"typical" A time

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Gosh ladies I am sorry that some of you are having such a rough time. I cant tell you how many times I have been there , and I feel for you. So far it is rocky for us, but not completely certifiable.

For those of you who are having screams in the middle of the night, do you think it could be separation anxiety? This is the age for it. I have been very watchful and dreading it. As if there isnt enough going on

Gage's first tooth has broken through, and I just purchased the tablets that was suggested. I have also heard wonderful things about them, so I figured I give it a go.

I have tried the later bedtime, and no luck. I have no idea why, but it just cuts into "my time" ( not really my time though as I am doing housework and RESEACHING. I'd rather be having a pedicure of something ). The only thing working is limiting nap amount. So far, I found that under 2.5 hrs works for now.

I know I am seriously behind, but we are working on getting rid of that DARN SWADDLE (said very politely, because of mixed company  ). Right at the moment, he is out one handed. Does anyone have any reccommendations on how long this should continue until the next arm should go?

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Gage wont sleep on his tummy. I have tried.  The other bad thing is I have to wean from the wedge thing I was using to make sure he didnt roll over in his swaddle and suffocate. Well needless to say that has come back and bit me. If I take it away he is ALL over the crib farting around even when swaddled. I am scared of where this going.

[RachelC]

Alice,
Does Gage sleep well with the swaddle?  Jalyn decided she was done with it around 6 months.  One night she WOULD NOT settle and finally dh unswaddled her and she gave him a big bear hug and went to sleep.  We went back to it for naps, but not night.  About 2 weeks ago, the swaddle was totally gone.
~Rachel

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Oh how I hope that he will grow bored of it like he does everything else during the day   I didnt think of that.   I figure I will let him play in his crib more the help with this. I have only tried the weaning during the day as I am SCARED TO DEATH to try it at night ( I know what a fear huh? ). Do you think that is a bad idea? Have you tried night time weaning?

About a month a ago he was sleeping jsut fine in a sleeping bag with arms. However, all of his naps became 45 min! I was at my whits end until I figured out what was the cause. I reswaddled and his naps went back to being long again. I should have just road it out, but I felt like he wasnt developmentally ready for the weaning.

How do you just swaddle the arms?

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Rachel you are sooooo lucky. I am totally envious! I really want to get rid of it because the weather is getting warmer and he is getting hot in it. Not too mention, it is a pain as he wakes when he becomes unswaddled. So far, he is waking at the hour mark and I wait for awhile for him to put himself back to sleep. It must be the startle thing huh? I am hoping he will get used to it.

Oh Rachel, was it you that said your lo1 only could have around 2hrs of nap time a day or there would be early morning wake ups? I read that a while ago somewhere, and I am trying to figure out where. I am experimenting with Gage's naps.

[RachelC]

Sorry Alice, not me.  We are not (knock on wood) struggling with night sleep and/or early wake ups.  Jalyn will sleep 12 hours at night and has been for quite some time (no throwing things please  ).  It's the 45 minute naps that are killing me!  I may try keeping her up longer for the first A time, as this is usually the time we are out and about with dd1 anyway.
~Rachel

[Sarahboh]

Gage's mom, I don't know if this may work for you but it worked for Ella when I got rid of the swaddle. First I transitioned her to a sleeper that had the arms cut off and sewed close at the shoulder (I know it sounds a little crazy but it worked) and then her arms were down by her side just as when she was swaddled but was able to move them around up, down, etc. This is how she learned so well to use her hands to soothe herself back to sleep and her legs were loose in each leg. Next I did another sleeper with one arm sewed close at the shoulder (cut the rest of that material off) and the other arm regular but sewed closed at the end where the hand would come out. Thus she had freedom to move one arm all over to get used to having it loose(but covered in sleeper) and the other was still down at her side. Then I did both and this is where we are now. All her sleepers have the end of the arm (where the hand comes out) sewed close so when she startles she doesn't scratch herself and she can use those sewed closed ends to chew on. So now Ella is addicted to chewing cloth (her sleepers are a lightweight microfleece). Whenever I put her in it for naps, and her hands go in the cloth goes to her mouth and she soothes herself to sleep. I know this may sound crazy to you, but it really worked well for me and at this time I see absolutely no need to unsew her sleepers, I figure if this is the worst thing, I will just keep buying bigger sleepers until she grows out of the habit or transition her to a piece of fleece as a blankie. Let me know if you need anymore explanantion

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

yes, very very smart! I did try try something similar to your method when Gage was fed up and Waaay too big for miracle blanket. I bought a sleeping bad thing that had a velcro band that wraps around the arms just as you have made by sewing them up. Anyway, Gage squeezed his sneaky hands out where the zipper would be I tried several times. 

