Nap mayhem - 6 weeks

[Fisher001]

Hi - hoping for some advice on nap times and feeding.  Slightly frazzled at the moment and wondering where I am going wrong. Appreciate baby is little and difficult to establish a routine but I'm working on the format and less worried about the timings at the moment.

Below is a typical day. As you can see we have a lovely morning and evening routine established- LO did that all by herself - clever girl - but midday until 9pm is utter chaos!! She doesn't seem to want to go down for a nap and becomes incredibly attached to my breasts. I have tried the shhh pat technique - when that has gone on for 5 mins and she is still screaming, I pick her up , calm her and return her to the crib. I spent an hour doing this today and admitted defeat and gave her my breast - the minute she attached, she fell asleep. When I move to put her in her crib, she starts up again. This goes in from 1pm until 9pm every night.

I'm hoping for some advice on where I am going wrong or what technique or steps I can take to improve.

Much appreciated!



Daily routine
1hr awake / 1 hr sleep

6.30 feed
6.45 nappy
7.00 sleep
7.15 shower, teeth, breakfast

8.00 baby day starts / feed
8.15 nappy, top & tail, dress & play
9.00 sleep (1hr)
9.15 express, chores

10.00 feed
10.15 nappy & play
11.00 sleep (1 hr)
11.15 walk in park

12.00 nappy & play
12.30 feed
13.15 sleep (broken sleep - difficult to put down in cot - pick up / put down)
13.30 lunch
13.45 feed (10 mins def hungry)
14.00 nappy
14.30 feed (5 mins)

14.40 sleep (40 mins)

15.20 nappy
15.30 feed (5mins)
15.35 sleep (10 mins)

16.10 nappy
16.15 feed (5 mins)
16.30 sleep (10 mins then quiet time)

17.15 feed (3 min)
17.20 nappy
17.35 sleep (45 mins)

18.20 feed
18.30 bath / pj's / lullaby / bedtime ritual
19.15 sleep / eat dinner & husband time

20.00 feed
20.30 nappy & bedtime upstairs
21.00 bedtime sleep / husband & tv time

22.00 feed (bottle)
22.30 night night sleep

4.00 / 5.00 nappy & feed
4.30 / 5.30 sleep

[Buntybear]

Hi there, I think it is important, as you say, to remember that she is very young and at this time it really is about enjoying her and getting to know here. She is already getting into her own routine which is great!


In the afternoon you do seem to be feeding her every hour, if not more, it could be that she is snacking and not getting a good feed in? Could you try and go a bit longer before trying a feed?

[*Ali*]

Maybe she just wants to be held instead of feeding every 45min-1hr. Have you tried a sling?

At this age I'd do shush pat over your shoulder until completely asleep when nap time does come.

Also, I notice her A times in the morning are very short at just an hour. I'd maybe try to stretch those by up to 15 minutes to see if you can get some longer naps between them.

[Fisher001]

Hi - thanks for the great advice.

She is definitely snacking and using my boobs as comfort to go to sleep. I have taken to doing a gentle release to save my nipples which seems to be working. She seems to want to feed at the start and end of the awake time making it difficult to put her down while she is awake but sleepy. I'm not too worried about this though - it works well for her at the moment.

She is 5kg so a bit heavy for a sling I think? I do ensure she is asleep before I put her down gently.

I have incorporated an afternoon walk each day so that her midday sleep is lengthy. I will try to stretch her awake times in the morning.

Thanks for all the advice. Last question is what age is a good age to start with the full routine?

[*Ali*]

It's completely normal to have frequent and comfort feeds at this age. I'd recommend being led by your baby regarding routine. Different babies need different intervals between feeds. Tracy said you must always feed a hungry baby, don't try to fit the feeds into a schedule.  BFing research has moved on significantly since her books were written and it is now generally accepted that breastmilk is digested within 1.5-2hrs and all mums have varying storage capacity. Those with smaller capacity (not related to breast size but how much milk can be made and stored at any one time) will need to feed more frequently. If you want to avoid a feed-to-sleep habit you could take her off before she is fully asleep and let her do the last bit without the boob in her mouth. A 6wo will still need lots of help to go to sleep though.

I still carry my 12kg 2yo sometimes so no, your baby isn't too heavy for a sling Maybe look at different styles of carriers if you find a sling uncomfortable. A stretchy wrap or soft-structured carrier may suit you better.