Routine Help for 7 month old- long sorry

[branwen]

Hi everyone!

I am so surprised I'm having to post this as things were going so great...and still in general are.  I just need some routine advice as her naps have shortened again to 45 min.  She actually cries out at the 45 min mark- she has never done this before (usually resettles).  I have used PUPD to try to put her back but she shrieks which is so unusual for her that I take her out and check everything I can- there is usually no going back to bed from that point.

I am trying to get us on the 4 hr schedule by extending her but she is so clear about her tired signs.  Like this morning at 7:00 (only 1 hr after waking) she was scratching her eyes, whining, yawning and I felt so confused and put her to bed, which she went to sleep immediately :? This is after a 13 hr sleep (5 to 6) :shock: Because of the 45 min naps we are on a 3 hr schedule again...and she was getting so good at 3.5?

We have been teething a bit lately but it is like one day is bad with that, the next not.  One day gums red swollen then back to hard (pushing up receeding maybe?)

I am just wondering if I am doing something wrong.  This is what the last 4 days have been like

6:00 wake up/bf
6:45 solids (oatmeal with fruit)
7:15 1st Nap- 45 min (used to be 1.5 hrs)
8:00 (leave her in crib until 8:30)
8:30 activity
9:00 bf
10:30 2nd nap (used to be 1.5 or 2)
11:15 (try to leave in crib)
11:45 Activity
12:00 bf
12:15 solids (multigrain with veggie)
2:00 3rd nap (used to be 2)
2:45 wakes try to leave in crib
3:15 Activity
3:30 bf
3:45 solids (cereal and veggie)
4:30/5 bath
5:30 bf/bed

Yesterday was horrible- she did only 3, 45 min naps.  I try to let her resettle as long as she is not crying for me, then I try PUPD but by that time we exhaust our nap time.

I know my baby sleeps a LOT for her age, so this is why I am really wanting us to get to the 2 hr awake stage and also get her on maybe 2, 2 hr naps.  She loves her early bedtime so that is basically the catnap plus bed.

Any ideas?  Kind of at a loss right now?

[Daniel's mummy]

Not sure if I can be any help.  My ds got himself into a great routine of having  2 really good sleeps each day and then the last few days it's all gone a bit pear-shaped!

He seems really tired again so we're resorted to 3 naps again, but this means he gets up early in the morning (although I noticed your dd does too).  I've been feeling as though 6am is just too early but Daniel seems to like that time of day! :shock:  Maybe it's me that just needs to get used to it!

Can your dd go any longer between waking and her 1st nap?  I know what you mean about watching her signs.  My ds is the same - rubbing eyes, yawning and fussing.  But sometimes if I change his scenery (!) go into another room to read a book or some other activity he seems to find new life in him.  If I extend that awake time it seems to make a difference.

I don't know - babies are just so good at keeping us guessing aren't they?!  Just when we feel we have it all figured out nicely they decide to do things differently.  I guess that's what makes parenting so exciting.

I hope things get back to some kind of normality soon.

[thitz]

My dd is waking early from nap1!  I'll give it some thought and reply back.
Tarri

[thitz]

Hi Branwen,

Sorry you're having 45 mins nap problems.  I'm also fighting that as you know :wink: . 

A couple suggestions.  First, could you move the morning solids up a bit earlier?  Maybe a full tummy that far into A time is making her tired early. 

Second, I do a specific pre-winddown activity in the morning which is carrying her face out and pacing back and forth on the deck singing.  I noticed that for Emily's second nap if I start doing this she immediately becomes cranky but as soon as I stopped and did something completely different I got an extra half hour out of her .  I did hold her on and off during most of that time but still it made a huge difference.

Also, I know it's hard to keep them up when they're giving clear tired signs BUT keep her up anyways.  I know one of the BW examples in the book where Tracy's trying to change a baby's routine she says, use whistle and bangs or whatever you have to do to keep them up!  With the hope in a few days they'll last longer on their own.  This is my approach right now with trying to lengthen the second nap.

Again Emily's waking early from nap2, but I got 1hr10mins which is more than I've had in a month!!!

I'll be thinking of you guys, Tarri

[Gigismom]

hi
this could be a phase.  occasionally for a reason unknown to me, (possibly teething)  my dd will have a period of 5 or so days where all naps revert back to 30-45 mins.  the days are quite hard to get through, but i just try to keep her on the routine and she generally bounces back on her own.
another thought, i also agree with the others that you should keep her up through her tired signs.  this is how i got my dd on the 4 hour easy.  she would seem tired too soon, esp after the first am wake up.  she still does this.  sometimes, after only an hour or so, she is rubbing eyes, whining.  so what i do is bf her when she wakes.  then an hour or so later, when she is "tired", i give her a meal of solids.  this seems to give her an energy boost and she is fine after that.  something to try maybe???  i know it seems cruel to keep them awake through their tired signs, but their bodies adjust quickly.  i think increasing her awake time may solve it.

[wilksterette]

May I ask why you put her to bed so early? Have you tried putting her down even just an hour later. She may nap longer the following day.

[branwen]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the replies. 

The bedtime was a result of her dropping the catnap at around 5 months.  She did this on her own.  She loves her early bedtime.  Last night we didn't hear a peep from her and usually we will hear her mumble around 7:30 for a brief second.  I think she was just wiped out from the new awake time.  I have tried to change her early bedtime but honestly it was totally her doing- I just followed along.  The other issue was that get up time in our house is usually around 5:30-6am (she is unable to sleep through my husband leaving), so if I ever wanted to get her on 12 hr nights that would be the way to do it.  Eirwen has always loved her nighttime sleep.

The A time seems to be helping a bit- she did the 2 hrs all day yesterday- she did 45, 1.5 then 1 hr for naps.  Her morning nap lengthened back to 1.5 this morning.  I was a real stickler about feeding times yesterday 3.5 at the absolutely earliest and then behold- she rejected my afternoon cluster for the first time ever!!!- so her last feeds were 1:30 and then 5:30- 4 hrs- YAY!  This morning she didn't want to eat until 10:30 and her first feed was 6:15!  So we are definitely on the 4 hr schedule now.  I am so proud of her.  I think mama was getting in the way  :oops:   :roll: by feeling guilty about keeping her up, but she's adjusting really nicely to it and actually seems to have more energy!