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@photojane: @ladyfingers: Thanks ladies! He had a couple nights where he slept for 4-5 hours, and then a couple nights where he didn't and I just get so confused when things are predictable!!! If he goes four hours between feeds one night and only two the next, I'm just all "WTF!" and have no idea if it's something I did or what. I guess it's probably still too early to expect him to be sleeping long stretches and the couple times he did was probably a fluke. Thanks for the advice!
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@Adira: I think it's pretty much unpredictable until they're over 3 months... and even then I'm not counting on much!
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@ladyfingers: Oh boo!! I was hoping he'd become more predictable before I go back to work!
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Xander is one month today!!
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@Adira: it went by fast huh??? happy 1-month, xander!!
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so i even wrote in the blog post that went up today that one of my biggest struggles has been breastfeeding jaren because he fusses like crazy at the breast... but miraculously, he has been so good the last 3 days and can suckle continuously for a good 15-min before popping off!! thank goodness bc i was at my wits end and was seriously considering becoming an exclusive pumper since he seemed to do so much better with the bottle. i felt terrible feeling like i was hurting him while he was trying to eat. let's hope this good streak continues and that he's growing out of his newborn reflux issues!
he is still waking up 3x a night... and last night it took 30 min of rocking before i could put him back down again... so i only get 1-hr of sleep between feedings. i'm hoping he gets longer stretches soon.
how are you all doing??
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@Mrs. High Heels: Xander's still very unpredictable with his sleeping at night. Last night he got a bottle at 8:00, then woke up at 12:30 and 4:30 to eat, although when he woke up at 4:30, he was WIDE awake and didn't go back to sleep until around 6:00. But the night before, he ate at 8:00 and woke up at 12:00, 2:50, and 5:45 to eat. So sometimes he goes long stretches and only wakes twice to eat and sometimes he'll wake three times. I don't really know why. Though I'm thinking maybe it's because he got a 4oz bottle at 8:00 which tied him over longer than what he would've gotten out of my breasts, and then I was super full at 12:30, so he got more than he normally would've, which is why he was tied over until 4:30. But who knows!
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@Mrs. High Heels: I felt like that the first week and half! It was such a battle to get her started on the boob, but once she was calm she'd nurse for longer and longer. I think we are finally out of the first growth spurt period. Sleep has been better for me each night progressively for the past 3 nights. Last night she woke up 3 times to eat. But luckily I've FINALLY been able to swaddle her after eating and IDK if it is the swaddle or being done with the growth spurt, but I was able to put her back down to sleep within half an hour each time! And she slept 2-3 hours each time! Feels like such an accomplishment!
*Pediatrician visit update!*
Kaitlyn will be 3 weeks tomorrow.
She's grown 2" since birth! From 18" to 20".
She is currently 7 lbs 6 oz.
Measuring 6-7 percentile on all the charts. -
@Adira: Oh don't get me wrong, he should get MORE predictable... just not completely predictable. I keep saying, just as I get used to something, he changes. Like this week, I think he's experiencing some of the 8-week wonder week stuff -- he's not as cool with chilling on his own in the pack n play or activity gym, he's super fussy and on an emotional rollercoaster (goes from giggling to melting down back to giggling in like 6 seconds), and enjoys being held and cuddled by me more than he used to. The good thing about the unpredictability is, just when you think you cannot take the moodiness anymore, you know it will soon go away!
And happy one-month to Xander! I cannot believe that D is going to be 8 weeks on Saturday. Yikes!
@Mrs. High Heels: I'm so glad J is doing better! D seems to be calming down a bit, too. We had some rough times this past week on the right side but I had a mega clogged duct, so he was very frustrated! Luckily I dislodged it with some intense pressure massage, and actually had milk pouring out of my boob and onto the floor when it came unclogged. Of course, my first reaction wasn't, "Oh good, it finally came loose!" but... "OMG ALL THE MILK GRAB A CUP!"
