Help with 4 month old

[jm19]

Hi everyone.

I have read several of Tracy Hoggs books and when my son was an infant, we tried to implement the EASY routine but did not succeed. He is now three and a half months and we are trying to do so again, I am on day two!

Our routine (prior to starting EASY) isnt so much of a routine, as it changes a lot, but here is what a typical day might look like.

630 wake for feed
7 - 830 awake and activity time
830 - 915 sleep ( I notice he is tired and cranky and try to get him to fall asleep on his own, but he gets really hyper and worked up so I rock him with white noise and then put him in bouncy chair)
930 feed
10 - 11 activity
11 - 1 try to get him to sleep, go for a walk in stroller, whatever works, sometime he falls asleep in crib, other times in bouncy chair
1 feed
1-230 activity
3 - 4 try to get him to sleep, sometime it works, other times not
4 feed
430 - 530 activity
530 nap
7 bedtime routine with bath, bottle and music then sleep
12 dream feed
630 wake up

My sons nap times vary, some times he will have a good three hour nap whereas other days it will be multiple 30 minute naps. I have tried to implement a nap routine, that i USE CONSISTENTLY EVERY DAY, BUT IT DOESNT SEEM TO BE WORKING! HIs temperment in the days is quite good, even without the structured routine, but I believe that he should have more of a routine. My son has acid reflux and is on medication for this. NIght time feeds seem to be the easiest and nights are going very well. However, the days and the lack of napping is not going well.

I am in the procees of trying to change his feeds to four hour intervals so I recognize that this will change the EASY routiune as well. However, since I started to really do the structured EASY routine, which has only been two days, my son absolutely shreaks as soon as we enter his beedroom, I dont even get him in the crib and it starts. TOday I did the PUPD method for 60 minutes and he feel asleep for 30 minutes and then I tired again for another 20 and then it was time to feed. The second time for his nap was the same, about an hour of intense screaming, like I have never seen before, he was inconsolable at times, and then he napped for thirty minutes and then woke up again, at which time it was /5 minutes away from his feed so I tried for 5 minutes and then stopped as he was hysterical again. TOday, which is only day two, has been horrible, I am on the verge of tears and feel like I am punishing him. This is my first child and I never realized naps could be so challenging.

ANy advice and words of encouragement would be appreciated.

[Aidans_mommy]

Hugs to you...I am in the same boat.
My four month old is just now starting to get a routine going. I never really heard of BW or used it much, but after friends raved about it, I have used it for some things.
I try not to worry about sticking to a strict EASY plan. I don't think a rigid "routine" always works for babies. Sometimes LO dosn't sleep as long as he should so when he wakes up hes not ready for E so we have A first. And if we go out, well then that can through the whole routine off, so I try to adapt it to my needs.
I just started working on the naps, he use to take 5 half hour naps or 45 minutes. Its only been 4 days. I do see some improvement. I am able to get him to go back to sleep with some rocking or shshing. He has yet to sleep 2 hours on his own though. After 1/2 hour he wakes and I go in and get him back to sleep with either the soother, pat/sush, of pick up and rock. I thought his mood was fine before but hes even happier at night. My Dh really noticed his mood was better when he got home from work when he took two hour naps.
Don't force your son into a routine so fast maybe. Let him show you when he's hunger or tired, rather then the clock. Some friends I have are so anal about it, they want the baby sleeping at exactly the hour, and I just don't find that works for us. I have a rough idea of when he should eat or sleep, but I still let him guild me with his signs.
Hang in there....its lots of work, but longer naps mean more Y time.