Help with routine!

[AndreaLily]

Hi there

I am new to this board and I really need help with my routine.

My lg was 4 months on the 18th and for a while she has been in a 3 hourly routine and is a very happy baby, putting on weight (she's 15lbs) and going through the night. She is just coming out of The 4 month sleep regression.

Her naps at the moment aren't great and also I think she is ready to transition to a 4 hourly routine.

Here is a sample schedule (what she has done today)
7.15- 6oz bottle
Nap- 9-9.30. 30mins
10.10- 6.5oz bottle
Nap- 11.10- 11.50. 40minutes
1.05- 7oz bottle
Nap- 1.55- 3. On and off 1hour
4- 4oz bottle
Nap- 4.30- 5.
7pm- 6/7oz bottle

The reason for the change is because she doesn't always want the last nap and therefore fights it, so think she wants to do the 3 naps... Also I tried yesterday feeding her 3.5hourly for half the day and she took 7oz, so I think she can go longer inbetween bottles.

The 3.5 hour easy worries me though as the top up feed may not get her through the night as we don't dream feed. I have tried it before and she wakes in the morning and isn't that interested in her morning bottle.

Sometimes she does nap for longer, but she's really inconsistent.

Any help / advice would be great, thank you xx

[AndreaLily]

I forgot to add as well that she always goes to bed fine, wakes a couple of times in the night for her dummy... But normally wakes between 4-7am a few times for her dummy or a little chat... Could this be down to poor napping? Xx

[creations]

Hello and welcome to BW forums
Yes it sounds like your LO is ready to increase the time between feeds and have a longer A time between naps.

Is this the 3.5hr routine you are referring to?
Time to Transition - 3hr, 3.5hr or 4hr EASY
If so the "top up" just means that as a full 3-3.5hrs has not passed since the last E your LO might not be hungry enough to take a full feed, but if she is then it's totally fine to give it.   I would try it out and see how it goes. If you don't feel comfortable with it then you could feed earlier (before the nap) to give her longer between those two feeds.  I found with my LO he always took a full BT feed even if he had only eaten an hour before like he knew it was BT and to have a really good feed.

A times can probably increase now, around 2hrs is a time to aim for which is an increase of about 15 to 20 mins looking at your current EASY times
Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!

hope this helps

[AndreaLily]

Great. Ok I think I'll have to bite the bullet and give it a go... So I guess the routine will look like this:

7- feed
9- nap
10.30- feed
12- nap
2- feed
4- nap
5.30 - feed
7- top up

Or I guess I can try a top up at 3.30 and then a full feed at 7...

It's all trial and error isn't it. I think she's definately ready for the change and hopefully it will help sort her naps out.

Thanks for your help :-) xx

[creations]

It may look like that, yes.  However this sample routine only offers a 1hr nap at 9am, anything over that and the next nap will need to shift later to allow for a full A time.  Hope this makes sense.
The later afternoon/early evening feeds - I would suggest you feed perhaps a bit earlier than 5.30 even though it is not 3.5hrs. If LO wakes from that last nap earlier you could feed at 5 to give a bit more time before the BT feed.  My guess is she'll just take the full BT feed or as good as anyway.
A bit of flexibility is needed when changing the routine - but you're on the right track

See how you go for a few days and post an update if you like

[AndreaLily]

Hey so the last few days have been a bit of a disaster.

Lo won't nap unless she has had a bottle and her naps have been so short I haven't been able T leave longer between feeds throughout the day. Here is the last couple of days:

Tuesday
Woke coughing at 630
645/730-  7oz
Nap- 8.30- 9. 30mins
10.35- 7oz
Nap- 11.20-12.30. 1hour 10.
1.15- 4oz
Nap- 2.45- 3.10. 25mins
4.05- 6oz
No nap
645- 6oz.
Total - 30oz
Stirred lots between 5.30am -7am

Wednesday 23rd November
7.15- 170. 6oz
Nap- 9-9.30. 30mins
10.10- 6oz
Nap- 11.10- 11.50. 40minutes
1.05- 7oz
Nap- 1.55- 3. On and off 1hour
4- 4oz
Nap- 4.30- 5. 30mins
7- 7oz
Woke between 5-6am couple times

Thursday
7.15/745- 6oz
Nap- 9-9.35. 35mins
11- 5oz
Nap- 11.40-12. 20mins!!!
1.15- 2oz
Nap- 1.30-2. 30mins and 2.40- 5.35. 55mins
4- 7oz
Nap- 5.05-5.35. 30mins
7- 6oz
Stirred 3 times between 7-9, few in night and then between 4-5am.

Friday
7.10/740- 6oz
Nap- 9-930. 30mins
10.15- 6oz
Nap- 11.30-12.15. 45mins
1.15- 5oz
Nap- 2-2.30. 30mins
4- 6oz
Nap- 4.30-5. 30mins
7- 7oz
5.15am- as wouldn't settle from 4am- 3oz


Then this morning when I fed her to start the day she was sick, and then only took 3oz

I feel like I can't extend her times as she doesn't sleep well at all!!! Help!! Xx

[creations]

Looks like she's coming down with something, do you think?  Coughing and being sick. I assume these are not normal for her.

It's only recently she's wanting a bottle to go to sleep is it?

[AndreaLily]

Yeah she has had a cold for 2
Weeks now... Poor little love.

She very occasionally has a bottle in the night / early morning... She normally goes
12 Hours yeah xx

[creations]

OK, so it is pretty much impossible to work out new routines when LO is poorly so WRT to the 4 month regression or A times etc it is not possible to work out a suitable routine right now. I would do the best you can during this period (sleep does tend to go off track during illness) and pick up again when she is feeling better. You might see that she suddenly returns to a good routine without any changes where as you can drive yourself crazy trying to "fix" the sleep routine of a poorly LO.

Still here when LO is better - hopefully it will clear up soon as it sounds like she's had it a good while now!  Get well LO!

[AndreaLily]

Yeah I definately am driving myself crazy. These 30 minute naps are exhausting!!! She has been so tired today but will not settle after waking after 30 minutes.

Thank you and your right, I will try when she is better. Thank you loads for your help xxx

[creations]

No problem. Hope she is better soon x

[AndreaLily]

Thank you.

Quick question... She keeps waking between 4-7am loads for her dummy, she's in such a light sleep.

Could this be early waking due to overtiredness / routine or just part of leap 4? We have apparently just come out of it today. Xxx

[creations]

Could this be early waking due to overtiredness / routine

It could be or if she is still poorly it could be that.

just part of leap 4?

Sorry I didn't follow wonder weeks with my DS so I am not particularly familiar with them, but yes, any developmental leap can cause the routine to go off track for a bit.

Is she still poorly?

[AndreaLily]

She still has a bit of a cold but it's not so bad. The day before yesterday she napped 1.5 hours at 1.30 so naps are getting better but she's still having 4.

Leap 4 is the same as the sleep regression i think.
X

[creations]

Leap 4 is the same as the sleep regression i think.

Maybe - but I think you said a few days back that she had apparently just come out of leap 4 so I assume leap 4 is a number of days where as in my experience the 4 month regression often goes on 2 months. That's why it's so draining on parents, 2 months feels like a year when you're tired and battling a baby to nap.

Maybe start to track her EASY routine again and see how she is over the next few days as she gets over this cold and then post your EASY plus point out what the particular problems are now and I'll see if anything stands out. OK?