Author Topic: Question re catnap for 21 wk old  (Read 1234 times)

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Offline sara_haf

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Question re catnap for 21 wk old
« on: September 03, 2016, 09:02:25 am »
Hi, haven't posted in a while but things are sooooo much better. My LO (nearly 21 weeks) is very happily on a 4 hour EASY which, as I thought, has allowed her a longer nap time and opportunity to get a little bit longer after waking at the 30 min mark (as I am able to eventually get her back off).

Now for naps I simply give her a cuddle and set her down and she'll suck on her fingers and drift off to sleep when she's ready! NEVER thought that would ever happen! She does still however wake between 30-45 mins but id stay 8 out of 10 times can put herself back to sleep (so I assume that's her transitioning) between 5-20 mins after waking and then will sleep on and off for either 1.5-2 hours. She's only every done a solid block of uninterrupted sleep without waking/stirring about 2/3 times so I know she's  capable so I'm hoping that will come with time. For now, I think this is the best we can do and I'm super happy with her progress.

She has done so well at self settling during the day that its carried through to the night and she hasn't woken for a night feed in a month (I think!) and does 7pm-11pm(DF) then wakes around 6.45am and babbles until I go in and get her at 7am. I can't remember the last time she really deviated from that pattern.

Still working on naps but really they are a million times better and I'd definitely say that we're having way more good days than bad. I've just got a question about A times and the catnap as this has been getting shorter the last week.

At the minute every day looks like this.....I'll describe her naps after setting out her EASY.

E: 7
A: between 2-2hr 15
S: she'll be asleep anytime between 9-9.15 (I just take my cue from her) and sleep until 10.45-11.
E: 11
A: between 2-2hr 15
S: around 1.15 until 2.45-3
E: 3
A: 2hrs - she's always really exhausted (rubbing eyes/throwing head back/fussing) by 5pm so I put her down
S: but when she's in bed she babbles really loudly to herself for about 20 mins and whereas before she was taking a 35-45min catnap, for the last 4 days she's WIDE awake after only 20 mins! You can barely hear her waking up though as she just lies there happily playing with her feet. She's happy when I go in but about 5 mins after I get her up she's yawning loads and rubbing her eyes (but not crying much just a little fuss). So I'm confused about what's happening here. Is this her beginning to fight the catnap as
It's getting shorter and she's taking a while to actually drift off? She's happy enough for the 20 mins in the cot before the catnap so she's not fighting it by crying but it's weird that she's wide awake after 20 as I can't imagine that's very restorative at all!

I'd be really grateful for advice on A times. It's so hard to know when to push A times because I've never had the "45 min" nap as a cue as she's always taken short naps. Instead I've just had to use her age as a guide and push 5 mins here or there which I was happy to follow until I realised (silly as if might be) that I was counting in weeks and not months. She's 21 weeks so in my head I was thinking 4 weeks was in a month and thought she was 5 months but reality she's about 10 days under that. So am I pushing her too much too soon?? And when should I put again? Should I maintain 2-2hr15 until late 5 months and do another push towards 2hr30? Do you think the 20 min catnap is a sign for another A push or shall I try and maintain 2hr15 for a while and see if it levels out a bit? She currently wakes at 3pm (half the time I have to wake her as I'm getting her used to this as this is when I need to leave to collect my daughter who's starting full time school on Monday) and there's no way she'd go until 7pm BT without the catnap (even if it's only 20 mins). I'm not sure what I'll do when she does so much longer stretches because the 3.20 school pick up will disrupt the day. I guess I let her sleep longer for her first nap and not wake her if she's sleeping? Any advice, as always, would be appreciated.

Thanks. X
 

Offline lolsyb1982

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Re: Question re catnap for 21 wk old
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2016, 17:49:21 pm »
Hi it sounds like you're at the beginning of the 3-2, have a read of this link which should help you. All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months.

You asked about when to push A times, I would say increase them when she starts to fight going down to nap or when she wakes after 30/45 and is happy and won't resettle. The A times are average so some will be doing more than what's detailed and some less.

If you have any other questions on the 3-2 please come back.
Lauren




Offline Scottishmummy

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Re: Question re catnap for 21 wk old
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2016, 18:12:21 pm »
And a short CN to get to bedtime is pretty normal after 2 good naps as part of the 3-2 transition.
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Offline Scottishmummy

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Re: Question re catnap for 21 wk old
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2016, 20:06:40 pm »
Just another thought..is it possible that the 20min CN is overtired? If you're waking her from the 2nd nap & is fussing that much by 2hrs, she might less A time before the CN. Have you tried that nap any earlier e.g. 4.30ish?
"Touchy/Spirited" DS


"Textbook" DD