6 month newbie to EASY-nap and night help

[Boann]

Hi
Help, we just started easy with a 6 month old.  This is day 3.  This morning she
woke up 1hr 15 min early so we held off on food by 30 min.  Then we put her down 15 min early and she woke up in less than an hour later so we tried pu/pd for 1hr to no avail and gave up and bf fed her.  Is this the right thing
to do?  She went down well for her next nap but as I finished up woke up after 35 min and is not go back down.  What are we doing wrong?  She was a short napper before we started this but the first two days she did the expected 1-2hr naps.

Second, is it wrong to feed when they wake up at night? Will this result in her getting hooked on the night feeds.  Since we just started I dont want to change too much and she used to get 1 or 2x 5min bf each night.  But she is already a BIG baby 22.5lbs.

Her schedule is pretty much by the book since we just started
630a Bf -20min
715 cereal
730play
845 nap - it took 20min to go down
930 wake - 1hr pu/pd to no avail
1040 bf - 15min
1150 carrots
1240 - fell right asleep

For nights we do
3pm bf

4pm nap - so far 45 min
5pm bf-10min
545 carrot
7 - bf 10min
715 bath
740 bf -10 min cluster feed
745 bed - 1hr pu/pd
145am wake up and 7 min bf

Help please!!! she is growing too fast

[* Paula *]

Hi and welcome to the BW Boards.

With regards to starting your new routine, it can take up to a week or so before things fall into place.  From what I can see you are doing everything right, it may just take a little while for you lo to get settled into her new routine.

I see that you are doing roughtly 2.25 hours of A time in the morning and it took your lo 20 minutes to settle.  Do you think it may be worth trying a 2.5 hour A time and see if she settles any quicker after that.

It might also be worth extending your cat nap and starting it at around 5pm after a quick feed, and then wake her up after 45 minutes.  This will just give her enough energy to get through the evening until bed time.  You can then offer another clusterfeed at 7:00pm

I would definitely persever with the PU/PD, again this can take a while to start working, but perseverance is the key.

Have you tried offering a DF at around 10:00pm - this can be given to your lo whilst asleep, and helps them tank up through to morning.  The DF is usually weaned at around 7 months once your lo is fully established on 3 meals a day, but it may help your lo tank up a bit more.

HTH's

Paula

[Boann]

Thanks for your support.  I was not clear though - she woke up at 6am and we put her down at 845am to try to get back on schedule so that was plenty long I think.  The second time around she waited 3hrs to go to sleep and only slept 35 min and then after 1hr of pu/pd and tons of crying we gave up and are holding her off on a feeding until 245pm.  Is this normal in the beginning?  I am so frustrated and tired.

[* Paula *]

Right, I understand now.

I think then your A time may be a little too long.  You should be looking at 2.25 - 2.5 hours of awake time so if she woke at 6:00am, then you would be looking at having her in her crib at the latest 8:30am.  She may be a little overtired, and this is why you are having the shorter naps.

Again with teh 3 hours A time, that is too long, and she would definitely be overtired, and this is why she only slept for 35 minutes.

It might be worth trying the 2.25 hours of A time first and see how she goes from there.

I know it is hard, but once you have EASY established, things will be so much easier.  We are here to help you through every step of the way 

Keep us posted on how you get on.

[Boann]

HELP!  no luck.  We put her down at 755pm and she would not settle.  I gave up and bf for 10 min and rocked her to sleep.
830p sleep
1215p wake pu/pd 1.25hr
500am wake bf 8 min to sleep
625a wake
645a bf 15min
730a cereal
830a nap routine
845pu/pd
900a sleep and wake 5 min pu/pd to sleep
915a wake pu/pd 1 hr -back kills
gave up!!!
1045a bf 15 min..

What do i do with 15 min nap and NO schedule - we are exhausted and might as well try cry it out as that is what she does anyway!!!!! HELP

[* Paula *]

Please don't give up, things will get better I promise.

She may have taken a long time to settle in the evening due to the fact of being overtired from the short naps during the day.

Her A time was a bit short in the morning, you put her down 2 hours after waking up.  I would probably look at starting your windown routine at 2.25 hours and aim to have her in bed at the 2.5 hour mark.  She probably only slept for such a short time as she was not tired enough for the first nap.

Have you tried wake to sleep?  This works wonders for extending naps?

Paula

[Boann]

Thanks, once a day I think I/my daughter gets it and then it all goes down hill.  Night time is so hard to get her down and then we had a huge storm last night.  She was up every half hour for four hours.  Today seemed okay but once again she will not go to sleep - it has been 1 hr and we are still trying.  Cry it out is all she is doing. She almost settled and then started crying like crazy again.
What are we doing wrong?
7am wake and feed
8am cereal
840 winddown & pu/pd (she was really tired acting)
910 sleep
1025 wake
11 bf and carrots
1235 wind and &pu
1250 sleep
130 wake
dr. appt and shots today
315 bf
400 sleep in car and bed
5 wake
515 p carrots
600 bf
630 bath
700 bf and book
NO sleeping after that.
Help!!!

[* Paula *]

I still think that you are trying to put her down for her 1st nap too early.  She needs to have at least 2.25 hours A time before going down for a nap.  If she is starting to show tired signs earlier, try and keep the A time low key, i.e. read a book or sit in the chair and look out the windown, and then try and put her down.

Maybe PU/PD is not for you - it does not work for all lo's.  Have you tried just laying her in her cot and Pat / Shhh her while you are there to try and get her to sleep.  We still use this technique when my 21month old is overtired and cannot settle himself to sleep.  This might be worth a try.

[Boann]

Thanks again.  My back hurt so much that we finally gave up on the pu/pd.  I have followed your naptiming suggestions but finally gave up and went to CIO.  She only woke up once for 15 min on the first night and 5 min on the second and not at all the third. I am now well rested but she still cries for 1 hr at bedtime so I hope that she stops that too soon.

[* Paula *]

The Baby Whisperer does not condone CIO and do not suggest you leave your baby to cry it out.  Leaving your baby to CIO can break the bond of trust between you and your lo.

Personally if she is not happy when you put her down for a nap, I would try and re-settle her.  If PU/PD does not work for you, then try another form i.e. pat / shhh.

[Jaime]

hi Boann,

i think Paula's given you some great advice on how to structure your day.  pu/pd is definitely hard work, but if you are willing to commit yourself to it, you will be able to crack your sleep worries.  we do get lots of questions about PU/PD - so many that we gave it its own board; you can read all sorts of useful info here:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=31.0