My gorgeous DS is 4 months old and is pretty much a perfect baby. Has slept through the night since 7 weeks old, feeds well, plays well, generally doesn't fuss, incredibly smiley, very easy going...
He sleeps (on average) from 8:30pm until 7:30am. It's straight through the night, doesn't fuss and doesn't put up a protest when we put him in his cot because he knows that when he's in there it's time to go to sleep.
His normal routine is he'll wake up, play for about half an hour, then feed. Play some more, then nap for half an hour. He'll then wake up, play for 30 minutes, have food, play some more, then have another nap for 30 minutes. He's been pretty regular and generally we end up feeding him every 3 to 3.5 hours. (8am, 11:00, 2:30pm, 5pm and then 8pm).
We tend to just hold him when he needs a nap and then he goes to sleep with his dummy in, then put him on the sofa and carry on with things until he wakes up. But recently there have been absolute ructions in trying to get him to nap.
He's blatantly tired because he has a very specific "I'm tired" cry. But he thrashes, screams, spits his dummy out, wails so much that he turns purple, he kicks and hits out at the person holding him, he arches his back and straightens his legs to try and get away... it's absolute murder. This will go on for upwards of 20 minutes and it's getting absolutely beyond.
We've tried holding him looser, we've tried making him warmer, making him colder, holding him in a specific way that doesn't allow him to thrash about (because in all honesty - it bloody hurts!), we've tried putting him down in his cot but he gets confused and upset then because it's still daytime out so therefore it isn't sleep.
He definitely needs naps, because he truly is absolutely shattered. With our current household, we have my partner and me here during the day to play with him, and then his grandparents come back between 3 and 5 so they play with him in the evenings, and we have his Auntie with us too so she plays with him whenever possible. So it isn't that he isn't tired, he just fights and fights and fights it!
WWYD? Anyone else had this situation? Am I expecting too much of my 4-month-old baby? Is this normal?
AIBU?
WWYD? Am I expecting too much?
StealthPenguin · 23/11/2011 19:10
Maybe his frequency of naps is too... er frequent (
). From memory I think my DD napped, at 4 months, for 30-45 mins around 9am, an hour ora bit more around 12pm then an hour around 3. Bedtime at 7pm through to 7am.
I also agree that daytime napping routines change so so much in the first year.
YANBU. I agree with jenrendo - had I not become relaxed about it, I'd have gone crazy(ier)! DS is the same. One day he will nap in his cot for 2 hours - the next it will take several miles (either in his car or in his buggy) for him to drop off - no difference in routine on both days. I became so desperate that I even read books on the subject! However, the minute I became more relaxed about it, is the minute that it became easier.
DS is obviously of the opinion that variety is the spice of life
Ah I get you. Should have read it properly 
I do think though that he is perhaps ready to not sleep so much. My dd didn't start napping in her cot till she was nearly one. I know it's easier said than done but try to relax about it and you'll soon settle into another routine. You'll get settled into a new one and then in a month or two it will be all change again!
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