Hi,
Thanks so much for all the information. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I couldn't get my login to work properly, but it is all sorted out now.
I have read Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, but I haven't read any other books by Tracy. Are there other ones that you recommend?
Aisha is a textbook baby, as far as I can tell right now only being 2 weeks and 3 days old. I took your advice and put her down for a nap about 40 minutes into activity time. I am getting better at watching for the cues and brought her up for her nap after her first yawn. It is really hard to catch as she is so bright-eyed, and if I hadn't seen the yawn, I would never have known that she was tired. It took me about 20 minutes to get her down. I rocked her until her eyes were heavy, then put her in her crib. She fussed a bit and I just rubbed her belly off and on until she fell asleep. I also put on a 'womb' machine. At night she goes down very well and doesn't fuss, it is only in the morning that I have trouble getting her to nap. She seems so awake. Before I corresponded with you, she would be awake from 8am until 2pm, but would get fussy because I would miss her cues and think she wasn't tired...then she would get overtired. I feel like I am on the right track now with your advice. How does it sound to you? Any other tips or suggestions.
Also, I am wondering about swaddling. I had planned to swaddle her, but she already uses her hand (sometimes) to self-soothe. She usually sucks on her hand at night until I hear her and get up to feed her. I swaddled her one night and she woke up 1 1/2 hours later frantic. She screamed for 5 minutes before I removed the swaddle and then she was fine. Should I keep trying, or is it possible that Aisha doesn't need a swaddle?
Right now she is feeding every 3 hours, but if she is sleeping or we are out she sometimes goes 4. Should I wake her at the 3 hour mark to feed her?
Finally, her night time pattern is to EAt around 5, Activity = bath and massage at 6pm, EAT = top up at 6:30 and SLEEP at 7pm . She usually wakes at 9:30pm, 12:30am, 3:30am and 7am. We tried to dream feed her at 9:30, but she still woke at 12:30am...should our dream feed be later? We noticed that most dream feeds are around10-11 pm. Does that mean we feed her at 9:30 pm and then dream feed her at 11pm ( 1 1/2 hours later)?
Thanks again! I am so happy to have found this forum and to know that I am not alone.