Touchy Baby on track or no?

[AngeMullan]

I would love some feedback! I have a touchy baby who cries with bath and diaper changes and is OT if I miss that drowsy window so I'm using a pacifier for extra soothing. I know it can be considered a crutch but I also have a 3yo and do the evening routine by myself so I've accepted that we just need that crutch. In other areas Im wondering if I should be doing more or if this sample of our EASY routine seems pretty on track with where we should be at almost 8 wks.

E 7am - bottle
A 7-8am - Sister's preschool drop off, play time while mom gets breakfast
S
Goal: 8-10am - in stroller so mom can get exercise.
Currently: 8-8:45, then stirs and sometimes needs pacifier to go back to sleep. Sometimes wide awake by 9:30.
Y exercise.

E 10am - bottle
A 10-11am - FaceTime with mommy and tummy time on the playmat
S
Goal: 11-1pm - in bassinet
Currently: 11-11:45 in bassinet. Stirs and needs soothing to go back to sleep. Often takes 30 min so she then sleeps from 12:15-1pm.
Y lunch and housework

E 1pm - bottle
A - 1-2:30 - stories, FaceTime, vibrating chair while mom unloads dishwasher, folds laundry and preps dinner.
S
Goal: 2:30-4pm - in bassinet
Currently: sleeps 45-60 min and is up by 3:30.
Y nap

E 4pm - bottle (1st cluster feed)
A 4-5pm - pick sis up from school, play in sisters room
S
Goal: 5-5:30pm - in swing while mom bathes sis
Currently: may only sleep 20 min
Y caring for sis (her dinner and bath time)

E 6pm - bottle  (2nd cluster feed)
A 6-7pm - bath, Jammie's, snuggles, draw the shades, swaddle, put sis to bed, Shush-pat and pacifier
S
Goal: 7pm
Currently: 7/7:30 - often stirs 2-3 times within the hour before her 8pm bottle. Out cold after that.
Y glass of wine and dinner

E 8pm - bottle (3rd cluster feed)
Dream feeds: 11pm and 2:30/3am
Stirs at 5:30am but dozes back off til 7am with pacifier

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Scottishmummy]

Hi there!

I think that looks like a pretty good routine for such a young baby, especially with an older sibling to care for too...looks like you are doing a great job of meeting everyone's needs, including your own exercise and rest time too.

It's quite typical for babies this young to stir/wake after 1 sleep cycle and need some help to keep sleeping..and if walking in stroller pacifier helps with that, that's ok...my touchy DSwould wake at 30 mins and scream and not resettle so you're doing much better than we did stop the same age!

I think guidelines now suggest that using a pacifier until 6mo can reduce SIDS risk...again if it helps her sleep and makes life easier to balance care for your 3yo too, don't worry about using it.

Enjoy your Y time and feel free to check in again anytime you want to chat things through.

[AngeMullan]

THANK YOU!!!! You just gave me so much peace. I really want to give both kids the love and attention they deserve. Thank you thank you thank you!