11 week old - change in sleep

[CSmumtobe]

Hi all!
My 11 week old for the last week suddenly won’t nap for long at all in her bassinet or moses basket, whereas she used to, so unless she contact naps she is way overtired (for example, she only fell asleep at midnight yesterday and woke up at 6am, and has since napped a total of 2 hours (it’s now 2pm).
I’m still recovering from a difficult birth so can’t sit down properly, so my only option for her to nap on me is to lay down in bed and pop her on me to sleep, but I then can’t get up with her on me to try and transfer her either. She usually doesn’t like to fall asleep on me like that and most of the times will cry, but eventually will fall asleep.
I don’t enjoy being a human mattress most of the day so please don’t tell me to enjoy the cuddles - I wouldn’t mind the odd nap but not every single one.
Not sure if related but she also used to sleep really quietly in the first stretch of night sleep (she does 4-5 hours which is great) but now she is really unsettled and keeps stirring/making noise as if she will wake up (but she doesn’t).
Could this be the 4 months sleep regression coming early? But she is only 2.5 months so I am thinking not.
Did this happen to anyone around this age and if so did they go back to sleeping like before/what did you do to improve it?
Again not sure if related but she is bottle fed and also suddenly also won’t feed every 3-4 hours but rather every 4-5 hours. She will eat larger bottles sometimes but sometimes the total is less than she has previously eaten. I am having her weighed tomorrow but she seems to be gaining weight still.
Thanks all

So sorry you're having a tough time with this OP! Baby sleep is a minefield. I've always heard/experienced that the idea of sleep regressions arriving at a certain 'age' is a bit of a stretch and that it's more than baby sleep is constantly evolving as they grow. So I'm no expert but would say it sounds normal.

Some things that I found helped with good sleep patterns:

• Having a consistent routine starting with the same get up time each morning. For us this was 7am, curtains opened, music on, time to have milk and then get dressed etc.
• Tracking wake windows / nap times from there. So at her age having a nice interactive 90mins and then starting a routine for settling her again.
• Same few cues for sleep every time. Maybe a certain blanket, white noise, a lullaby you sing or phrase you repeat.
• Put them down whilst still awake but sleepy. I've heard it describe as starting with putting them down whilst 90% asleep, then 80%, 70% etc. to build self-settling skills
• If they cry or wake, return to them, soothe (ideally without picking up) but always aim to them leave again once they're calming.
• Trying to keep night-time wakes short, simple and not interactive e.g. as dark as possible, bottle, change if needed then back down.

I will be totally open that I am a big supporter of gentle sleep training and think those parents who rely on contact naps / co-sleeping / totally follow baby's lead are either completely mad or just much more committed than me!! (Everyone must do what is right for them of course.)

The other things you've mentioned also sound very normal to me. My DD was a very noisy sleeper! I was so glad to kick her out my room at 6 months :D I'd follow her lead on bottles so long as she's gaining weight (definitely overnight 4-5hrs is 100% fine).

I hope you are getting lots of support if you're still uncomfortable at 11 weeks? If you feel you haven't been then please speak to someone.

Best of luck xx

Thank you so much @ZippyKoala, that’s so helpful. I have started implementing a structured bed time routine yesterday which I plan to follow e.g. pyjamas, bottle, book, put in bassinet drowsy but not fully asleep, slightly rock bassinet until she falls asleep. Seems to have worked yesterday so wish me luck tonight!
She has gained weight (weighed today) so that’s all good.
Of course of all days she has fallen asleep on her own after I just put her downs maybe because I have been busier as we’ve gone out to weigh her and I haven’t been panicking so much about it - I don’t know!
Really want to try to stick to the same time of bedtime e.g. 8pm ish but how do you manage if they don’t always eat at the same time in the day? Try and adjust it to fit I guess?
Thanks again for your help!
Edit: Regarding myself, I have a follow up appointment at the hospital on Friday and will see what they say. Walking to have her weighed today wasn’t as painful so a good sign I hope x

It’s hot and their awake periods will change or become less.

Babies aren’t programmed to a rigid routine.