Need advice

[summersusu]

I started putting my LO down at 7-7:30 after bath and bottle and he sleeps until 4 or so.  Sometimes he sleeps until 5 or 6 but whenever he wakes, I feed him about 6 to 8 ounces.  He is 14 weeks old.  He always stirs at 2 am and we put paci in and he goes back to sleep.  DH made comment this morning when LO woke at 4 that, "he has already slept ten hours, of course he isn't tired anymore".  Should I keep him up later at night so that maybe he will sleep longer in the morning?  Is 7-7:30 too early to bed?  He is tired at that time....should I let him catnap and put to bed later?
I can't function at work if I have to wake so early with LO every morning!
Help
Summersusu

[Kimberly®]

No don't keep him up longer. what your doing is perfict. 10 hours a strech is great, your LO will be fine to then sleep right through till 7-7:30am. For 14 weeks he's doing fantastic, one waking is not unusual, nore do most babies actually go 12 hours a night, keep up what your doing and you just may have one that will.
If you start keeping your LO up later the then already do you'll only have a very cranky, vedry overtired baby. Early is good for LO's.

[summersusu]

Well, that is the problem..He won't go back to sleep.  Should I expect him to go back to sleep after such a long night sleep?  My husband seems to think he is having a hard time going back to sleep because he has already slept a long stretch.
summersusu

[Kimberly®]

At 4am you mean??
How do you interact when you go to him? whats the atmostphear? do you leave the lights off? talk to him? I need as much detail as you can give ok

Its not unreasonable to expect your LO to sleep till 7am, at the earliest 6am. He is not getting too much sleep. Is this new? how much nap time does he get during the day?

Could you post the routine he usually follows? I assume that who ever is the care giver is following a plan set up by you?

[summersusu]

Here is a normal day..the caregiver usually writes it down and gives me the paper. 
The rest of the day depends on what time he wakes 4, 5, or 6.
This is a rough schedule, my papers that in home daycare give me are at home.

E 4:30-5:30 rarely 6am diaper change in dark, and fed in dark, little eye contact and no talking.  Burped and back down in crib.
A stays awake in crib sometimes falls asleep but not for long pick up by 6 or so to get ready for day and put in bouncy while mom gets ready.  If he happens to be asleep, I leave him until he wakes.
E if fed at 4 or so, feed again at 7ish before taking to daycare otherwise wait and let daycare feed.
S 8ish 1hour to 1 1/2 hours
E 11ish
A
S 1ish 2 hours
E 3ish
A
S 5ish
E 6ish
A bath
S lights down and put to bed.  No problem going down...just waking too early or once fed at 4ish am, not going back to sleep
This morning he woke up at 4am, diaper change and fed, put back down and played in his crib half whining, half laughing, until DH got him out of the crib 5:45
He gets plenty to eat.  Anywhere from 6-8 oz 5x a day.
I just want to make sure that my expectations are not too high in thinking that once I feed him in the am (whatever time it may be) that he should go back to sleep.

I have noticed that sometimes he wants to go to sleep close to his bedtime.  Like around 5.  Is it okay to let him sleep for a little before bedtime routine? and for how long?

[Kimberly®]

Alright when he wakes at night don't change him unless he's pooped, the diaper change is stimulating and may be part of why he stays up. Just feed him quietly and put him right back down.

Start feeding at 7am everyday, even if he only takes half his normal amount to start, he'll begine to take a feed more readily with time.
try having them feed her a little earlier at each feed for a few days, about 1/2 an hour, after a week or 2 slowly go back to every 4 hours. Then throw in a feed at about 4:30-4:45 before a cat nap at 5  Let him sleep 30-45 minutes, no longer then that.


When he wakes or you wake him do quiet activities till bedtime routine. Change your evening routine slightly, try a bath, and then a feed closer to bedtime. If possible maybe instate a dreamfeed at about 10:30pm, this may help him go longer, although he's already doing really well.

 

[summersusu]

Okay, let me make sure I understand...
Even if I have fed him at 5 feed him again at 7?
And, if he is feeding at 3 then feed at 4:45 and then again when I put him to sleep at 7ish?
And, if he didn't have long naps or sufficient naps, I still should only allow short catnap at 5ish?
Just making sure, I want to do the right thing
Thanks

[Kimberly®]

thats exactly right

[summersusu]

Thanks for the advice
Yesterday, I only let him catnap for thirty minutes.  I didn't feed him first though.  Because he ate a little later than three at daycare.  I fed him before bed around 7:15 or so.  He slept until 5 and I fed him and laid him back down.  He squirmed and fussed a little but not much and slept till almost 7.  I fed him again a little after 7.  It was nice to sleep longer.  I also turned the monitor down so if he woke up at 2, I didn't hear him.   I think I jump to quick when I hear him on the monitor.  Besides, I can hear him without the monitor when he really needs me. 
Thanks

[Kimberly®]

my LO was the age of yours when I turned my monitor off for just that reason. Everything sounds so much louder on it.