So the night before last, D only woke up *ONCE*!! We started to put him down around 7 because he'd had a long day and refused his last nap of the day so we just started bedtime early, and he fought sleep for two straight hours. He'd fall asleep and then wake up again 15 minutes later. Finally fell asleep around 9 but then didn't wake up until 3:30! Then woke up for the day at 7:45. It was so glorious. Last night he had 2 wakings but the nights of 3-4 wakings seem to be on the way out... at least until the next growth spurt
He's also been a bit fussier during the day the past couple of days. He'll be smiling and gurgling and having a blast and then all of a sudden he's like OMG and melts down. For no reason. If I pick him up he's usually better. He actually doesn't fuss in my arms/on my lap as much as usual. He's been very vocal and drooling a TON. And sucking on his fingers like nobody's business. So I'm thinking this is the 8-week Wonder Week -- fussiness, crying, clinginess, hand-sucking.
It's actually so cute, he's been getting his fingers or his thumb in his mouth (so adorable when he sucks his thumb during his bath!) and even though he ends up flinging them right back out a few seconds later, he's definitely finding them!
I discovered he loves looking at the pictures on our hallway gallery wall. When he gets really moody, I just prop him upright against my shoulder and stand in the hallway and sway, and he is just transfixed. He also loves the black and white wedding photo we have hanging in our bedroom.
And mirrors! So fun! We stand in front of the mirror and he sees me and flashes his special smile, and sees himself (though obviously he doesn't know it's him) and is delighted!
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@ladyfingers: hahaha that would've been my reaction too! glad you got rid of that plugged duct - ouch! also, i'm sure derek was fussier in the last couple weeks too because i read that at 6-8 weeks is when they reach their fussiness peak! so now that he's 8-weeks you're probably out of the worst of it until the next leap! that's awesome you got such great sleep last night.
i am EXHAUSTED... and i don't know about everyone else, but i'm still feeding jaren every TWO HOURS. i read that they should be going every 2.5-3 hours?? how long between feedings are your LO's needing?
i finally decided to stop "calling it in" and tried consciously implementing EASY, but today has not been so easy.
previously, it was common for J to sleep right after a feeding, and it was so nice to get rest that i just let him. i decided it was time to get serious today, so if he fell asleep at the boob i would wake him by changing his diaper... but once he was awake it was so hard to get him to fall asleep. this afternoon, he had one good nap ON MY CHEST, and the other ones were major fails. HELP! what are you guys doing to get them to sleep after the activity time?
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@Mrs. High Heels: Funny, I actually read that 6 weeks was the peak, and it actually did ease up after that point. This fussy period is different somehow than the previous spurts -- instead of being an all-evening, eat-a-ton-stop-sleeping colic fest, it's more like a switch is constantly being flipped. Like he's being great one second, shitty the next, then back to great. Instead of everything bothering him all the time, it's more like intermittent disturbances. Does that make sense? Plus during the growth spurts, he wasn't a huge fan of being held -- or for the most part it just didn't calm him down at all! Now it's like he just wants his mommy all the time, which I think is characteristic of certain "wonder weeks."
Girl, Derek is still eating every 1.5 to 2 hours! Except at night. So I feel you. I try spacing it out thinking I'm just constantly offering it so he's taking it. So if he naps 30 minutes I'll do EASAES instead of EASEAS. But usually he doesn't tolerate that plan and he starts screaming for the boob before the 2-hour mark.
sometimes he'll nap for 1.5 to 2 hours and so that spaces his feeding interval to 2.5 to 3 hours. But not always.As for napping, we have to physically put him down. Napping has a routine and a place just like bed. We do a diaper change, swaddle, turn on the white noise machine, put him in the rock n play in our room, turn on the fan, offer the paci, and rock him till he sleeps. We follow his sleep cues because sometimes we were putting him down after an hour but he wasn't "there" yet so it took an extra 10-15 minutes to fall asleep. For him right now, it works best if we put him down when he starts getting slightly fussy. It still takes 5-10 minutes but not as long as when he's under tired.
