Alert/Sleepy time

[operamommy]

I love how you can be on your 4th kid and STILL have a bazillion questions.

I've been getting frustrated with Peter because I feel like I can't figure out what he needs. Usually he wakes from a nap and wants to nurse right away. So we nurse on the first side, change the diaper, and nurse on the second. Lately instead of drifting off after the second side, he's still awake and alert. The problem is that he only really feels awake for about 15 minutes! So 15 minutes later I'm stuck nursing him back off to sleep or rocking him. Sometimes the sling works, sometimes not. Getting him to sleep can take 30+ minutes, so it feels like ALL I do is repeat this cycle.

How does your baby handle alert time. What's their "routine" at this point? I'm hoping to get some ideas.

[LawrenceDoula]

My son is only alert for 10 minutes at a time a few times a day. It seems like all he wants to do is nurse back to sleep! My daughter was awake much more and went longer between nursing. Of course my son is so much bigger and growing so much faster that I think he needs so much more sleep and fuel. I guess I can't complain that he sleeps so much, but I'm ready for more interaction.

[SamuraiMom]

Another 4rster here who doesn't remember! We never had a schedule with the other three, they ate on demand and slept right after, usually. I guess we are going through a growth spurt cuz Noah nurses all. the . time. But he has been sleeping for longer periods at night which is fine with me. I can finally enjoy a glass of wine once he's out around 9! ANyway, no real advice...oh, but what I was getting at in the beginning (excuse the mommy brain lol) is that I have had to try and make something of a schedule because of the other 3! Still no real advice, just wanted to share. Nak, I will give it some though and get back to you after 9!

[Dea]

Heh I was wondering the same thing.
When Trixie is awake she's alert, looking around and really awake, but it seems that after every feeding lately she is quick to sleep again. Normally she wakes, feeds, I change her diaper and she sleeps again, but lately I've changed it to wake, feed, diaper, more feed and then sleep again, just so that I can give her tummy more time to sort itself out and then she can ease back to sleep without a diaper change to interrupt.

[cocoschmoco]

My little guy is slow and pokey (I think, since he's my first!), so everything takes forever...during the day, it seems like he likes to eat on one side, have a diaper change, and then if he seems perky, we do "something" - he's had a nasty diaper rash, so it's been lounging in the sun sans-pants, today we checked out the bouncy seat for a bit, etc. When he's had enough, I nurse him on the other side and he passes out again. Such a life! (hee hee)

[steph117]

This week Mia suddenly became much more interested in staying awake for long stretches. On Wednesday she was alert & awake for a good three hours, staring intensely at everything. She hasn't repeated awake time for that long again, but it seems like her pattern is that she definitely is up after her 8am(ish) nursing session for at least an hour.

She's napping now. Why am I not napping now also? That is a very good question. Gosh, I should try...but she'll probably get up again very soon for her next round of nursing, & then be up for a while. Silly Mommy. Mommy needs to learn to have sleepy time when baby does...