First time EASY supporter - Boy this is tough...

[GeebeeMum]

Hi all,

I am the mom of a sweet 4 1/2 month old (GB) who I have been trying to get on the 4 hour EASY schedule for the last 3 weeks.  We are in the last transition phase before "the goal" and it is very frustrating because I feel like we are taking steps backwards instead of forward.   

For the last week & half, GB has started taking 45 minutes naps and continues to wake up at least once (always at 3am) and sometimes twice a night.  Due to a bad back, my husband & I opted out of the Pu/Pd method and have been going in (naps/nightime) when GB's crying elevates and popping the pacifier in along with the shush pat.  The only step forward I have noticed is that he settles in 10 mins instead of 30 mins and quickly pops the pacifier out.  Many a night, I sit there watching him sleep and try to figure out what is waking him up.  GB seems very unsettled in the beginning phase of his sleep.  Rolling his head from side to side and sometimes he seems to be having bad dreams, and then jerks awake crying.  He also has this uncanny way of waking up exactly at the 45 min nap mark...I can set my watch to it.  I am wondering if we missed the bus somewhere by not doing the pu/pd method or maybe we are still in the transition phase.

Any advice or suggestions for a frustrated mom    with a sweet little boy?

[mickymuscles]

hi!!  welcome to the board.....
it sounds like your lo may be overtired before going for naps...possibly causing the 45 min nap monster.  His clock also might be stuck and you might want to try wake to sleep for the 3 am waking and at the 30 min mark of the naps.  Can you try posting your typical day so then maybe we can try and point out problem spots??

[GeebeeMum]

So we have stayed in the 3.5/4 hour feed stretches for the last week.  I did this because he has been really hard to keep up especially in the first two Activity area's and is pretty fussy.

Our typical day lately has been:

7:00am Eat
7:30am Activity - sitting/standing up - activity saucer - stop by 8:10 or shorts out
8:30am Start the winding down with pacifier & blanket
8:45am Sleeping ( 2 hour nap - only can make 1 1/2 hour)

10:30am Awake
11:00am Eat
11:30pm Activity - playing
12:30pm Start winding down again
12:45pm Sleeping (45 min naps start)
*Pop pacifier in and can sometimes stretch him for hour & half

2:30pm Eat
3:00pm Activity
4:00pm Start winding down
4:15 Sleeping (45 min naps - again)

6:00pm Eat
6:30pm Activity - keep it mellow as we head into the night

7:30pm Bath & massage

7:50pm Eat

8:15pm Bedtime (we put him down awake & he does fall asleep on his own)

[mickymuscles]

I think the second A time might be just a bit long for him just yet.  Try cutting it back by 15-20 min. to see if that will help him get past the 45 min mark.  Also, you might move your bath/bed routine a bit earlier...my lo at this age could wake from his last nap...eat, be bathed and right back to bed all in about an hour to hour and 15 min and he seemed to be able to take better naps during the day because he got more sleep at night.  My lo did keep waking to feed 1 or 2x until he was 5.5 months old overnight to feed until he was having 3 solid meals a day and getting enough calories during the day.

[GeebeeMum]

I think we were holding on to the last 8pm feed in in hopes that it would help with the sleeping through the night.  I will try starting the nightime routine(bath/massage) after our 6pm feed and try getting him down earlier.  We are still giving him the dreamfeed at 11pm which does count as a feed.   That makes a lot of sense - I appreciate the feedback. 

Cheers.

[mickymuscles]

I'm anxious to hear if my suggestions helped or hurt the situation!!    Keep me posted!  Good Luck!