Project Roosevelt

Liz Heyer

A Baby Question....
4 messages

Liz Heyer

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 8:52 PM

To: Sara Pearce

Cc: Lindsay Heyer

Helllooo!

Here's the deal - Lindsay and I have a baby sleep question that we can't find in any book or anywhere on the Internets and we fear the mom backlash we may get if we post our question to a group or message board. Enter Sara. We're hoping that you can either help answer our question or point us in the direction of someone who can.

Jude is sleeping. A lot. This weekend and last weekend he has woken up at 9:30 or 10:00 am after going to sleep at 7:30 pm. On top of that, he took a 3.5 hour nap this afternoon. That's 17.5 hours in the last 24 hour period. Whaaaat? We know that babies sometimes sleep more when they're about to hit a growth spurt or going through a milestone, but with this amount of sleep, we're expecting Harvard to accept his application any day, now.

We've also wondered if it has anything to do with the transition from two naps to one. He's been transitioned at daycare to one nap, but it just doesn't seem like enough for him, so we WERE keeping him on a two nap schedule at home on the weekends to let him catch up/store up for the week. His late late wakeup time, however, hasn't left much time for two naps, so he's been on one at home now, too.

For the most part, we know we shouldn't worry too much about this - we know there are parents who would kill to have this problem (and don't get me wrong, I've LOVED the extra time in bed on the weekends!), but there are two things that I can't help but worry about. 1) It's PAINFUL on Monday morning when we have to wake him up at 6:45 am and 2) Is there something wrong? Should we be waking him up at the same time everyday, even on weekends? Should we be matching the schedule at daycare, even though I don't think it's enough sleep? Even though his one nap at daycare is at about noon and our ECFE class goes until 1:00 every Saturday? Argh!!!!!!!!

Like I said - I'm trying not to stress but, I'm stressing anyway. Can you help?

(Also, we miss you and love any excuse to see you or talk to you :-)

Thanks,

Liz

Sara Pearce

Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 6:02 AM

To: Liz Heyer

Cc: Lindsay Heyer

Dear Crazy,

Can my eyes be deceiving me? Are you asking about a child who sleeps TOO MUCH? Is this the same woman who was in my New Mama Class?

Reality checks.
-Jude has always been a good sleeper (for the most part)
-Toddlers need sleep after their crazy behavior during the day, especially during growth spurts
-Nap transitions make people wonky, sometimes for months at a time
-Keep him at one nap and put him to bed early early early
-Match the schedule at daycare and put him to bed super early - 5:00/5:30-ish
-The child can be disrupted once a week to go to ECFE and will survive, unless it makes him a nightmare in which case one of you can go to class and the other can stay home with him, then at least you're still listening to the parent topics.

I'm just really, really worried that all this sleep is going to make him lose the ability to ROLL OVER. Oh wait, not only is he rolling but all the rest of his development seems to be right on track.

Hahaha, I can't resist the temptation to give you a hard time because you are my favorite Mamas.

Love you, mean it, now stop worrying.

Sara Pearce RN CNM IBCLC
CEO & Director of Education
Amma Maternity Inc

3511 Hazelton Road Edina, MN, 55435
Direct line: (952) 831-0712
Main center line: (952) 926-BABY
XXXXXXXXX@ammamaternity.com

DISCLAIMER: Any information contained in this e-mail is not intended to be medical advice, nor does it replace care given by your health care provider. Please consult your health care provider when seeking medical care.

Liz Heyer

Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 9:33 PM

To: Sara Pearce

Cc: Lindsay Heyer

Ok, ok, ok! Message received, loud and clear! I promise not to worry about this anymore.

We will do our best to match the school schedule on the weekends and not stress out about the one day a week when we have to change it up a bit.

BUT I have to talk about the whole moving-the-bedtime-up thing. I've read it in other places, but I just don't think we can actually make it happen as two full time workin mamas. I usually get home with the Judester just after 5 and it's dinnertime for him. The other mom gets home around 6:00 or 6:30. SO, we're going to try moving it up by 30 minutes (about all we'll be able to move it without totally changing work and daycare schedules) for a week and see what kind of difference it makes and then, reevaluate (though Lindsay is about ready to take the baby and run away with him just so she can get a little time with him).

Thanks, again, for humoring us and giving us a reality check - somehow I have a feeling that we're all going to be ok. :-)

Crazy

P.S. Can I post this whole darn exchange on our blog?

Sara Pearce

Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 5:31 AM

To: Liz Heyer

Yes you can post the exchange on the blog. :) Remember, with sleep, inconsistency is the new consistency. It's always a moving target. Just try the earlier bedtime for a week or two and see what happens. Tell Lindsay she could just take him out of daycare and wear him around work in a Bjorn.