Daily Schedule

Okay, so I haven't been trying to follow a strict schedule or anything b/c my babies are just too little (almost 10 weeks), but the last 3 days I have written down when we do things to try to identify why they get so fussy in the evening. All 3 days were pretty similar, give or take 30 minutes, where am I going wrong?

7:30-wake up, we have smiling happy babies, we usually lay in bed and snuggle for 15-30 minutes
8:00-get dressed, wash faces and hands
8:15-bottles
9:00-9:30/45-nap
9:45-10:30-play, either on baby einstein mat, bouncy seat, or tummy time
10:30-bottles
11:15-1:45 nap (usually at least one will wake up in here but goes right back to sleep with some butt patting and shushing)
1:45-bottles
2:30-3:15-play time again, babies are not quite so happy
3:15-4:00-nap (I can't get them to stay down any longer)
4:00-bottles
4:00-6:15 very fussy, unhappy babies, I've tried playing, rocking, etc., nothing seems to help (if I'm lucky they may sleep 15 minutes in here)
6:15-bottles
6:45- all **** breaks loose, both babies screaming unless being walked around and sung too and even then they sometimes scream
7:30-bathtime (out of desperation to calm them down)
8:00-we are able to get them very sleepy by walking/rocking
8:30-bottles
9:00-bedtime, they usually by this time are so tired they go out like a light and sleep until 4:00 a.m. (they have only gone that long the last 2 nights, hoping it's not a fluke)
4:00 bottle
7:30-wake up

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

I dont think you are going wrong anywhere. Are they 10 weeks or 7 weeks adjusted? Only reason I ask is at about 6 weeks adjusted mine just started fussing and crying alot in the evenings. They needed to be held constantly. It got much better at about 9 weeks adjusted. I think they are just in the newborn fussy phase that seems to hit all of them. I would just continue to meet their needs. Hope it gets better soon.

 

I am pretty impressed. My babies are just now 6 months old and we have just begun to put together a schedule. At your babies' age all **** was breaking lose all day long at my house. To be honest, our schedule at 6mos. looks a lot like your's does now. I do not have much to suggest - I don't really feel like you are going wrong anywhere.

The only thing I can think of would be to make sure you are getting outside. A nice walk or something (I am in Jacksonville, FL so the weather is okay) if you are in a locations with decent weather (or even just bundle up and get outside if possible) does wonders for my two. I also always have them play in their bouncies out on the front porch whenever I can. I guess you coulde also try to mess with your late afternoon/early evening schedule: for example, can you try bath at 6:15, bottles at 6:45, a little cuddle around 7 and bed at 7:15 or 7:30.

I guess what I am saying is that our daytime schedule looks like yours but my babies simply cannot make it from the end of their third nap until any later than 7 or 7:30 without completely melting down.

Sounds like you are doing great, mom!

Amy

 

Wow we didn't have any type of schedule at that age. But we did have a lot of fussing in the evening, which prompted the invention of baby dance party. If I'm reading your schedule right, are they really up from 4pm until 9pm? I think they need another nap in there. I see you are doing bottles at 6:15, can you put them in the swing or something from 5:15 until 6:15? I do realize they just woke up from another quick nap at 4pm, but maybe this will help the crankiness. Just a thought. I'm just so impressed that you have a schedule at 10 weeks. We are over 8 months and are finally getting into a schedule now. GL! -Leighann

 

i think you need another nap in there somewhere...they are up for a long time from 4pm-9pm. you may also consider and earlier bedtime....my kids were going to bed at 6, and still go down now between 6-7pm. they were just done by that time and just begging to go to sleep. think of all the stimulation they get throughout the day...they get tired easily. also, i think they are up for 2 hrs. at a time or something like that if i remember correctly.

Good luck!

 

I agree about the earlier bedtime. Usually at the point all **** breaks loose is when bedtime is needed. When people would say the word "bed time" to me knowing I had 2 month olds, I thought they were crazy. But it simply meant bath, story, move them to a dark room, and conuduct any other feedings for the rest of the night in that dark room with NO other stimulation. I would move bath time up before that 6:15 bottle and then move them to the bed. I did this at the suggestion of several ladies here and my boys were sleeping through the night by 3.5 months. Good luck and you're doing a great job!

 

Maybe at 5:45 do your bath and bedtime routine then do the 6:15 bottle, swaddle them and put them to bed at 6:30 so you have them there a bit before the "witching hour" that usually starts at 6:45.

