Getting out of the house..

Okay ladies. I'm feeling like a slave to the schedule. Now, I probably shouldn't complain because the girls are now napping and sleeping well. They eat well, etc...but I just find it so so difficult to get out of the house inbtwn naps and feedings. FOr those mom's who've been through this stage, how did you get out alone? I feel like I just can't without sacrificing a nap. Generally, I feel okay about sacrificing the last nap of the day by having them nap on the run if we have something scheduled. Occassionally, I will feed them the 1130 solids a bit early so I can run out with them to the store, but then feel like I'm rushing home for a nap.

Were other mom's more flexible and missed naps? I don't want to be overly strict but now that we are all sleeping, I'm afraid if I start messing up the schedule that the babies will stop sleeping well....is that crazy for me to think that?

When did yours drop that 3rd nap of the day? I feel like this would give us more flexibility. Also, I figure when the girls can hold their own bottles that I might get more flexibility cause they can feed themselves in the car, stroller, etc...

I am starting to feel a bit board and trapped in the house....normal?

This is our schedule...when is it possible to get out besides the walk we do late in the day (which we normally do cause the girls are generally fussy at that time and I want to kill some time before the next bottle).

630/7 Wake up and bottle
730 Oatmeal and Pears
830 Nap
10 wake up
1030 bottle
1130 solids
1215 Nap
130/2: wake up
230 Bottle
330 Solids
4 nap
445/5 wake up
5-6 get outside go for walks
6 bath
630 bottle
7 bed...

 

to be honest, i'm still a slave to the schedule. when you get these little creatures sleeping and eating in a way that makes things run smoothly, it's hard to want to rock the boat.

at 6 months i kept my outings short and worked them in around naps. i was more likely to take a bottle with me and run through a mealtime than to be out when naps were imminent. that said, if they fell asleep in the car, we could always bring them in and lay them down upstairs without too much sleep interruption.

even now my boys are down to one nap and i still break up activities around that window, because i don't want half-napped crabby toddlers on my hands. if babies ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. <_<


edited to add: i don't think my boys dropped their third nap until around 9-10 months but every child is different and some will keep naps longer, some will lose naps sooner.

 

i'm another one who's still a slave to the schedule (at least 95% of the time)! btw, it's not crazy to think that missing naps will cause havoc with their sleep - missing a nap here & there will probably just make them cranky for an afternoon, but consistently missing sleep that they need will cause them to be overtired. once they're overtired they have a lot more trouble falling asleep & staying asleep.

my girls dropped their third nap between 7 - 8 months. i did find that it made it easier to run an errand or two in the evening once they dropped that nap. that being said, i also found that it usually worked okay for them to take that third nap on the go since it was usually only 30 - 45 minutes in length anyway - just enough of a snooze to get them through to bedtime.

like Sara, i kept all outings very short at that age - one, maybe two, errands at a time. if i had to go out longer, i would often have someone come over to watch the girls so i could do what i needed to do without having to worry about rushing home.

feeling bored & trapped in the home is definitely normal. i still feel that way sometimes. it helps to think creatively to find ways to get out, either by yourself or with babies. can you go see a movie in the evenings by yourself, once they're in bed? or do some shopping? even just a walk around the neighborhood would help.

looking at your schedule, i was thinking you could probably give their bottles as soon as they wake up. then serve your solids closer to their bottles - even immediately after they've finished them, if you wanted a bit more time between eating & naptime. the other option would be to pack up some baby food with you & feed them on the go. we did that a lot. GL!

 

Yes, I agree I was a total slave to the schedule for at least a couple of years. But if I was going out, I would get the diaper bag ready the night before. Do the morning feedings, then go. They would take their morning nap in the car or in the stroller in the store. For your schedule, you could either leave right when they normally go down for their morning nap and let them sleep in the car before you go do your errand. Or, you could nap them at home. And then go when they get up and feed them their bottles in the car or stroller while you are out and about.

 

I was a HUGE slave to the schedule. If they are good eaters than you have the freedom to feed them on schedule but while you are out and about. We could never do that...In a couple of months they will drop that third nap and you can get out for a longer period of time. If I needed to stay out longer we would have my MIL come in and my DH and MIL would take care of a feeding and put them down for a nap. My DH and I did that a lot, though your free time was strickly separate "me" time, its was soooo worth it.
The good thing with a schedule is that you know when they are going to bed...are you doing date nights? We would have a sitter come in after 7PM and go to dinner or a movie and sadly also do our errands

 

I'm so happy to see other mommies feeling the same way I do. I read somewhere that at this age the twins should be taking 2 naps a day. Mine take 3 naps, each 1-1.25 hours. Our schedule is very much like yours, except we eat/wake/sleep. Like pp, I feed on the go or try to squeeze errands in on their wake time, like you, usually around the last nap of the day. Shortening that nap time seems to have less effect on nighttime sleeping. I, too, am feeling bored & trapped. I've gone to a couple of playgroups this week, but was only able to be there for that hour of wake time (plus travel time). Honestly, the playgroup wasn't worth the effort it took to get out. And with the heat, I haven't wanted to take the twins out much during the day. For the last couple of weeks, I've been running errands after they were in bed while DH gets some chill time to himself. You are not alone & are doing a great job! You're going to make it!!