Do You Fit In With Baby Or Does Baby Fit In With You?

I fit in with DS - easy to say, he has no day sleeps now!

If he had more than a 3-hour nap I'd wake him up though. And no sleeping past 3pm because then he's not ready for bedtime. But that was it. He can fall asleep in his pushchair and stay there or in the car and be carried into his bed... what ever is easiest for us.

DS is really flexible for his day naps. He rarely wants to have them in his cot, but does sometimes. Or he falls asleep on me occasionally - in the carrier it was a lot more often.

Although, DS's naps were co-incided with my day in the first place (as a younger baby). 9.30, in the pushchair for my coffee mornings; DS fell asleep. 11.30, walking home, DS fell asleep. Afternoon I'd have to take him out for a nap around 3-4pm too. So it's easy to say I fall in with DS when he has always fallen in with me too.

I also scheduled appointments and meetings for DS (health visitors and doctors) around his naps. It wasn't that hard when he had fairly predictable ones.

I have 1 important rule in regards to naps..... NEVER EVER waking a sleeping baby... unless its absolutely necessary!!!!

When i had my first, i worked my duties in around her....but with DD#3 - she had to fit in with our lifestyle - she was being carted off to dancing lessons, swimming lessons, dr visists, picking up DD#1 from kindy........ etc all at 6 weeks. I found she did drop from 2 days sleeps to 1 day sleep a lot quicker than i wanted (around 8 months old)......but i guess thats from not being in a routine......
I dont plan anything from 1-3pm - as i know the girls will be asleep then, and they need their sleep.
With baby #4 approaching, and with DD#1 starting school, i know this bubs is going to be carted around like crazy, and yes, it will have to fit in with me......i think if i just block out a set of hrs in the day like 1-3pm where they can have rest time.....at least they are getting some routine......

Well, I think yesterday proved to me that I'm doing the right thing letting her have a big morning sleep.

Yesterday, DP and I had to wake her up after two hours to go to an appointment. When we got back, she was MIssy Crankypants and then we put her back to bed where she slept from 1pm - 5pm! So I'd much rather she had a big morning sleep and wake up happy than need another huge afternoon sleep.

Ugh, I've never been a morning person and that hasn't changed, so I hate it when DD wakes up before 8am. (I'd prefer her to sleep until 10am, or later, but I take what I can get!)

I usually work around her routine, which is a bit harder now that we sold our second car and DH either takes the car until lunchtime, or I have to get out of bed early (he starts work at 7 so I have to get up at 6:30) so I can do things in the morning. Then, it's hard because when he gets home for lunch DD is usually having a nap so I hate having to wake her to go pick him up, or wake her to drop him back at work so we can have the car for the afternoon.

Sometimes I just let her sleep and then call my mum to take me to do a few quick errands in the afternoon so I'm not dealing with a cranky kid.. or I just leave things like grocery shopping until we've eaten frozen pies two nights in a row because I haven't got around to doing it because of her routine.
DD is one of those very wilful children who likes things done her way, so I have found it really is much, much easier to just work around her routine, no matter how inconvenient - it saves me a world of trouble :D Maybe if she were a bit more placid it'd be different, but meh.

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...I hate it when DD wakes up before 8am.

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:o :o 8am?? There are children who sleep till 8am?? Why wasn't I given the option for one of those... I'm sure I would have ticked that box if I saw it. GothMum, I am seething with jealousy... ;)

^ Bear in mind that I have to pay for that by letting her stay up a bit later at night... then I get no leisure time because I have to go to bed pretty soon after I put her down.

Oh, and if you think DD is good, I probably shouldn't tell you about my friend - her DS is 19 months and he still sleeps from 6pm until 11am, then has another nap during the day!! Lazy little tyke haha, she has to wake him for feeds.

I just do what I need to do depending on the day.
Like yesterday we were out so poor Iain was up & down all day from Car, to pram to arms etc. So today I will stay home & let him sleep.
On the days I have stuff to do, I just do it but I always give them days at home to catch up.