getting a schedule...

[ghrkin]

hi there,

only been BW for 2.5 weeks.. first two weeks went very well, last few days have not been so good but i think it's related to milestones and/or teething. 

anyways, my LO is 7 months old.  since starting BW, i have been following his tired cues and watching his A times etc.  which means we are all over the map... most days he has three naps... but if the first 3 were short sometimes there's a  fourth...  or if one of them is long then he only has two somedays... oi. 

In four months i go back to work and he will be in a home day care.  I think he'll need to be ona  schedule by then, where he has naps approximatley the same time every day.  SHould i do this now?  or wait until he's past the milestones/teething (but mmore milestones looking i know)

and how exaclty do i go abou tit?  DO i have to start waking him up in the mornings rather than letting him wake when he wakes?  and then go more by the clock than by tired signs?  i've been logging all sleeping for 18 days so i know he wakes *usually* between 7 and 8 for the day... sometimes a bit earlier... and then his first nap is 90-120 minutes after he wakes for the day.. then we eat, have A time and his next nap is about 2 hours from waking from first nap.. and so the day goes...

any thoughts?  thanks!

ANdrea

[Missy Lou]

hi andrea.  glad to have you.

my lo is 7 months too and her routine can get messed up sometimes too with all the developmental stuff going on.  but having a routine in place will definitely help get through the craziness that seems to be 7 months so I'd try and get a routine going and stay on it as much as you can even through the milestones and teething.

usually after going great on a routine, babies can regress and seem to get worse.  it's common and we'll find a way to get LO back on track. 

if Lo usually wakes between 7 and 8, i'd choose a time to start the day and get him up so that wake time is more or less same time.  IMO 15 variations are no big deal.  6:45, 7 or 7:15.  more or less the same.  but an hour difference may be a little much.  7 may be a good time if he sometimes wakes a little before. 

of course all babies are different but i'm thinking 1.5 hours is too little A time.  2 hours is probably too little honestly.  my LO stays up 2.25 to 2.5 hours at a time and then right before bed, she's up about 3 hours because we dropped the catnap and she only naps twice a day.  and my LO seems to be on the low side of A time for her age.  her bedtime is now earlier - 6 instead of 7.  but she still sleeps until 7 in the morning since her nap time during the day is less.  she averages 3 to 3.5 hours during the day.  now that's just my LO but i was just trying to give you an example.

how are your LO's naps?  are they short - like 45 minutes at a time?  does he settle by himself fairly easily? 
melissa

[ghrkin]

hi
thanks for your reply.  so to get ona  schedule i should start waking him if he's not up... my guess is 7 or 7:15 would be good...

his naps are all over the place.  sometimes only 30 minutes, sometimes 45... sometimes an hour and 10... on occasion longer.  i can check the logs to see if his naps are longer after longer A times...

i was thinking i should go to two naps if they can be lengthened... starting tomorrow   i follow his schedule as much as possible, but i am starting a mommy and baby aquafit today and we'll be out of the house from 10-12 so i'm hoping he does his 3 short naps today (aka, going to nap shortly)

one question about A times - do you find the first one of the day is shorter than the others?  or do you keep all your around 2.5 or 3 hours?

thanks,
andrea

[Missy Lou]

generally LO wakes at the same time every morning.  but sometimes she's up at 6:30 or if she has a bad night or isn't feeling well, she'll sleep until 7:30.  Your LO probably has a time he usually wakes at.  I'd see what it usually is and start making a routine based off of that.  it will make his body get on a routing also IMO.

My LO can't stay up as long as average 7 month olds.  Her average A time is 2.25 hours.  but with no catnap, it's just the time between the p.m. nap and bedtime that's about 3 hours.  but like today, she only napped 2 hours.  don't know why.  she got up from her p.m. nap at 2 so her bedtime would have been 5.  i couldn't pick her up from sitter's and bathe and feed dinner by 5 so the sitter put her down about 4:15 and LO took a quick nap until 4:45.  and bedtime 7.  so i have to adjust depending on her day sometimes. 

the average A time for 7 month olds is 2.5 to 3 hours.  his A time is 1.5 to 2 hours, right?  I'd experiment with A time.  tomorrow do 2.25 hours of A time and see how he feels after that.  if he's fussy and rubbing eyes by that time, then that may be enough for now.  if he seems ok, after a few days, add another 5 minutes and keep adding 5 minutes every few days until 2.5 to 3 hours. 

how was the mommy and baby aquafit class?  that sounds like a lot of fun.  i'm so jealous.

addison actually has the same A time in the before the a.m. and p.m. naps.  your LO may be different though.  i'd try to keep the A times generally the same but watch LO and see how he acts.  after you get a good routine, he'll probably show you what he wants.  it seems to me from what i've read on this site that about this age and older, babies start to become more individual in their sleep habits.  i guess that's not a very definitive answer.

did this help at all?
melissa

[ghrkin]

Hi Melissa,

thanks again for your reply.  i had decided today i would aim for 3 hours of A time since that seems to be what 7 month olds should be on (i've been reading a lot here).  of course, LO had other plans   at 1.5 hours, he started making his tired fussy cries, a low bleet kind of noise.. and burrowing into my shoulder... whiny, eye rubbing etc.  1.5 hours??  not good!!  especially when last night wasn't bad at all... so we hung out for a bit... but it sure wasn't going anywhere fast.  after about 1 hr 50 of A time, i took him into the nursery, he was asleep in 8 minutes!  (glad i didn't miss that window)  we've been having a lot of screaming at naptime so it was nice to have one without.

and yet yesterday, he went 3 hours of A time with no problem... maybe i need to follow his sleep cues for another week or two and wait a little on more of  a schedule?  still have a few months before he'll be starting home day care.

Mommy and baby aquafit was pretty good, just at a bad time of the day.  But LO is always happy if he's in the water so that helps.  was the same instructor i had when i did aquafit while pregnant... a little scary looking, but certianly intriguing to LO

thanks again!
andrea

[Missy Lou]

i'm glad the class was fun.  it sounds like it.

the random A time could be that he's trying to get used to a new routine.  i'd go with your idea and watch him.  i know my LO can't do 3 hours right now consistently so watch your LO and see how he acts.  if he usually can't do 3 hours, go less and let him work up to that.  don't feel like you have to have him up for 3 hours just because that's the average.

let me know what happens.
melissa