Help! I'm a serial lurker coming out of hiding, desperate for advice!

MommaKQ1215

So I don't post much because I only have internet on my phone right now but I love the bump boards and the advice/info I get from reading the posts.. I'm kinda addicted Once we get internet for the house I plan to be a regular bumpie My DS is 13 wks old on wednesday and he refuses to sleep earlier than midnight and won't sleep for more than an hour at most if he's not in bed with me or in my arms. Its 130am and I'm hoping to god he's actually asleep for a while. He's been like this basically since he grew out of being a sleepy newborn, he is a night owl. Which was okay with me until he stopped sleeping so much during the day which means I can't nap with him if I'm tired. He's turned into a horrible napper (only wants to be nursed to sleep and wants to sleep in my arms) so its impossible to do anything. I wear him in the Moby a lot but he only likes it for so long. My DH works long hours and I'm basically doing all the baby care myself on top of the housework, laundry etc. I know I chose to be a SAHM and this is what comes along with it and I'm SO thankful we can afford to do that and I can watch my little guy grow, but I'm running out of steam. Any advice on how to get his sleep schedule turned around to more reasonable times and how to get him to nap better would be greatly appreciated. TIA from a very tired, stressed momma..

welshgirl

that's pretty much me too! On a good night DD will sleep in her bassinette for a few hours at a time. Last night was not a good night. She refused to unlatch, and sucked ALL NIGHT LONG. Ugh. Naps are eithe rin teh bjorn or the pram or on me. I suffer so much mommy guilt re: my older son, who is only 2.5 years.

I can only offer hugs, and the empty words that it will get better - though I'm still waiting for it to be better!

Do you do a night time routine? What about making an effort so separate ngihts and days? Try walks with the stroller for naps - at least you'll get fresh air and time when you're not holding baby...

*hugs*

LordValuemart

Have you tried playing soft music in the background when he's napping or anything like that? My DS doesn't like going down for a nap if he's not being held but if I turn on his seahorse that lights up and plays soft music for a few mins after I set him down it helps TREMENDOUSLY. Also on the nights that he's particularly hard to put down I give him a warm bath with lavender soap to help him relax (That and I'm addicted to clean baby smell, he even has good smelling baby lotions, a ton of them to match my mood, I think I seriously need to look into rehab)

Sonadora

What does your night time routine look like?

Is LO getting enough to eat? (I ask, only because we had terrible sleep issues and I took her into the doctor and she wasn't gaining weight. She was up all night because she was starving.)

lulu3061

We were having the same problems, I'm not sure if what we tried will work for you but it's worth a shot, right?  I've heard that "sleep begets sleep" so I kept my fingers crossed that it was true and it seems to be for my little guy anyway.

I started tracking his sleeping and eating on an app on my phone and tried to pay attention to his sleep cues.  During the day, if he started getting quiet/less wiggly, yawned or rubbed his eyes I would immediately start the sleep process (humming, walking, rocking or just holding him quietly) After I figured out a pattern to his sleep (once he started sleeping more, a pattern actually emerged) I began putting him to bed a little earlier each night. He now takes (3) 1 hour naps per day and goes to bed for the night around 9:30 and wakes up for the day around 8:00, we EBF so he still eats a couple of times per night but he does it in his sleep.

Also, thanks to some fellow bumpies, I have been able to extend his naps from 30 minutes to at least an hour by putting him down to sleep (naps only) on his belly.  I tuck a blanket in tightly in the couch cushions and lay him down near me and stay in the room with him while he sleeps.  It's made a world of difference for us. 

GL! 

CamilleJon

I put my LO on his side to sleep. I tuck him in between the arm of the couch and the boppy pillow. He sleeps much longer on his side. I also use the "baby crack" machine. It is awesome! LO sleeps much longer AND he wakes up very calmly... sometimes he doesn't even make a peep and I don't realize he is awake until I peek over at him.