Anyway that is when I moved to Aussie Swaddle, which he likes. It is almost like being uswaddle, but does secure his arms a touch more than being unswaddled. About a month ago I put him in a long sleeve sleeping bag and put mittens on him. This worked great however all of his naps went to 45min, so I just assumed he wasnt dev. ready for it. Now, it is too hot for the bag and he takes his mittens off and swings them around. Frustrating but kind of cute.

If this doesnt work for some reason, i will try sewing the end of the arms up. However, I need a light weight sleeping bag because it is getting warm out. Has anyone seen one?

[Sarahboh]

Gage's mom try cheekymonkey dot ca for lightweight summer sleeping bags for babies.

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Thank you Sarahboh, I am all over that.

[katriona]

Amen. I finally feel like we're getting somewhere.

This has been Theron's routine so far today.

6.45am up (asleep since 6.30pm night before with one feed at 3am)
8.45am nap #1 (2 hours A time)
9.15am up (30 mins nap  )
11.30am nap #2 (2.25 hours A time)
1.00pm up (1.5 hr nap -- I've noticed, too, that if he has a long one first, the second one will be shorter and vice versa)
4.00pm nap #3 (3 hours A time)
4.30pm expected up time
6.30pm-7pm bedtime

b/f at 7am, 11am, 3pm and 6.30pm, solids at 7.45am and 12.30pm.

this from the little guy who a month ago couldn't stay awake longer than an hour, and was taking five 45 minutes naps a day. i'm so proud of my little bug!

this morning was a "laugh" -- i was awoken by a banging sound at 6.20am coming from the bathroom. it sounded like the cupboard door being open and shut. terrified it would wake up theron (why oh why is my mood dependent on his sleep?), i ran in there and spotted our cat. guilty as charged eh? i shooed him out of there and threw a towel after him. he looked most put out. it wasn't until i returned to bed, and the banging started again, that i realized there was a crazy bird in the tree outside the bathroom, and he kept attacking his reflection in the window. this bird has been doing it all day long! our poor kitty was only trying to scare the bird away, and i'd scolded him  thankfully it didn't wake up the little guy...

kelly -- so much for my laundry intentions. there was a funny smell in our laundry room today, and upon investigation i realized it was the laundry i'd done two days ago upon your inspiration. i guess i forgot to actually put it in the drier this time  oops!

katy

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Hi Katy! It sounds like you had a better morning. That is great! Oh you arent the only one with the baby induced mood swings. I too feel so much better when Gage is having a good day. It is almost better than losing 5 lbs.... almost I feel sorry for my DH.

I am glad I am not the only one still having to feed at night. I just can not get enough food in Gage during the day. I know it is out of hungerr as he downs a bottle and the times are erratic but resemble an eating schedule. For as hefty as he is you would think he ate all of the time. He weighs about 23lbs and is 28 inches long! I am glad he is growing, but I have no idea how.

[katriona]

i know about DH... mine says "why do you always get so stressed out if he doesn't nap. it's only sleep..." grr 

tbh, i'm not sure if theron needs a feed when he wakes at 3am. it's complicated. i set myself a goal of pu/pd before 3am and feeding him if he woke up after for now. he's slept 12 hours straight several times, so i know that he can do it. but a) he's teething really badly, so i'm kinda comfort nursing and b) there's a chance i might be going back to work a LOT sooner than expected (i.e. in six weeks), and i guess i just feel kinda guilty about that, and so am welcoming any chance to AP if it means i can feel closer to my little guy for just a while longer. i need to be strong though, and stick to my BW guns! truth be told, i did settle him once at 2.30am, but then he woke again 20 minutes later, still fussing, so i felt pretty strongly that he was hungry.

wow, gage has got about 5lb on theron! he was 28 inches at 6 months, but only 17.5lbs. he'll be a stretch like me and his dad 

oops, gotta run. bedtime, and DH is on his way upstairs...

[LŠuren]

We had a 0645 wake up this morning, I have been out and about swimming and a mother and baby group (right when his 2nd nap was due, but we squeezed in 10mins on the walk along  Wink)

The last 2 days, so it has forced him to have 2 small and 1 large nap in the day, the good thing is the last naps finishes between 4 and 5pm, so it means I can put him to bed about 1930/2000 and he lays longer in the morning.  2 last nights have been so different.

[katriona]

That's great news, Lauren! We had a 5.40am awakening today  Tried a feed and putting him back down, but I can still hear him gurgling away...