18 week old fighting sleep; grunting, crying, hitting.

[Northlondonmum]

Hello all,

I follow a 3 hour EASY and trying to slowly increase to 4 hours but baby is still showing signs of getting tired after an hour or hour and half of activity. Some days two hours but then it's a nightmare to clam her down.

She shows signs of tiredness is yawns, rubbing eyes. When I pick her she burrows into my armpit.
If I leave her too long she just cries during play so I know she's definitely over tired by now.

In the morning she treats her first awakening as a dream feed so likes to be awake for a while but just on the bed cooing or looking around

I try to give her a different activity each wake session but she cries from boredom or frustration very quickly. Her gym mats are now a source of crying as she can't reach them and toys or books she just wants to eat so cries at them too.

She sleeps well when she is asleep but oh god, does she fight it?!
 It's got worse now. I had her at shush pat in arms. And did try when drowsy to transfer her and then continue as her crib can rock too.

But now she's screaming kicking, hitting with hands as soon as she's picked up to put in arms to sleep.
Sometimes I even think she's not tired but on the most within five mins or so she's asleep.

But she's not light she's very strong and it's soooo shattering, rocking her and bumping her up and down whilst holding down limbs and arms and she's patting!!

I soooo need help! She's such a lovely baby I'm sure neither of us enjoy this settling or falling asleep like this.

It's so bad no one else not even her dad can put her to sleep.

Can anyone give me any insight or tips or just reassurance? I felt everything was easy and I had her down to few mins asleep without much of a fight but now she doesn't want to be in arms and I can't seem
To settle her on the crib- she just smiles! 😍😍

Many thanks in advance!

[Northlondonmum]

Oh in terms of types of baby she is a touchy baby. Although I'd think maybe she's changing to spirited now!

Squealing and crying at very little notice!

[Shiv52]

Hugs. 

Sounds like some UT/OT going on.

Could you post a rough outline of your day and I'll take a look.

[Northlondonmum]

Hugs. 

Sounds like some UT/OT going on.

Could you post a rough outline of your day and I'll take a look.

Sure,

730 awake Eat
745 Activity low key on bed, just lying with parents or mum.
830 Sleep. She cries as a sign she's fed up and falls asleep very quick at this time. I think she treats this as a night feed still. I can't get her to drop the activity so just let her have a coo, look around and cuddles.
1015 Awake
Activity bouncer watching mum . Happy smiley. Doesn't ask for feed straight away. I try and prolong to see if can increase easy.
1045 eat.
1100 bath activity and maybe a mat etc
1200 I wait to see if she is tired. Yawns. Rubs eyes.
Crying fighting sleep. Falls asleep however with shush pat in five to ten mins  just fights

130 awake. Cries for an earlier feed. I think I may need to increase her milk?
145 activity. Tv based rhymes for 30 mins or so.
300 cries when tired.
Hardest to sleep now. Ends up being on mum
For longest. Resettle at 30 mins or so. Sometimes second bit only on mum
Trying to retrain her to like this nap n nap longer

400 awake. Activity.
430 feed.
445 activity. She starts getting bored and frustrated at gym mats and toys as she wants to eat or grab. Play time full of cries. 
530 catnap.  Sleep.
Twenty mins or so. Sometimes she doesn't want to
At all.
600 activity with dad if he's home or just laid back activity.
630-645  wind down night routine. Massage. Lullabies. One to one mum or dad time.
715 feed
730-800 sleep. She fights still but sleeps within ten mins

I also don't know how to increase to a 4hour without her feeds then being three a day as she's having a 12 hour awake time?

I bathe her mornings as the night routine seems to work( touch wood) and she's much calmer mornings as a result of the bath. I sometimes bathe her afternoons or evenings only if she's been really worked up crying or to try and calm her if crying too much or been out and overwhelmed

She does better outside but the journey in the car makes her cry and wail til she's choking and she whimpers for ages after. She likes pram journeys though.

Hope that's enough info for an insight.