anyone else struggling with consistency?

[Ldogg]

DD is almost 7 months old, and has never been a consistent baby, really. We've tried to be consistent about bedtime, which is usually around 6:30 - 7pm range, but that's where most patterns end. She eats at totally random times - and totally random amounts, wakes up at night at totally random times - and totally random amounts, naps are all over the place (usually 45 minutes, but occasionally she'll do 1.5 hours).

Is this just a personality thing? She's pretty high-spirited and feisty and VERY active. I just hope she's not completely overtired (and thus wired) all the time. It's hard, because DH and I are actually fairly low-key and routine-based, so it's been really tough finding any kind of rhythm with DD. I keep hoping that one day she'll magically stumble upon that rhythm, but I've come to accept that perhaps it's just her personality. Though I can't help but hope I'm wrong!

[NSmomtobe]

We're totally not consistent here. In my case I think it is largely my fault, because I can't keep a consistent schedule. Part of me actually thinks it will be better for him when I go back to work and he goes to day care because then we will have to wake up at the same time every day so it will be easier to go to bed at the same time and meals will be more consistent (no more nursing on demand ). But DS is very active as well and I think it can play a part.

[Knitting Mama]

The only thing that's consistent for Cecilia is that she wants to nap after being awake for 2 hours. But since she gets up at different times every morning, each day is a little different. It doesn't bother me at all, to be honest. Sure, sometimes it makes planning stuff a little tough, but we deal.

[braidmama]

Yes! Max is just like that. Its been really wearing on me, to be honest. I try to get into a routine and it just doesnt happen. We started giving him fruit here and there but some days completely get away from me and he doesn't have anything other than my milk. His naps are pretty random. I try to stay home most of the time so that he can get used to sleeping here and not be disturbed so much by being out and about but sometimes it must happen, for example, tonight. He is not falling asleep anytime soon- it's 9:30 pm- and usually he's out by 7-7:30.

[snoopy5386]

sounds pretty typical to me.

[carmel23]

When you're only 7 months old, that's not a whole lot of time to have developed habits.

[red and lulu]

Dd was like that at 7 months, and still is at 15 months. The more I try to establish a routine the more frustrating and impossible our days seem.

[beebalmmama]

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

sounds pretty typical to me.

Yeah, that's what I thought too. They are changing and growing so much in the first year that just when you think they've started on some kind of rhythm, they change it up again.

[Ldogg]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

The only thing that's consistent for Cecilia is that she wants to nap after being awake for 2 hours. But since she gets up at different times every morning, each day is a little different. It doesn't bother me at all, to be honest. Sure, sometimes it makes planning stuff a little tough, but we deal.

If I could bank on this, that would be fairly consistent I'd say! But when I mean inconsistent, I mean *no* pattern whatsoever... sometimes she's rubbing her eyes after being awake for 10 min, sometimes she can be awake for 3 hours.

I know she won't have a to-the-T routine, but just some vague semblance of what to expect would be nice.

[rhiOrion]

She has somewhat of a routine on weekdays because of daycare. I think if she wasn't in daycare that there would be no routine.

We get her ready for bed somewhere around 8. Maybe 8:30. Maybe 9:00. Maybe 9:15. The other day she had two 30 minute naps all day and ended up falling asleep for the night at 6:30.

On weekends the only fairly consistent thing is that she'll probably need a nap within two hours of waking up. But, sometimes I can keep her occupied in bed and she'll end up combining that nap with our nighttime sleep. Sometimes not.

I don't stress about it too much. I am not very consistent on weekends either, so I figure I can't expect her to be.

[Peace+Hope]

my little guy often takes a late nap, and has pretty consistently always done so. as long as we have 45mins to an hour til bedtime, it doesn't interfere with him going down for the night!

[Adaline'sMama]

DD is almost 7 months too, and we are starting to get a little consistency. Most days she goes to bed at 8:30, wakes up at 2 to nurse, wakes up at 4 to play in the bed while we are still sleeping, goes back to sleep around 6, and wakes up for the day around 9. She eats solids in the morning and we usually read or sing. Then she takes a nap for about two hours. When she wakes up I try to take her for a walk, and she usually helps me clean, and then she naps again from 4-5. Then she wakes up and is a doll for about an hour. The next two hours are awful.

This is a typical day when we are at home. Because we live in a rural environment, when we run errands we are gone for the whole day. She is fussier away from home, because she hates the carseat.

[Tattooed Hand]

My DD is just starting to really thrive on a schedule (which I had all but given up on). I kept to it strictly for 2 weeks and things got alot better. Now it's all kind of gone down the drain because of teething, but not SO far off...and I think we'll go back or I'll just have to figure out the new schedule when her naps/sleep changes. But really, it just happened on its own when she was 9 months old.

[MamaPhD]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

The only thing that's consistent for Cecilia is that she wants to nap after being awake for 2 hours. But since she gets up at different times every morning, each day is a little different. It doesn't bother me at all, to be honest. Sure, sometimes it makes planning stuff a little tough, but we deal.

At that age, DD was on a roughly "nurse - 2 hr wake - 1 hr sleep" schedule. Depending on when she woke up, the whole day would be shifted. The only thing I tried to do was to not play with her if she woke up during the night time to encourage night time sleeping (like no talking to her, no facial expressions, etc. & just change diaper, nurse, back to bed!). I can't remember exactly when but DD settled herself into a 2x 2hr nap schedule by herself after a while.

[akind1]

DS is nearly 11 months and I struggle with this also. Each day for us is different. It isn't him, it is us. I WAH 3 days a week, WOH 2 days (he stays with DH) and then there is the weekend. The days I WAH are pretty consisent; I know when he wakes, and then I am trying to add at least a snack, if not a meal, in the morning to get both of us used to breakfast, awake a little longer, a short nap, etc (In short there IS a semblance of routine) except for bedtime which is anywhere from 9-11 pm. Other than nursing and cuddles, we don't have a bedtime routine.

The days I am in the office, DH doesn't give him any solids while I am gone (why, I have no idea) short of maybe some yogurt snacks or something. I have said to him that he should do at least something - breakfast or lunch -

point is, consistency is tough I think. They are growing and changing, and stuff happens to kill your routine. keep trying, I think that will happen organically as they get older. (I keep hoping anyway!)

[Ldogg]

Consistency is definitely tough. I think probably just trying to let go of any preconceived notions about it is probably best, cause I end up driving myself crazy.

Glad to hear some of you mamas are going through the same thing, though... not happy that you have to deal with that frustration, of course, but glad that I'm not alone!