If we relied on him to fall asleep when he was tired, we'd have a baby who never slept! He just forces himself to stay up, so we had to start being pushy -- and consistent -- about it. Now we know we've hit the nap time sweet spot when I place him in the miracle blanket and he smiles
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@ladyfingers: ah that makes sense and does sound like a wonder week. do you have the wonder week book? i have it - i should probably start posting on here about them so we know where all of us are headed and what to watch out for! maybe i'll do a short blurb each time one comes up.
thanks for sharing your routine with me - that's sooo helpful!! i am going to try again with keeping J on an EASY schedule, and if the naps are short it makes sense to follow an EASAES routine. also good to know that 1.5-2-hrs between feedings is normal for breastfed babies!
last night he went 3-hrs between feedings so that's a small victory! hoping it'll be the same tonight. ok he's waking up now so i gotta go. hope everyone has a good day today!
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WONDER WEEK 8: The World of Patterns
sometime between 7 and 9 weeks of age, your baby may becme more demanding. she may cry more often, as this is ger way of expressing how stressful these changes are to her. at this age, crying is the most effective way to show she feels lost and needs attention.clues that this leap is approaching:
- may demand more attention
- may become shy with strangers
- may lose her appetite
- may cling to you more tightly
- may sleep poorly
- may just cry and crythe leap forward:
- your baby no longer experiences the world and himself as one universe.
- will start to recognize recurring shapes, patterns, and structures (i.e. he discovers his hands belong to him and will wave them around and look at them in wonder).
- begins to distinguish patterns in sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.
- many of the reflexes your baby had at birth will start to disappear at this age. voluntary movements start emerging.after the leap:
- around 10 weeks another period of comparative ease sets in. (YAY!)
- baby no longer requires as much attn as he did in the past.
- more independent
- interested in his surroundings
- his need to be with you constantly may also diminish at this time. mothers feel ok putting their babies in playpens on their own, etc.
- may become so cheerful and so busy amusing himself that life is much easier for you.Next Leap will be Wonder Week 12. There is also a Wonder Week 5 - let me know if you're interested in some cliff notes on that one... I skipped it bc it seems most of our feb babies are older than that now.
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@Mrs. High Heels: I'd be interested in Wonder Week 5 - Xander's 4 weeks at the moment, so it's coming up for me! And thanks for posting about Wonder Week 8!!!
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@Adira: here you go!
WONDER WEEK 5 - The World of Changing Sensations
this week's fussy signs:
- she may be highly upset - its likely your baby will yell, cry, scream, and refuse to go to sleep in her crib until she's driven the entire household crazy.
- she may crave closeness with you - sometimes she'll drift off to sleep only if she's snuggled up to mommy in the closest way possible - latched onto the breast.
- because your baby senses something is changing, she feels insecure and has a greater need for close skin-to-skin contact. give her all the cuddling she needs and all the contact you feel you can handle at times like these. she needs time to adjust to these new changes and grow into her new world. she's accustomed to your body, scent, warmth, voice, and touch.the leap forward:
- baby's alertness increases dramatically.
- baby will likely outgrow problems he may have had initially with his digestive system.
- at approx 3-4 weeks, there is a dramatice increase in a baby's head circumference. his glucose metabolism, in the brain, also changes.
- looks at things longer and more often
- listens to things more often and pays closer attention.
- is more aware of being touched
- is more aware of different smells
- smiles for the first time, or more often than before
- gurgles with pleasure more often
- expresses likes/dislikes more often
- expresses anticipation more often
- stays awake longer, and is more alert.
- breathes more regularly
- startles and trembles less often
- cries real tears for the first time, or more often than before
- chokes, vomits, and burps lessafter the leap:
- at around 6 weeks, the leap has ended, and a period of comparative peace dawns. babies are more cheerful, more alert, and more preoccupied with looking and listening at this time. babies are also capable of expressing their likes/dislikes at this age. in short, life seems a little less complicated than before. -
@Mrs. High Heels: Thank you so much! You're the best!!!
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Hello, ladies! I've been admittedly MIA, with the family for the beginning of Passover. It has been eventful! Over the last week we've had:
- Ellie's first (now two) plane rides! Much to the relief of her parents, she slept the whole time. YAY.
