Please can you share your babies routines

[bobster]

I’m struggling to get my baby to take any decent stretches of sleep. She will cat nap for 10-15 mins and wake up looking tired. She does this a few times of day but not in any set pattern. I’ve tried putting her down in her cot but she hates it, I’ve tried rocking her in her bouncy chair and she’ll look around for a while quite content but won’t drift off. The only time she cat naps is being held either walking around, sometimes in the sling or feeding.

She’ll nap in the car or buggy as long as we keep moving but if we stop then she’ll wake.

she’s also cluster feeding at night time, Sometimes waking 6 times but usually waking 4 times between 19:30-6am. She breast feeds for about 10 mins and then goes back down in the next2me crib.

This is what we’re doing at the mo-
- feed at 6am on her first wake up, then stays awake while I sort her brothers out and get a shower (she’s calm in the bouncer while the showers on)
- feed again and be tired again by 7:30, naps while feeding for 10 min and wakes when put her down but stays calm to the noise of the hair dryer.
- 8:30 school run, she’ll have a brief nap in the buggy for about 10 min on the way to School. She’s quite tired by this time but wakes up as soon as we get home.
- 9am she’ll go in the bouncy chair for a bit while I tidy round, clear pots, put a wash on etc
10 am- has another feed
10:30- bit of play/stories/stimulus of some kind
11:30- more of a feed and will drift off to sleep if she’s lying on me. If I try to put her down she’ll wake up and cry so I tend to carry her around with whatever I’m doing which keeps her calm.
14:00- another feed. She will drift off on top of me. This is her most tired time of day but if I try to put her down she’ll normally cry. Sometimes I can put her in a bouncy chair and she’ll go off at this time.
14:45- wakes for school pick-up if asleep, or if been awake will have a nap in the pram for school pick-up for about 20 mins
15:30- starts getting restless and crying because she’s super tired
17:30- I give up and take her upstairs to start her bedtime
1930- she falls asleep after feeding, rocking, more feeding

She’ll have about 5 hours from 19:30 - 00:30 and then she’ll be up every 2 hours (2:30am, 4:30am& 6am) until the whole thing starts again.

Does this sound similar to your routines ?? Is there anything I could do differently to try and make her nap for longer during the day and sleep longer at night?? Thanks for reading.

 

[swedengirl]

A friends baby (7 weeks old currently) was exactly the same only napping short stretches unless on the go. They decided to invest in the Rockit pushchair rocker and can’t believe what a difference it made. She’s easily sleeping 2 hour stretches now!
BUT if you decide to get it if read it doesn’t work well on all pushchairs so maybe check yours. I’m considering getting one for the baby I’m brewing currently but will try theirs out on my pushchair as if read it doesn’t rock the uppababy so well! My DD was the same and I just got used to her sleeping on me for the first few months but with number 2 doubt that will work with a toddler.

 

[HLx]

Enzo is 10 weeks old, this is my 'routine' it's basically this but no two days are exact!

8-8.30am - bum change,7oz bottle, sits in his swing as I get the older two ready for school.

9.30 - hes normally still napping from the school run, so I let him sleep, once he wakes he plays on his little mat with some music on or the TV on, I sit on the floor with him to play. I also get him dressed

11-11.30am - 5-6oz bottle, and we normally go out for some fresh air. This can vary each day, naps usually an hour or so after each feed.

2-2.30 - bum change, 5-6oz bottle, and its school run time just after, lots of time in the carseat sadly, nap.

3.15pm, home from school run, my daughter has her time with enzo, holding him, cuddling him, chatting or playing on the floor.

5-5.30pm - bum change, 5-6oz feed, we all usually jump and dance around like idiots at this point, enzo included

7-8pm Enzo naps for an hour while I get the older kids ready for bed.

8pm - Bath, 6oz bottle, straight up to bed for 8.30pm, and sleeps right through to 8.30am

Obviously my days vary, sometimes he doesnt nap as much, other days I feel like he naps all day, some days we dont go out so more play time, other days we are out for hours, but this is basically the basics of our routine

 

[noon_child]

Im not sure how old your baby is but it sounds pretty normal. Not to say its easy but biologically speaking very normal. Little babies have built in survival mechanisms to raise holy hell if someone tries to leave them alone - because they might get eaten by a hyena or something!

The night time feed pattern you describe also sounds healthy and not what I'd think of as cluster feeding. It must be hard that the longest stretch of sleep she gets is when you don't want to sleep but enjoy your evening, but it wont be forever so if it is manageable with your other children, getting your own sleep in that time could help you feel more rested.

EDIT: - Ive just added up your baby's sleep and based on night feeds/wakings lasting about 30minutes (I had to guess) it looks like at night she is getting about 9 hrs at night. Depending on how long you let her sleep on you, the daytime cat naps could add on another couple of hours. 11 hours isn't the top of the average but it's not the bottom either - it's not abnormal certainly. However I totally get your concern if she is acting tired and cranky. One thing I wondered from your routine is whether it would be possible to get her bedtime earlier. I know with an overtired baby that's easier said than done. Mine was overtired and it was hours of feeding and rocking sometimes - but I found that I was overstimulating and overtiring her with a lengthy bedtime routine and when I started it earlier and made it shorter it actually helped A LOT. If her bedtime was earlier, her first wake-up might co-incide with your own bedtime (and feel easier because of this) and after her 4th wake-up she might go down for one more sleep before you all have to get up for the day). This might make her less cranky and tired during those things you have to do with the other children and ready for a nap at a point where you feel able to hold her for longer or take her on a longer walk.