Our girls just turned 12 weeks. We have had the 6 pm. until midnight fussiness for 6 weeks stratight. I finally decided that these girls needed to learn to sleep through that. So, Wednesday we did a very modified CIO for several hours after the bedtime routine. I did not carry them around the house. I let them scream swaddled in their crib but I visited often to let them know we were there. Thursday night we did the same night time routine and put them down and guess what...one cried for a total of 90 seconds (i know...i timed it) and then it was peaceful sweet sleep until midnight when they woke to eat and then right back to sleep. I simply can't describe the sense of accomplishment for them and me! They needed me to help them learn to sleep. They were so so so smiley this morning!!! Just trust your gut. When you feel they are ready to learn to sleep then form a plan and stick to it. In the meantime, you may have to walk them and do whatever works during the yucky fussy's.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replies, I feel like all I do is try to put them to sleep from 4-8, I will try initiating the "nightime" routine at 6 instead of 8. Also, do you all have any tips for getting them to sleep in a place other than my arms, they hate the swing and the bouncy seat just wakes them up. They will sleep in the car, but only if it's moving so most of the time when I"m alone I have them both in my arms, and my arms and back are so sore by the end of the day.

 

I agree with PP...WOW at having a schedule already, I sure didn't! Earlier bedtime, or an extra nap. Do they have an instrumental CD or something to sooth them? Also, I had mine in the same crib at this age. I would put them down and lean over the crib to be close or pat/rub them to sooth them to sleep. Then, they still had my touch, but I was not holding them. They learned then to fall asleep in the crib. I slowly lessened my time at the crib. Now, I only do this if they are not feeling well, ie. teething or belly ache. Another wonderful thing my DH found is called Gripe Water. It has been great for the witching hour of tummy troubles. GOOD LUCK!!

 

Okay, so I tried moving up bedtime and I think it backfired, they ate at 6:30, screamed until 8 when they fell asleep. I didn't want to wake them for their usual 8:30 bottle. Instead of their usual 5 (sometimes 7 hours), DD was up at 11:30, 2:30, and 6:30. She was so confused after the 2:30 bottle she cried until 4. DS did slightly better, up to eat at 1:00, 5:00, then 7:00. They typically stay on the same schedule day and night (they just naturally have done this, we don't wake one when the other feeds anymore). They had their 2 month shots today and have been more fussy/sleepy than normal so I'm not even going to try anything until they get back to their "normal" routine. The pedi said we can also try some modified CIO if we want but I'm not so sure how I feel about it yet, I'm going to do some more reading.

 

Whenever I try something new with my babies or their schedule I always abide by the 3 day rule. In otherwords...I will try this for three days, no matter how painful it is or how much it seems to backfire, I will continue to try for 3 days and if by the forth day it is still not working then go back to the drawing board.

Don't give up too soon - it takes the babies a bit to process the change and roll with it. I also think they can sense our nervousness a bit.

Amy

 

i've always been told you can't spoil a baby in the first 3 months...meaning do whatever you want, hold them, rock them to sleep etc. but then you really need to teach them how to sleep on their own. so soon, you need to put them in the crib and let them figure out how to fall asleep on their own....if you don't, they will always want to be held to go to sleep, etc.

 

Looks like you're doing an amazing job for having such young babies. My only suggestions would be to put them down for their first nap sooner - probably just an hour after they wake in the morning (which means you'll have to feed them straight away) so you can fit four 45-minute naps into the day (my guys were short nappers too - we did four 45-minute naps until about 6 months). Also, I would aim to have them down to bed at night earlier. Between 6 and 8 is best for most little ones. Mine were in bed by 6:30 or 7:00 at that age, so they could get 11 or 12 hours at night (hopefully). Overtiredness was the cause of our evening crankiness, I know that now. More naps and earlier bedtime were the key for us. Moving up their bedtime cold turkey will be too hard - do it in 20 minute increments over a few days.

 

That sounds similar to my schedule at that age. Remember that all babies are fussier at night. I would second the Gripe Water. My DD it did wonders for her colic and my DS when he got bad. Also I gave mine a late nap ( and still do) and then put them to bed at 9:00 (used to be 10) and they slept until 7 am. Also try music. I would play it all night when I was getting them to go all night and still leave it on when they are having a fussy night. That way when they start to wake up the music soothes them. I even did it at naps for a while to help get them to sleep or stay asleep.