- A roll over! She went over, front to back, and my DH got it on video, since it was so obvious it was coming. She started getting fussy right before, but she was part way over and kept lifting her head, so we all just watched and cheered her on, and sure enough...she went over! She didn't know what had happened, and she hasn't done it since, but what fun!
- A STTN!!!!!! She has been usually only waking once (or sometimes twice), giving us one long 5-7 hour stretch (from start of feed to the next start), for which we are incredibly grateful. One night while we were visiting family she went an 8-hour stretch, getting her through the night. HOORAY! The next night, just for the record, was miserable, so there is no pattern yet, of course.And now she's screaming of hunger, so...I'm going to take care of that. I AM reading everyone's updates, I just haven't had a chance to respond to them all yet!
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@JessiBee: so much good news!
how many weeks was she on the plane rides? that's awesome that she did so well! i took noelle when she was a nb too and it's easiest at that time. i'm supposed to be traveling with my two kids in may and i'm worried bc noelle will be a full-fledged rambunctious, need-to-be-entertained toddler and jaren will be 3-months... eek!yay for rolling over and catching it on video - how exciting! and even more amazing that she's STTN now!!! i can't wait to get there. i am so ready for more sleep, though jaren slept 3-hour stretches last night and has been going 3-hours between feedings all day today for the first time ever... so i will celebrate my small victories!
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@Mrs. High Heels: I wish I could say that she's STTN! It was once, and it seemed more of a fluke. She is almost 7 weeks, so the flights were between 6 and 7.
The last two nights, she's been INCREDIBLY fussy late evening, like almost inconsolable, will start eating only to stop, screaming, two minutes later. And repeat. Last night, for a couple of hours. Tonight...we'll see. Wish us luck!
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@SHOPAHOLIC - the doc said that gaining 1.5 oz per day is above average, and the average is 1 oz per day. This girl is a little chunkster though.. her cheeks are huge! =P
@PHOTOJANE - yeah, i'm watching out to see if it's actually reflux, but it looks like she's just possibly overeating and I'm not able to get good burps out of her each time. By the way, I'm SOO jealous of your nighttime schedule! I'm still feeding her every 2-3 hours.. sometimes 3.5 hours at night.
@MRS. HIGH HEELS - glad your little one seems to be eating better these days - hope it keeps up!
Has it really been 5 days since I last posted here? Time is FLYING... geez. My biggest battle these days is trying to figure out what is causing her face to be all red and splotchy just after I start feeding her. It doesn't happen all the time, but 1 to 2 times a day.. and other times it gets red but not too bad. I thought it was food allergies to something that I was eating, but her pediatrician wanted me to make sure that she wasn't overheating and dressed too warmly when she eats. I tried to make sure she was dressed lightly today and she still broke out in the rash... thank goodness it only lasts 20 minutes or so, but I want to get to the bottom of it! So far, I've cut out eggs, soy, and dairy - it's so frustrating though because apparently this stuff can stay in my system for 1-2 weeks so it's hard to really pin point the food... if it's food at all that's causing this.
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@Mrs. High Heels: thanks for posting! I don't have the book, I just grab cliffs notes online
a blog series would be great, with your experiences as LO moves through the wonder weeks!@Emilie: aw, poor baby! Derek's face gets red after eating but it's not rashy, I think it's just from being pressed against my hand half the time from the way he lies in cross-cradle.
We had a rough day today! I'm struggling with how to get out of the house with him. People keep insisting I have to get out, that babies this age are so easy and will sleep anywhere. But anytime we go out, even if he naps on the road, his naps for the rest of the day suffer dramatically. Today, we went to kohls to return clothes. He woke up from his nap at 10:45, he ate (which rarely takes less than 30 minutes, still) and we left. Got to kohls around 11:45. He fell asleep in the car on the way back around noon. Woke up screaming 20 minutes later. Ate when we got home at 12:45. Took me an hour to get him to nap. Slept 20 minutes. Refused naps for the remainder of the day and cried long and hard, intermittently, very overtired, until we were able to get him down for the night at 7:30. Thankfully he then slept 6 hours.
