on 2 naps.
Would you wanna try something like this:
4:30 resettling if possible (if she won't at some point, it would mean that first A time needs a push)
8:00 WU?
10:30-12 nap1
2:30-4 nap2
6:00 bath and bottle
6:30 or 7 (here you have to watch her if she is tired) BT

Then you can do A push, which will push out BT and keep longer naps. Also, A push will eliminate 4:30 WU (if it's not hunger) and give you something like this:
7:00 WU
10-12 nap1
3-4:30 nap2
7 BT

[Mandy.kamal]

Thanks ladies!

Lindsay, what age did you push right to 3 hour easy? I don't want to do it too soon!

Bella, that 4:30/5 wakeup is hunger for sure. I always feed her. She's just hard to resettle after because it's so close to wakeup time but she eventually does. I just felt the 3-2 was happening bc she was doing 2, 2 hour naps and there wasn't much time left for the catnap.

But now things have crumbled and she's doing odd naps and I'm second guessing A times because I think she was UT/OT.

I just need a set A I guess for a few days and see? Today's naps have been awful. I'm holding her to sleep right now actually. She seems OT now.

Just to update. Today's naps have been the worst in weeks.

This second nap was:
1:00-1:16, up squirming, tried to get her b2s twice, finally did around 2:00 (not exactly sure) and she was back up at 2:40 crying.

Was this one OT? And maybe the first hour nap UT?

I just need guidance on what that first A time should be. Then I can go from there. This is slowly spiraling....

[Lindsay27]

My DD was probably about 5.5 months when we really started to push toward a 3hr A.  We did 2.45 first for a little bit.  There wasn't room for 2 naps + CN but just being on 2 naps wasn't enough so we did a long first A followed by a capped nap (1hr I think), then a slightly shorter A followed by a long nap, and then a CN.  We only had to do this for a few days before we eventually ended up with 2 naps.  We were also battling an EW though so I really had to push that first A to combat that, I think if you don't have an EW you'd probably be ok with 2 naps of the A times are longer.

[Mandy.kamal]

Thank you! I was getting 2 hours naps on an A time of 2hr 15/20mins the last time I charted. That was for this first A time. The second A time was usually a tad bit longer but never exact. I have to juggle that one a bit to have my 3 year old and her nap at the same time

What should I try for? 2hr 35min?

Poor thing is OT right now. I have to take her out with me now so I'm hoping she has a decent CN in the car later

[Bella89]

I think that's a good plan, 2h 35min. Not too much of a push.

Also, they say that the first A time of the day should be the longest, and this is helping to lay out the day to avoid OT/UT cycle. My DS had the last A time of the day the longest. He was just like that. But it always helped when I was trying to push the first one during transitions.

What A time is the easiest for her?

[Mandy.kamal]

Well it was 2 hours and 20 mins. That gave solid 2 hour naps. Then I stopped charting down her days since things were going so well. Now we got into a little mess plus I think that NW/EW to nurse has her tired when I wake her at 7:00am.

She used to wake at 3:00ish to nurse but recently started sleeping more before waking.

I'll try the 2hr and 35min tomorrow for the first A to see if that gives her a long nap

What does a 20min nap mean? She's been having those the past 2 days. OT?

[Mandy.kamal]

What do you mean by which A time is the easiest?

I may have misunderstood you, sorry

Also, she woke at 5:20am- hungry- fed her but she wouldn't go back to sleep. No clue when to do her first nap now...

What do I do now that she's waking so close to wake up to nurse?

She wakes around 3:00am some nights, should I just go ahead and nurse her then? Or is that worse since she can sleep longer without eating?

[Bella89]

I mean which A time is the longest and you know she can do i.e.3,5 h whithout any problems.

Sorry, I dont know about 20min. It might help if you write down a day with a nap like this.

I personally would feed at 3 to avoid being it to close to WU. In the past, when I couldnt do it any longer, i just started the day:/
How is her solids? Do you think you could add some daytime intake to make sure she has enough for the whole night?

I would do a regular A time or add some time if she seem ok. Catching 3rd nap can help.

[Scottishmummy]

20 mins is often OT, or OS.

[Bella89]

I would bet OS.
Didn't know that btw, thanks!

[Mandy.kamal]

Okay, so I backed off yesterday and today and followed her a little more than the clock. Turns out, 2 hours and 15/20 mins is where she's at now.

So she was OT and/or OS all last week. i tried the A push to 2h 35m and she was even worse- that's why I tried to just watch her and see. Today I did 2h 15m for the first nap and she did 1.5h nap. The second nap was late bc of her older brothers meltdown after lunch and was closer to 1.5 A time and she woke after 30mins crying- resettled and she did another hour or so.

So I'll stick with 2h 15 or 20m A time for now until I start getting short UT naps again. I think the UT/OT loop tricked me into thinking she needed an A push.

Anyway, I'll keep this up for a bit longer and see how things go. She's still crying before every nap so I'm thinking OS is an issue as well but it's almost impossible to keep things low key with a spirited 3 year old running around!

[Bella89]

Ha, sometimes we all know what would be the best, but it is simply impossible :/
You're right, vicious cycles are the worst. Especially when we're in transition to another schedule. That process can take forever :/

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, and let me know how it goes.

[Mandy.kamal]

You are lovely, thank you!

So far, so good! Going to keep it at this A time as long as I can