Author Topic: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time  (Read 1782 times)

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Offline shanaz

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HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« on: April 30, 2006, 11:53:43 am »
Hi all
We are struggling to get our lo to settle after activity time, especially during the day.  She is 2.5 weeks old and we are following the 3 hr EASY plan.  She can often take up to 45 mins to settle to sleep, meaning that she often gets less than an hour nap each time.  Is this ok? 

I think what we need to know is how long should we be spending on A time?  Currently, she take approx 30 - 45mins to feed (bottle fed but expressed milk during the day, approc 4 - 5 fl oz, regular burping breaks!), by which point she is nearly asleep or v drowsy.  We then do nappy change (approx 10 mins) and then aim to have a further 10 mins A time such as cuddles, little walk, lying looking at the wall etc.  Is this too much?  We look out for sleepy cues which we are taking as yawning & jerky movements but feel that these are often hard to detect.

Are we over stimulating her or are we trying to put her down too early? 

Please help as we are barely making it through a 3 hr cycle before having to start all over again, sometimes she doesn't have a nap at all.

Thanks
Shanaz, Seren's Mum
Mummy:  Shanaz
Daddy:  Phil
Squirrel:  Seren


Offline Erin M

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Re: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2006, 00:41:53 am »
Hi Shanaz--
Congrats on your new daughter.  From reading your post, it does sound to me like she may be a bit overtired - if you're getting a diaper change out of her and not much else at this point, it's ok.  Babies tend to be pretty determined to sleep in those first few weeks and there's not much you can do about it.  I would try to put her down after the diaper change and see how that goes.  Check out this post for some help on getting into a routine at the beginning (it's one that I found to be very useful)
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=1993.0

If you keep a log of your LO's day, it will help you to determine if she's overtired or not tired enough as well.  I would try putting her down earlier at first and see if that gets you anywhere.

Good luck!

Offline shanaz

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Re: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2006, 12:22:59 pm »
Hi Erin

Thanks for your reply, the link was very useful and reassuring.  I know that we are meant to do A time after eating to make sure no association is formed between eating and sleeping, but she is so sleepy if not already asleep after her bottle and then we have to wake her to change her nappy and then we can't settle her to sleep.  We're trying to be consistent but are concerned that we're creating more problems.  She has no issues with sleeping at night, probably because she's so tired from her lack of sleep during the day, and will sleep from about 8.30 - 3.30/4am with a DF at about 10.30pm (only takes about 1.5 fl oz) and then back to sleep until approx 7am.  It is just the days that are the issue.

Any thoughts on this would be very useful.

Cheers
Shanaz
Mummy:  Shanaz
Daddy:  Phil
Squirrel:  Seren


Offline Erin M

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Re: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2006, 15:18:31 pm »
Hi Shanaz--
The first few weeks are really hard, aren't they?  I love my DD to bits, but I'm so happy that she's not a newborn anymore :)  Anyway, what I might try doing is when she's passing out on the bottle, see if you can wake her up just a bit - sit her up, rub her back, walk into another room - or try to put her down to sleep at the point of being mostly, but not completely asleep, just so she drops off that last little bit on her own.  That way, you don't have that feed to sleep association.

I think you'll also find that she'll do better at different times of the day -- that first cycle when she wakes up she really will probably only be able to eat and then go back to sleep, as often that's just an extension of their nighttime sleep.  Maybe later on in the day she'll be able to handle some activitiy time.  Also, at this point you can play around a bit with the 3 hour mark and feed her a bit early if she wakes and is ready for some food. 

Hope some of this helps!

Offline shanaz

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Re: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2006, 18:22:04 pm »
Hi Erin

You're right, these weeks are killing me!!  The only thing that's keeping me going is knowing that it can't carry on at this intensity forever! I think I'm also learning to not worry as much and going with the flow a bit more.  I'll try your idea of putting her down just on the brink of sleep - is it ok to have no A time then?  What if her nappy needs changing?  when we change it she then wakes up and it takes us an age to get her to settle again.

 :) Thanks for all your advice.

Shanaz
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Daddy:  Phil
Squirrel:  Seren


Offline Erin M

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Re: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2006, 16:33:11 pm »
Hi--
I've been a little slow with responses this week :) , but haven't forgotten about your post.
First of all, the intensity will of course lessen as time goes on with your LO. 
It is ok to have no A time in the beginning - I think you'll find that you'll have some EASY cycles with little to no A time and some with more and she'll sort them out as time goes on and she's able to stay awake longer.

As far as diaper changes go, I would go ahead and change her if she needs it.  You can try doing it before if you think it winds her up too much.  My LO loved to be on her changing table when she was that age -- never could figure out why -- so it didn't stimulate her too much!

Good work on going with the flow, especially in these early days - remember, BW is really about learning to listen to your baby and learn what she wants and needs from you and guiding her towards a routine that works for both of you.  Like I said before, she'll start stretching out those A times soon as she gets older.

Offline *Nicola*

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Re: HELP - typical A time for 2 week old? Effects on nap time
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2006, 09:20:23 am »
Hi Shanaz

Hope you are having some success with you dd, and getting some sleep yourself.  Like Erin said, the first 3 months are so so hard and tiring, but thankfully they don't last forever.

With a newborn it is perfectly ok just to be doing the nappy change before sleep - that definately counts as activity.  If you can manage to get her down before she is fully asleep, thereby eliminating the feed sleep association - you are doing brilliant!  I fed Ciara to sleep for the first 8 weeks then started on EASY, but even at that age the activity was often just a change or a VERY short 'play'.

Don't be too hard on yourself or expect too much.  You sound like you are doing brillantly ((HUGS))

x
Mummy to 2 beautiful kiddies. 

A baby is born from the dreams of your heart, and becomes the love of your life.