I just don't understand how people get out with a newborn who has to nap every hour. There's no window of time where you could possibly get anything done. Do other babies just sleep better than ours? It makes me feel guilty for taking him out. But then when we stay at home, he naps better but after a few days I start to get anxiety and cabin fever. Walks around the block don't help me much.
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@ladyfingers: that stinks that you're having a rough time with naps. I have never really heard anything about newborns needing to sleep every hour. I try to get out with L 3 or 4 times a week. It's very tough for me to be stuck inside too. When we're going out I change her and dress her and get everything ready. Then I feed her, even if I just 'top her off' if she ate recently. Then we leave immediately. She usually sleeps for most of the outing and I bring her inside in the carseat. Sometimes I let her sleep in there depending on how long it's been. but then sometimes she doesn't sleep at all between feedings so definitely not every hour. I don't know if I'm helping, it's 4 am and maybe i'm rambling. I guess I just mean I don't really stress about naps if she's happy in her swing or just hanging out. ...maybe I should but I just never heard you should keep them on a strict nap schedule.
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@JerricaBenton: max recommended awake time for a kid his age is 1-1.5 hours. Some babies don't get fussy if they're up longer, but he definitely does. He gets overtired and overstimulated. That's what the whole EASY schedule is for - making sure they get the nap time they need.
So what happens to him, when he is awake longer than 1.5 hours, is he starts to fuss. Then he won't nap because nothing you're doing to soothe him to sleep is getting through to him because he's shut down due to overstimulation. Then he gets more and more cranky as he gets more and more tired and the only thing that consoles him is nursing. Then bedtime rolls around and it takes two hours to get him down.
I guess I just have a difficult child.
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@ladyfingers: Haha oops I didn't know that. Do you ever wear him in a wrap/sling in the house when he wont nap? It seems like babies like to fall asleep in those.
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@JerricaBenton: trust me, I have tried everything. When he really gets going, the carrier ENRAGES him. He pushes backwards off of me with all his might. Even if he's just overtired but not wailing yet, the carrier will often set him off.
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@ladyfingers:
everything is so unpredictable at this stage - maybe soon he'll nap like a champ.
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@JerricaBenton: he usually naps great. Just not so much if we miss his window of prime tired time.
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@ladyfingers: Hang in there! Hopefully you'll get him on a routine with longer stretches, and then you'll know exactly when you can go out and you'll have a well-rested and happy baby! The rest of us...I guess we'll see.
@JerricaBenton: I'm with you on trying to get out more often. I've been aiming for an outing of some kind almost every day, even if some days it's really short. I'm a much saner person that way, and I feel very lucky that Ellie seems able to nap (for now, at least) in her carseat wherever I plunk her down: in a cart at Target, out to lunch with friends, etc.
@Emilie: Good luck with pinpointing the cause of LO's rash! I have no advice whatsoever, but certainly hope you can figure it out soon!
@Mrs. High Heels: It is ALL about small victories! My small victories have been every time I've fed her in a new place. I can add airport and airplane to the list after this trip, as well as in front of people (with a cover) I never expected to nurse in front of. I'm proud of myself and the baby for making that work! Also, as for wonder weeks: I read somewhere online (source of all things true) that wonder weeks aren't counted from birth, but from EDD. Is that right? Does the book explain why? I'm trying to figure out whether our strange evening feedings are related to that, but she's almost-seven-weeks right now, which isn't one, but she was born a week before her EDD.
@shopaholic: I can't believe I'm already saying I miss certain things, but I kind of miss the more frequent doctor's appointments with weighings. We're about halfway between two appointments, and I don't know what she weighs or how long she is, and I'm so curious! It sounds like Kaitlyn is growing like a champion though, so those frequent feedings are paying off!
