Daytime routine... do you have one?

[terrainthailand]

Hazel is 6 weeks old and while our night time routine (not schedule ) is shockingly regular - I swear no matter what is going on in our lives she falls into a coma like sleep between 8 and 9:30PM and doesn't wake up until 1AM - our daytimes seem completely irregular to me. I hear tell of babies taking three naps a day - but we have nothing structured like that going on here. I couldn't even count her naps as it is more like an hour here, 15 minutes there. All day long. I'm not trying to enforce a schedule, but I am wondering if she will settle into her own routine sometime? One thing I am trying to do is read her sleep cues a little better, in the hopes this might encourage longer and more organized naps. I wonder if her catnapping has something to do with me not really getting the cues and not helping her get into a nice deep sleep.

[Mommy2anangel]

Mine is like that. Absolutely no schedule at all during the day.. (she'll be 7 weeks on Wed). Some days it's a few 10 minute naps, other days it's a few 2 hour naps on me But at night, she goes down like clockwork between 9 and 10 and is up around 2 or 3 and then up around 5 and then when DS and i get out of bed.
When she takes her few hour long naps, it's usually on me. That's the best way to get her to take a nap, and I love it.

[Starfish11]

We've been trying to track to see whether or not Evangeline has a schedule, too. She is really only regular in that she wants to feed every three to four hours. She takes a nap in the morning for about 2-3 hours, an afternoon nap, and an evening nap before bedtime. We normally take her up to bed around 10 PM. If we try to get her to sleep any earlier she fusses until she actually wants to sleep for the night.

I worried about scheduling too and even went so far as to read "Babywise" on a neighbor's advice (terrible! bah! embarrassed that I even read it). After talking to other parents and reading a lot of Dr. Sears, I've decided to let her be. I think that I might feel differently around 5-6 months.

On a side note, HI TERRA! Good to hear from you How is Hazel doing otherwise? Particularly in regards to her hypothyroidism?

[namistenicole]

I don't think they develop a real schedule until around 3 months, and even then a short nap might be part of their normal schedule. At some point they nap three times a day with longer periods of awake time in between. So far Lucia is only awake for little snippets between nursing and sleeping (with no real pattern).

[terrainthailand]

Thanks guys... I think. No really, good to know it is normal. I won't change a thing.

We're doing fine. The first few weeks were really rough for us. In addition to being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Hazel had pretty severe jaundice, failed her newborn hearing screening, and I got dependent on a nipple shield for nursing. DH and I were feeling pretty low. Things are soooo much better now. During week three the jaundice cleared up and we kicked the nipple shield habit and two weeks ago Hazel passed her follow-up hearing test... : The consequences of hypothyroidism left untreated are devastating, but thanks to the newborn screening we caught it early and are treating it. She will likely have to take a pill everyday for her entire life, but it will be a normal life and she should live to meet her full potential. So we are at peace with it. Having had an easy pregnancy and never having had any health problems myself, I was in complete shock that anything could be other than completely normal. Getting over those feelings of disappointment were the biggest challenge.

Thanks for asking... and remembering. It is so thoughtful of you, and a reminder that we have friends everywhere - even online!!

[namistenicole]

Wow Terra, I'm sorry. Your response is so thoughtful and wise, Hazel is so lucky to have you as her mama. Thinking of you.

[terrainthailand]

thanks nicole :

[Starfish11]

Terra Nicole is so right: Hazel is so lucky to have you two as parents

I'm so sorry that things were so rough for you three. How wonderful that it has turned around for you all and Hazel is bringing you all the joy she can muster.

It's super hard when our little ones preoccupy us with worry. I know what you mean, too, about feeling a bit low when the experience is not what you thought it would be. Before we diagnosed Evangeline with GERD I just felt helpless in terms of being able to calm and comfort her.

I hope we keep hearing more updates about you all. Is your family headed there soon to see their new grandbaby?

[Sage_SS]

LOL.. yeah, kinda the same over here!

No matter what is going on Lucien is down for the count between 8 am and 11 am. Then he's up for most the day, just taking short naps. But around 7:30 he passes out until 11 pm. He wakes up to eat then sleeps until 2:30 am, then he's up until about 4 am.

But the morning sleep and the night sleep are the only two that he really follows.