Babies born~December 1st-15th 2009 # 4

[Carmey]

Hi girls! I don't have time to write persies but I did want to quickly share my breakthrough in Jack's sleeping patterns!! He goes down at 7 and wakes at 7 - sometimes a little later, so Nick and I are waiting around for him! And I put it all down to two things: self-settling and routine.

Here's how the new routine goes (thanks, Tizzie Hall!):


7am - wake up (normally it was 5 or 6)
8am- solids
9am - milk
9.20 - down for sleep (he has to self-settle, where I leave the room and he goes to sleep on his own)
11am - milk
12pm - solids
1.20pm - sleep (self-settle again)
when he wakes - milk
5pm - solids
6.30pm - milk
7pm - bed

I know that sounds really strict, but it's actually working. When I want to go out, I just work around it.

And the other key, the most critical key, is for him to learn to self-settle. He wakes every night, like every hour sometimes, because he's lost his dummy. He was wrapped and couldn't get to it. So, I took the wrap off him (which is big in itself) and then put lots of dummies in his cot so he always has one at hand.

When I put him down for his day sleeps, he sometimes wakes after one sleep cycle (45 minutes). I don't go in, let him grizzle a bit, and after around 4 minutes he has put himself back to sleep. It was so hard to do that in the beginning but now that I know that he will find his dummy, put it in and then go back to sleep, I feel much better. The book (Save Our Sleep) suggests to not leave it more than 12 minutes, but Jack has never cried that long. He goes to sleep pretty quickly.

The book also says not to let them sleep for more than four hours during the day. Before, I would let Jack have three sleeps before lunch and then two after lunch!

Anyway, I thought I would share this, just incase any of you are battling away like I was. Get Tizzie's book!!

xx

[Alison1973]

Hi Carmey - yay for you, it's great having a routine isn't it! I had a lot of people think I was strict and a bit weird having a routine from the start but it has paid off for me so I wouldn't do anything differently next time around either. Your routine is pretty much what Amelia is on, she goes to bed between 6.30 and 7.00 pm and I don't stick to the those exact times but it's always within 15-30 mins of those times. The only difference I find interesting is that you give Jack his breakfast solids before milk, I always thought you should give them milk before solids until the dinner meal? Amelia has her milk before solids at breakfast, same as you at lunch and then solids again around 5.00 pm, bath at 6.00 pm and bottle and bed 6.30 pm ish. Sometimes she doesn't go down until closer to 7.00 pm but she's usually asleep by 7.00 pm as she self settles as well. Routine teaches them the difference between night and day and puts their body clock into action. Yesterday for example I put her down at her usual nap times (she has 2 x 1.5 hour naps, one morning, one afternoon) and she wasn't even showing tired signs yet but I put her in her cot, awake, and within minutes she was asleep. Of course sometimes if she's not well or teething these things don't go to plan but in between time isn't it great. I have always followed the Babywise schedule and am onto their second book now for 5 months to toddler age, I love their concepts and it's all about balance, you can't be completely 100% strict but if you follow it as much as you can you can have a happier baby I think, which means happier mum. Amelia woke up after 30 mins yesterday morning so I also let her go and she went back to sleep for an hour, phew. I also put 2 dummies in the cot and Amelia has generally stopped fussing at night now, I don't know if she's finding it herself or is just doing without, that has happened since she was ill (boy was that a tough week). You're right with the swaddling too, I have read it's a big no no at this age as they get too used to sleeping with it. One of the girls from mums group is having a terrible time with her 8.5 month old, she still won't sleep unless she's swaddled but because she's bigger and more mobile now she unwraps herself all night so she's up every hour re-swaddling her and she's also still feeding a few times overnight as she won't take a bottle. Poor girl is going insane. Luckily for me Amelia hated being swaddled in the end so she's been in a Grobag since she went in the cot at 9 weeks old. Last night had a weird one, I woke up to hear her talking to herself and I thought, what the, so I went in, it was the usual 3.00 am time and she was wide awake, on her belly turned around at the other end of the cot with her head up. She smiled at me, I thought uh oh, moved her back to the other end and on her side, popped in her dummy and walked off. I lay there for a little while certain she was going to start crying as her eyes were wide open.....didn't hear a peep, weird! I am wondering if she was dreaming, like sleep walking but not the walking bit lol. Never had that happen before. Anyway, well done Emma you must feel so good now. xx