@Adira: It seems to me the only predictable thing about babies and eating is that it's unpredictable. I have to keep reminding myself that what I can get out of a boob with a pump in the amount of time I can get it seems to be completely unrelated to what DD can get out when she's nursing and how long she takes. It's so hard to do, but try to trust Xander to get what he needs...when he needs it (sigh).
We've had a couple of strange late-evenings in a row, where she's wanted to cluster feed, but then only nurses for about 2 minutes before pulling off and screaming for a while, while still showing hunger cues. Two nights ago we were trying to give her a bottle at that time, so we thought she was (for the first time) rejecting the bottle. She did it to me last night though, so...it's not the bottle. She kept it up: nurse for a couple minutes, scream, nurse for a few minutes, scream, spit up, diaper, cuddle, nurse for a couple, scream...it may have been an hour or more like that. Eventually we put her down...and she slept beautifully! The last "feed" (of about 4 minutes) started at 11. She woke up at about 6:45, so I guess she somehow had enough in that little tummy. DH and I just keep reminding ourselves that we have to listen to her, and that sometimes she knows better than we do what she needs.
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@JessiBee: Yeah, so true that babies can get more out than the pump can! It's frustrating though because when I give him a bottle, I have a hard time pumping an equal amount. I need to build a stash, but my little piggy is making it hard, haha.
Yikes, sorry to hear about your frustrating time feeding your LO! Xander's done that to me a couple times and it's super frustrating because I have no idea what's wrong with him! I think the last time he did it, I just gave up and gave him a pacifier. Seemed like he wanted something to suck on and having milk squirt in his mouth was frustrating him. But other times he's definitely hungry, so who knows! I can't wait until I've either figured out what he really wants or he can communicate and tell me!
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@ladyfingers: Our schedule is very similar to yours, except bedtime is a little later so MY sleep increments end up being 2-3 hours + 1 + 1 + sometimes 1 more....Mama is sleep deprived!
@Mrs. High Heels: FWIW we have no schedule either, other than bedtime roughly at the same time every night. During the day he naps in the swing/the Moby/the stroller/my lap (if it's available). I think I'm going to wait a few more weeks before starting to pay attention to his schedule. I don't have it in me right now to be looking at the clock like I did with my first...
@Emilie: I can totally commiserate on the elimination diet! I did figure out that dairy was causing the vomiting/gassiness but he still has a rash that is a mystery to me.
@JessiBee: Happy Passover! We decided not to fly home so made an attempt at a Seder ourselves...3 pages in and Little Boy decides he's done sitting at the table. We get him accommodated with dinner and by then Baby Brother decides he needs to eat right.this.second. One day it will be funny...
Around here we finally made it to the doctor and Baby Brother is 11lbs 5oz! I could tell that he was getting chunky but that's just crazy to me. Sleep is still not great and our first stretch is pretty hit or miss sometimes 3 hours, sometimes 5. The nice thing is that DH has some time off now which makes at least the day time much easier. We are even thinking of attempting a trip to the beach...we'll see.
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@ladyfingers: i've been doing what you said for naps with EASY - right when i see that first yawn, i close the blinds, swaddle, turn on white noise machine, and i'll rock him to sleep until his eyes start to close... and it seems to work for the most part and he'll fall asleep... but right when i am about to get up to put him down he starts writhing in pain and wakes himself up!! ugh so i do it again for a couple minutes... and a couple times it didn't work so i had to just stick him in the k'tan and have him nap in there. i think it has to be gas issues, but SO FRUSTRATING. i keep telliing myself that i need to keep doing it though. it's so much easier to just let him sleep whenever, eat whenever, etc... but i KNOW if i don't break the habit of eating to fall asleep now, it's going to be worse later. i'd rather deal with the sleep stuff now than months down the line when habits are harder to break. however, we have been following EASY for the most part the last two days, even though the naps aren't always where i want them to be. one step at a time, right?? thank you again for your advice on naps - it was so helpful and got me jumpstarted in the right direction.
