Questions about SLEEP (and evening tummy trouble)

[bheemeryck]

I could probably find the answers I need in the forums... but no time to look!! My dd is 9 weeks old, and I have a few questions I hope someone can help me with.
She loves to sleep during the day, from her first nap at 8:00 am to about 4:00 pm. Then she only catnaps or not at all until bedtime at around 9:00 pm. As a result our evenings tend to be a little chaotic because she is overtired, but I have tried putting her down in her room, or in her bouncy chair with us, or her swing... if she doesn't want to sleep nothing works. Any suggestions? Maybe too much sleep during the first three naps? Her A time seems on par with other babies her age.
I also have noticed in the evenings her tummy tends to be a lot more upset, she spits up way more at night, does anyone else have this problem?

Also is it unreasonable to expect her to sleep longer at night? She weighed in today at 11 lbs 13 oz, she was 7lbs 15 oz at birth. I have been trying to cluster feed starting at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and a quick feed at 9:30 or so. Sometimes she will sleep through until 3-4 am and i get her up at 7:00, other nights it's up at 2:00 am and again around 5 or 6 am. That makes it hard to get back on track at 7:00 am. Should we just go with the flow and she'll eventually go longer, (ie, are my expectations too high for a 9 week old?!) or is there something I can do to help her sleep longer? Our 'flexible routine' is posted below... during the day I usually have to wake her still to feed her every three hours...

7:00 am wake and feed
7:45 lay her down
8:00-10:00 sleep
10:00 wake and feed
11:15 lay her down
11:30-1:00 sleep
1:00 wake and eat
2:15 lay down
2:30-4:00 sleep
4:00 wake and eat
5:15 try to get her to catnap while we eat
6:00 1st cluster feed
6:30 bath
7:00 try catnap again... usually upset tummy time
8:00 2nd cluster feed & more upset fussy tummy time, sometimes she sleeps
9:30 last feeding and hope she sleeps until 4:00...

[rebecaq]

Hi Becky,

I think you are expecting too much from your 9 week old.  When you say she sleeps from 8am to 4pm is that in one long strech? Or are things more like the routine you posted? Could her bath be too stimulating and causing the upset tummy?

I also think a 9pm bedtime is too late for a baby that young. I would do the clusterfeeds at 4 then 6 and the dreamfeed at 10 -10:30.

What kind of "actvity" is she having during the day?

Hope to hear from you soon

- Beca

[bheemeryck]

Hi Beca,
She follows the routine I posted, she doesn't sleep 9-4 in one long stretch, just likes to sleep LOTS during that period of the day, and not so much in the evening. I'd like to get her to sleep at 8:00 pm, she just doesn't go to sleep then, and it had just worked out that 9:00 is around when she falls asleep. I know she should go to sleep earlier, but she's overtired from being awake from pretty much 4:00 on, and nothing we try in the evenings seems to get her to nap. She's had upset tummy trouble just in the evenings right from day one, I used to think it was what I was eating, but we've ruled that out. Someone else suggested because I had a lot of antibiotics during the delivery that may be a side effect... and to try acidophilus, but that did not really seem to work. The doctor doesn't seem concerned when I mention it, just said she'll outgrow it, but I hate to see her in so much pain everyday.

As for activity... when her brother is awake unfortunately the activity seems to revolve around him, she spends most of her time in her bouncy chair, I do spend her afternoon A time with her on  her playmat or just talking to her, doing tummy time etc, while her brother is sleeping. I'd like to spend more time with her, I hate how it seems like she gets pushed aside, but she's so easy going and her brother is VERY demanding!! We're working on getting him to wait, but it's tough. Does that seem like she's getting enough stimulating A timefor her age- I forget what I did with my ds.

Dreamfeed at 10:0-10:30.... I wish I had the energy to stay up that late... I suppose that would work better though, rather than a 9:30 feed. I can try that to see if it works.

I don't want to seem like I'm expecting too much, I just read that other parents of 2 month olds are only getting up once,and i want to know the secret!! She does do it once in awhile, just not consistently...

[*Mona*]

hi Becky,

not all parents of 2 month olds get up only once at night, believe me...
at 2 months my dd was still feeding twice at night so I wouldn't be worried about your LO waking more than once for feed. 9 weeks is still a very young age.

what strikes me is that maybe you offer her a bit too much stimulating activities in the afternoon [when you say your DS is napping]. you say she mostly spends her A times in bouncy chair throughout the day and you play with her in the afternoon. I know it must be hard for you with a demanding DS1 around to pay more attention to her when he's up but try not to overstimulate her in the afternoons.

an just like Beca here said- her bedtime is rather too late.if she gets up at 7 you should be aiming for 7/7:30 pm bedtime for her.

let us know how your day goes.

Monika

[rebecaq]

Becky,

I agree with Monika, some mommies have several night wakings for more than 2 months.  Every baby is different, don't worry about it  she's still very young.

I also think she's getting too much stimulation in the afternoon. For the most part the intensity of the activities should slow down as they day goes on. I realize it's hard with your ds being so demanding, maybe find a activity which is good for both of them? 

If she's overtired by 9pm all the more reason to get her to bed sooner.  You don't have to do it from one day to the other, just inch her bedtime back little by little and she'll start to get the hang of it.

As for her tummy aches, don't let the doctor bully you.  It's easy for the doc to say to wait it out, he/she's not with your dd all day. And if you don't want to see her in pain ( as every mother would ) then you tell the doc to do something about it. If not, then find another doc.  There is no reason to put a 9 week old through more pain than necessary.

Hope to hear from you soon

- Beca

[bheemeryck]

Thank-you for the replies, I did try an earlier bedtime, and that seems to work! I fed her at 9:45 before I headed to bed, and she slept until 3:00 am, so we'll keep trying. She is very young still, so I guess if we're consistent, it'll all fall together eventually. I will also try to do less stimulating activities in the afternoon, maybe do them more after her morning nap and involve ds, he does love to spend time with her as well. Thanks again for the advice, it's so nice to have a place to come and get feedback!!

[rebecaq]

Don't forget to speak to your doc!!!

Glad to hear last night went better 

- Beca