Help - 7 mo and moving off EASY ? NOOOOOOOOO!!!

[MargaretC]

Hi - totally new here so hope I'm doing the right thing...!
Bit worried that dd is coming off EASY and not sure where to help her. We've been doing EASY since 2 mo and Grace has been WONDERFUL on it. Now we're hitting milestones by the dozen ( teething, rolling, beginning to crawl ) and have just started solids (which we LOVE!) My problem is that Grace's routine seems to be changing and I don't know where she's going with it ( oh yes, petrified Textbook Mum with first baby - that's me !! ) Up til 2 wks ago we were:

7am - rise
7.30 - bottle
8.45 - nap:2 hrs
11 - bottle
1 - nap: 2 hrs
3 - bottle
5 - nap: 1 hr
7 - bottle
7.30 - bed
10 - df (which we woke her for because she had horrific reflux and either choked or took nothing)

This ROCKED !!!  Now it's trickier. We still get up at 7 and bottle at 7.30, but Grace is DESPERATE to sleep by 8.45. However, by 10 she is singing to herself in her cot and by 10.30 needing to be picked up. She has her bottle at 11, and solids at 12 and by 12.30 all the sleep cues are evident. Until yesterday, she had slept for 2.5 hrs ( I reasoned she was making up for the am sleep) but now her pm sleeps are shortening like her am ones! She still goes down for an hours catnap by 4.30/5 and generally is down by 7.30 and sleeps through (with a decreasing df)
I know there are mums who are "and your problem is?!" I just need to know that I'm doing the right thing for her. She is a bit gurney - but this could be teething... Do I need to move her onto a 2 nap day? How do I do that? What do I do about her needing sleep at 8.45 ( sometimes earlier!!) ? This baby thing is as scary as I thought it would be (but my worries about not loving her enough haven't been realised !!) Thanks for all your help in advance - this is an AMAZING group!!
Margaret C xx

[*Mona*]

hi Margaret and welcome

so your routine is
7 wake up
7:30 bottle
8:45 nap 1
10/10:30 wake up
11 bottle
12 solids
12:30 nap 2
wake up?
4:30/5 catnap
5:30 wake up
7:30 bed
10 df

right?
so how long has this second nap been lately? less than an hour?
actually at 7 months there's a lot going on, like you've said. it can all be a bit tricky with all those milestones, teething, nap changes etc.

if you want to make her naps longer, you need to lenthen her A times before those naps.
it's not even 3 hrs between wake up and 1st nap and around 2 hrs between first and second nap. at 7 months she should be ready for longer A times...
I know it may be hard at the beginning but I think it's worth trying and finally you'll get to the point of two naps a day.
here's the link to 3-2 nap switch:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64837.0

what do you think?
Monika

[MargaretC]

Yup - I think you're right. I tried keeping her up later this am - we actually got to 9am !!!! - and she slept her 2 hours again. She then did another 2 hours A (although was showing tired signs at 1.5 hours- I felt SOOOO mean !) and had another 2 hr nap with a wee wake up after an hour when she put herself back to sleep. Interestingly enough, she didn't take her last nap at 5 herself, although was sucking thumb and quiet but didn't actually drop off! She managed to make it to 7 and I've just put her down. Thanks so much for responding - it is probably such a trivial thing really but we had a very bad start in NICU and lots of conflicting advice on top of me being a v insecure mum ! I will follow the link and go for it - Baby Whisperers haven't let me down so far !!! xx (PS what a cutie Maja is - and what a lovely name !)

[*Mona*]

oh, you're very much welcome
sorry you had a rough start but from your posts I can see you are so happy now with your Little One

keep us posted how you're doing with those naps.

good luck
Monika