a blog series on the wonder weeks is a great idea - but there are so many of them!! maybe i'll try to write some on the major ones (like the 4-month and 9-month sleep regressions - yea, those were NOT fun). understanding the wonder weeks was what got me through the first year of motherhood the first time around. it was so helpful just knowing that it was a phase and that all babies go through it and it will eventually pass. knowing those rough weeks would pass and that there would be an end in sight really kept me sane.
also, noelle was the type to get very cranky if we missed her sleep window, and she also preferred to nap in her crib. i was constantly rushing home in time for naps. it'll get better once their naps consolidate a bit more, but yea it's hard to get out and about when you only have a 1-2 hour window right now. =/
@Emilie: J gets red and rashy when he gets overheated too - usually when his face is up against my chest after falling asleep in the ergo or something... but from what you're describing it sounds worse/different than that? do you have a picture of the rash? so the rash disappears after about 20 minutes? hope you figure out the cause soon - that must be so frustrating!
@JessiBee: even though they call it the 8-week wonder week... that wonder week can range anywhere in the 7-9 week window. every "wonder week" period is like that bc some babies hit those phases slightly earlier and others later. so you probably are in one if your LO is acting fussier than normal for no apparent reason even if all else is the same.
so today was my 3rd day focusing on keeping the EASY routine, and the last 2 days were inconsistent and kind of rough on me, but today was great! i've been keeping track of the exact times he eats/activity/sleep and i noticed that he starts getting tired around 40-minutes after the activity portion starts... then it takes about 20-min to get him through his phases of drowsiness, and predictably, he knocks out at the hour mark. today, all his naps were 1-1.5 hrs long! he's also been eating every 3 hours instead of 2. hallelujah!
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@Baby Boy Mom: it's so much harder trying to implement a schedule with a 2nd child when you have a 1st one to take care of too. it helps that my 1st is in school 5 days of the week, so trying to start EASY this past monday gave me this whole week to get some sort of rhythm going.
on weekends, it's going to be a whole other story! jaren is just going to have to sleep whenever/wherever bc we can't keep noelle tied up at home just bc of him. good thing he's an easier baby.
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@Mrs. High Heels: aw, poor guy! I hate seeing Derek writhe around like that too
are you waiting about 20 minutes or for that "limp arm" stage before putting him down? Maybe if he's in a deeper sleep he won't wake himself up?
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@ladyfingers: i started writing that loooong response this morning, and i realized that i completely contradicted myself in my last paragraph bc today was our 3rd day on EASY and it was great! it was the 1st two days that weren't so good - no writhing and crying today... and the writhing happened when he was already in my arms getting lulled to sleep, so i'm still not sure what caused him to suddenly startle himself awake.
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@LADYFINGERS - hmm, I haven't put my little one on a schedule really at all. She just eats every 2-3 hours, and sleeps when she sleeps. She naps mainly in her bassinet and then at night she's in her crib. If I had to put her down at certain times, it would be so hard!! I have not ventured out too much though. But when I do, as long as I have just fed her, she'll usually pass out for 2 hours or so in a moving car seat or stroller.
@JESSIBEE - ahh, your screaming episode with eating is so familiar. Although, when that happens, I just put her on my shoulder and she'll usually fuss for another minute, and then pass out on my shoulder.... and then I'll put her down in the crib. I've never actually tried just putting her down... maybe i'll try that
Ok, so a few days ago, my issue was trying to figure out what was causing my LO's red splotchy face after eating. Now my concerns have changed! In the last 48 hours... she's done a flying projectile spit up four times, and I think I got mastitis =( I don't think it's related at all, and I'm not even sure I have mastitis. Yesterday afternoon I all of a sudden felt super weak and had chills. I took my temp and it was 103!
I read that with mastitis, you should look for lumps in your boobs or red marks, etc.. but if anything my left boob was a teeny bit more sensititve to the touch than usual. Not sure if that counts, but I've been trying to massage it to see if there's any plugged milk ducts in there. My fever only goes down with tylenol, and every 6 hours I feel horrible again and my fever is back to around 102 today when the tylenol has not kicked in. BLAH.... something new every day! -
@Emilie: yeah, when you have a baby like mine, who won't sleep unless you make him, a loose schedule is actually a life saver. It makes life infinitely easier.