Hope everyone else is going well. I've got Sesame Street on, Amelia loves it - but not as much as Waybuloo, that cartoon mezmorises her! It's now her nap time so I'd best go before I miss the boat and all I said above goes out the window lol! It's all a matter of timing with Amelia, too early forget it, too late, definitely forget it lololol! xx

[Tuesday's Child]

Hi girls! Seems we're all pretty busy with mobile babies these days.

Tilda - We're still feeding 2-3 times a night here too. Amelia is down to 2 day feeds (3 when she goes to care since she'll have a bottle in the afternoon. It doesn't feel right to send her off for a whole day without breastmilk). In an effort to reduce her night feeds, I've tried feeding her more during the day but she won't take it. So it mustn't be a hunger issue. It's just easier to get up and feed her than it is to try weaning at 2am. At least I know that I'm not the only one . Good luck with the not not TTC. Looks like we might have a few 2011 babies in our group as well.

Sarah - A few of us have november babies but stuck with our december belly buddies. Amelia was due dec 10 but was born november 30th. She snuck in by 1 hour and 17 minutes. lol Look forward to getting to know you.

willow - Oh poor Harry. How is he today? It's hard to strap them in when they squirm so much. Once I found the buckle undone when I went to get Amelia out of the care. I'm sure I did it up properly, despite the wriggling. Not unless she was able to push the button herself. Don't be too hard on yourself. He's not the first baby to fall on the floor.

suzi - Great to hear from you. Another one not not TTC'ing. Good luck.

beany - I'm glad you're enjoying being back at work and that Michael is doing so well in care. How is he? Did that cold develop? I hope not. I got some tummy-minimising knickers to wear under a clingy dress for SIL's wedding. I got the ones that cover the waist, hips and thighs. I'll admit I was embarrassed to buy them, but they smoothed everything out and I felt so good at the wedding. I'd rather feel a little embarrassment at the checkout than spending all day feeling self-conscious about my dress showing all the wrong 'bumps'. It was suprisingly comfortable too.

BS - If I've learned nothing else as a mother, I've learned to go with my gut. You need to do what is right for you and Eva, and I'm glad you are. I struggled with a similar situation while I had glandular fever. Even though I was home, I still took Amelia to care as she was only just starting. I know that was for my physical health, but mental health is just as important. Besides, if Eva loves daycare, why she should she not go just because you're home? It'd be different if she hated it.

Rose - I am so happy your dad is doing well Wow! Possible remission from a cancer diagnosed as terminal...that is amazing. I was the one who asked why he was having treatment in China. I would never have connected China with promising cutting-edge cancer treatments. I must admit, I did cringe when I read that the drug your dad is on hasn't even been through human trials yet. But if there were no other options left, it couldn't make things worse, I guess. It really is great that it is working.

Alison - How are you settling in to work? Have they straightened out your connection to work from home yet? That sucks that they have you doing junior work. At least you know you won't have to put up with it for long. Sounds like DH and Amelia had a great day out on your first day. And well done to your DH for the matching outfit My Amelia spends Tuesday mornings with her dad and I'm suprised if I find her dressed at all and I leave an outfit out for her.

to everyone else.

AFM - Amelia is doing so well. She has 8 teeth, says "baby, mum, dad, na-na (or nanna) and dog", is pulling herself to stand, walking while holding onto our hands and eats just about everything I put in front of her (except for fruit, surprisingly). She has also become very clingy and will cry if I leave her with DH or even walk towards a door let alone if I actually leave the room. Of course, she's fine when not at home. It's getting better now that she can follow me around the house if she wants to, but she doesn't always want to.

Me? I'm not doing so well. I'm missing my mum so much. I don't really feel up to typing more than that. I should get back to work anyway.