Nap/growth spurt question

FeinBride09

Ladies, I'm looking for some advice or words of wisdom here. Hoping we're just dealing with a growth spurt - but LO seems to be on a nap strike these past 2 days or so.

She'll be 6 weeks this Thursday. We started trying to loosely follow the EASY (eat, play, sleep) routine - but I'm not being super regimented about eating times bc I know she's either in or approaching a growth spurt so I'm still somewhat letting her lead when she is hungry which is every 2-2.5 hrs still.

But for the past 3 days, she has just fought naps. With this schedule she's supposed to be taking around 4 a day plus an evening cat nap. But lately, we're lucky to get 20-40 minutes out of each. And she's tired y'all. As the evening approaches she's over tired - calm able but tired - she gives all the cues of being sleepy after her 30-45 min of awake time after she eats (ebf) and no matter what I do we can't break that 30ish min nap. Putting her down in the crib or rock n play, car ride, mamaroo, even holding her. Nothing.works! Mommas getting really worn out. I want my good napper and night time sleeper back.

I mean, she slept total 9.5 hrs yesterday in 24 hrs. That can't be enough. Right? The 2 days before that were better at around 12 hrs bc she gave us some good 6 and 5.5 hr night time stretches. Last night though, 3 and 2.5. Woke up today at 6.15 am and it's now 1;15 and she's napped maybe an hour since she got up. We're approaching the next nap time soon and praying she goes down.

How many naps do/did your 6 week olds take a day. Are we trying too many? Hoping its a phase so badly.

Anyone else tried this EASY method with any advice/suggestions?

Signed, a momma who needs a nap/shower/time to pee.

Edit: we swaddle for all naps and night time too for consistency.

LoveMoose85

Omg, I could have written this exact same post. In fact I was just getting ready to write my own discussion about it. My LO is 6 weeks, 2 days. She WILL NOT nap, same thing I'm lucky if I can get her to take 2-3 20-30 minutes is all. She has been doing this for the past two days. She however is getting over tired and both nights about 4ish all hell has broken off and she just screams for hours until she conks out at about 9 or 10! So frustrating and exhausting!

Anyway I'm really sorry I have no advice, just know you are not alone!! I have also tried everything. One thing to look for is that if LO is eating more due to a growth spurt really make sure you are burping a lot. I've found that my LO wakes herself up because of gas very easily. Anyway, thats all I got. I two am hoping this is a 6 week phase, Good Luck mama!!

FeinBride09

@DisneyAddict1‌ - it seems to have begun after we started trying to start this very loose schedule. The first day or two were fine. And for sure, if she acts hungry or tired or awake and it's not "time" I am not enforcing that at all - still following her lead even if she wants to eat 30-60 min before it's "time" if that manes sense. Really I guess I use the term schedule to mean I'm finally kind of trying to structure the day just a little instead of letting her conk out right after feeding every time and be at her total mercy. Was
Hoping this could help give a touch of predictability to our days so I could actually get out with her from time to time a bit more easily. Don't want her necessarily dependent on feeding for sleep. If I can help it. If not, so be it. But you make a good point. May just be trying too early and need to back off and wait another week. But I'm hoping it's part of the growth spurt - she seems to be eating or wanting to eat more often since yesterday too.

@LoveMoose85‌ same thing
With the gas here! Sometimes she can self settle back to sleep and sometimes not. Come 4-5 she's just so unhappy. Forget napping after then, if it's not the boob she's not happy. Finally we get her out around 9/10 pm and usually wake after 30 min once or twice to be settled again. I'm sorry you're going through it too. Ugh. Fx for both of us that it ends soon. A friend said her pediatrician called this time the "6 week wonder" aka - you wonder where your baby went and then they come back in a week or so. Found that funny and hopeful!!

FeinBride09

I had been trying to get a sense of her natural pattern but she was just SO all over the place the only thing I could really get a handle on was bed time (8:30/9 pm) and that afternoons were the longer nap but timing was all over, which is why we figured we'd try this perhaps. But good points all around. Which is why I asked. I want her to thrive and thinking you're right to back off for another little while ... Gotta get this little booger to nap and be happy again! So sad seeing her unhappy. Thanks!! Glad to know im not crazy. Back to baby watching we go :-)

fish8412

Like PP has said, don't worry about a schedule. My LO is 9 weeks tomorrow and isn't on a schedule during the day yet. She does have a bedtime/night feeding schedule, but that just started about 5 days ago.

FeinBride09

Thank u ladies!! She finally took a 2 hr nap today and we saw a glimpse if our usually happy little girl. Til 6. Yep, pretty sure we're starting hourly cluster feeds and growth spurt. And DH of course comes down with a 101.5 fever and is afraid to touch her. Sigh. Fx she sleeps decently tonight! Gonna need it I think.