I'm sorry about your possible mastitis! I don't think you necessarily need to have a clogged duct to get it. Do/did you have any cracks or sores in your nipples? Infection can be introduced that way, as well. If you still have a fever, I'd definitely call your doctor. It can abscess and that's no fun.
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@ladyfingers: I've been wondering: you mention that the recommended awake time for their age is 1-1.5 hours. Where did you find that information (and similar stats as they grow)? I've found over the last couple of days that by aiming for that 1-1.5 hour window and watching for yawns, getting her to sleep is easier! (Obvious exception: middle of the night, when she wants that full 1-1.5 hours, and we don't have the patience for it!)
@Baby Boy Mom: Happy Passover to you! I did something I never thought I would, and at a seder of about 15 people (family, sibling's in-laws, family friends), when Ellie was hungry, I went to the couch in the living room/dining room (about 4 yards from the end of the table), put on my nursing cover, and fed her, continuing to participate in seder and chime in on conversation, and my DH even brought me my glass of wine and foods at the right times!
@Mrs. High Heels: Thanks for the wonder week info! I'm not sure if she's having one, since (happily) her abnormal fussiness mostly went away after 2 days, and I don't notice much of a behavioral difference. <shrug.>
@Emilie: Once in a while, she'll fall asleep all by herself. Usually we hold her and walk up and down the hallway for a while. I hope you get your fever etc. cleared up soon!
Nothing else particularly new here...and a screaming baby is demanding my attention (which is DEFINITELY not new). Hope you're all having a good weekend!
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@Mrs. High Heels: Ya, I think our second is easier too, or at least has been thus far. Seems like that happens a lot...
@Emilie: Try to look in the mirror because if it is mastitis most likely you will see some redness and then you want to put baby to breast as often as possible to drain the infection. And definitely call your doc. because if you need antibiotics better to start sooner than later (there are plenty of meds safe for lactation). Hope you feel better soon!
@JessiBee: That is AWESOME! It took me about 3 months before I was willing to nurse with tons of people around. Way to go
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@JessiBee: here you go! This helped me, she lists all the differebt recommended awake times from different books, as well as from her own experience.
At night we just don't interact with him at all, no eye contact, no talking, dim lights. Then he knows it's not just another nap time. It's hard though because he's soooooo cute and smiley during his diaper change!
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@JessiBee: I wrote a sleep training post awhile back, and on the very bottom there are links - http://www.hellobee.com/2012/09/26/sleep-training-noelle-part-i/#more-31251 - the Sleep/WT chart is REALLY helpful - it tells you avg awake times, how long you should wait before going to your baby, avg daytime sleep and avg nighttime sleep. It helps me a lot when I'm trying to figure out my baby's needs.
@Emilie: oh no, did you ever figure out if it really was mastitis? if it was, i hope its passed by now! these first few months sure are rough... if it's not one thing it's another. =/
yesterday, we moved J to his room for the first time at 5 weeks 3 days old. even though he was still waking up every 2-3 hours to feed, we all slept better.
i did have a mini-breakdown yesterday bc i was having the hardest time getting him to go to bed around 8pm. every time he drifted off, he'd wake himself up with gas... and i was so frustrated.
my older daughter was in a terrible mood too so i think that combined with J not wanting to sleep, and the 6 weeks of ongoing sleep deprivation... it all just added up. today is a better day.
oh, and DH got me a neck pillow for when i'm breastfeeding, and that's been helping so much - i highly recommend one for those who are nursing!
previously, it was common for J to sleep right after a feeding, and it was so nice to get rest that i just let him. i decided it was time to get serious today, so if he fell asleep at the boob i would wake him by changing his diaper... but once he was awake it was so hard to get him to fall asleep. this afternoon, he had one good nap ON MY CHEST, and the other ones were major fails. HELP! what are you guys doing to get them to sleep after the activity time?
sometimes he'll nap for 1.5 to 2 hours and so that spaces his feeding interval to 2.5 to 3 hours. But not always.
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