How do you get a breastfed baby on a schedule?

[A home for their hearts]

I've breastfed all my babies, my oldest for only six weeks, and none of them has ever been able to be on any kind of a schedule. It never really concerned me before but I wasn't homeschooling then. I'm not too concerned on getting my baby on a feeding schedule but on a sleeping schedule. She used to sleep so good that I almost called the doctor because I thought she was sleeping too much. I was never blest with a quiet baby before and therefore thought something had to be wrong! Well she has woken up and now refuses to sleep more than 15 minutes at a time during the day. She days great at night. We co-sleep so I can just roll over, feed her, and she goes right back to sleep. I just really need for her to take at least one good nap during the day, an even just an hour would be good. She'll sleep longer if I'm holding her, but that defeats the purpose, I can't hold her and try to wrangle the other kids to do their school work! AGH!!! I'm about driving myself mad. It doesn't help the fact any that we are already far far behind in our school work. I confessed to my dh the other night that if for whatever reason our kids had to be put back into ps I'm afraid that would put them in a grade behind. I'm not saying I'm putting them back in ps, but if God forbid something happens and I can't teach them I'm afraid of that won't be were they need to be academically.
Advice? Support? Anything?:confused::confused:

[Jennifer in MI]

Awwww . . . It does get easier, I promise!!! Is she starting to cut teeth? Starting to sit up? My babies would wake more frequently when they cut teeth or whever they did new things (one actually woke himself up trying to crawl in his sleep!).

How are you getting her down for a nap? Does she sleep in your bed for naps too? Sounds like she just really likes having you nearby!! I remember at that age, I'd nurse the babe to sleep in bed and sneak away. I'd always put a pillow on both sides, trying to trick her into thinking it was me!!

Do you have a sling? Or a baby carrier of some sort? Will she sleep better in a swing? I remember when my now-2 year old was that age, I'd walk with her in the sling reading to the boys.

Hug her and kiss her knowing that as soon as she gets a "schedule" or routine of any sort, she'll change to a new one sooner or later!! LOL

[Sue G in PA]

My dd used to sleep very well in her swing. She was an easy baby and slept very well anyway, but during the day when I couldn't hold her I'd put her in the swing and off to sleep she'd go! OR, more frequently, I'd nurse her and she'd fall asleep and I'd put her in a bouncy seat next to me while we did our schoolwork. Occasionally, I'd put her in my room on my bed (before she began rolling, of course!) in btwn some pillows. SHe slept there at night and found it more comfortable during the day for naps. Also, try getting a sling. You can hold her in there with your hands free to do whatever you need to do. Is the baby still at the swaddling stage? If so, then swaddle her tightly in a blanket and she might sleep better.

Don't beat yourself up about the falling "behind". Your dc are probably much further ahead than you think. Focus on the core subjects and maybe do some read alouds, independent reading for science/history? Don't forget to take care of you! If you are breastfeeding, getting proper rest and nutrition is key to a good milk supply and a happy baby who sleeps well! Your other dc will be just fine!

[litabitm]

Hugs to you! It will get easier. She just feels the need to have you near right now. I second Jennifer's suggestion about trying a sling or baby carrier. I carried one of my daughters all the time - it was the only way I could get anything done. I also tried to put my babies down for a nap in the same room or nearby. It's hard for babies who are used to being around noise all of the time to suddenly be placed in a quiet room - it wakes them up. Try placing her in a bassinet near where you work with the boys.

You could also try to adjust your boys' schedule so that when she is awake, she is in a carrier or sling and you are doing work with the boys. When she is ready to nurse, you could all pile on the couch and do reading to the boys or have them read to you.

You will find the right solution for you and your family. It will get better and your boys are learning a whole different education now about patience and caring for others and sacrifice. They will catch up - not to worry.

Hugs,
Liz
Mom to 5 dc

[A home for their hearts]

I do put her in a travel sling after I've nursed her to sleep, I always have and she slept wonderfully like in it until about 6 weeks ago! Now she seems to be a very light sleeper and any little noise will wake her up. Maybe I'll try putting her to sleep in my bed and see if she does better. Hopefully it'll work.
I do have a sling, and I used it a little a few weeks ago while she was awake so I could get some housework done. I stopped using it because it killed my back! My baby isn't such a little baby anymore, she is almost 20lbs so I really can't nurse while she's in it because she doesn't fit that way! LOL When I put her in it sitting she just seems to put squashed!
Thanks for the advice, the next time she falls asleep I'll put her in my bed and see what happens!

[StaceyinLA]

nursing her to sleep with a fan on (like a box fan, or a fan-style heater if it's still cold where you are). This will likely drown out lots of the little noises in the house that startle her. I, too, used to nurse mine to sleep then get up and put the pillows around them. I'd give that a shot if I were you.

[melissel]

I agree about the white noise. We have always used air filters in our kids rooms--at at first because we lived in a city area on a major street, and then later because they made such great white noise. We still use them for both girls. Also, at 5 months I started using a Kozy Carrier (http://kozycarrier.homestead.com/) mei tai. It looks complicated, and it took me 3-4 days of being kind of frustrated with figuring it, but let me tell you, she practically lived on my back in that thing from 5 months to 16 months, when she realized she could actually make the choice to get down and walk on her own :D I credit it with making the transition SO much easier on my three-year-old (and, uh, me too :o), because I was so much more available to her. I could even do my work in it as long as I was standing up. I didn't nurse her in it (I was never able to nurse in any carrier), but she would go down for maybe 75% of her naps in it, because I would just be walking around, doing my thing--cleaning, playing with my DD, walking outside, etc. She would fall asleep and I would just bend forward, untie the top straps, slide her around me and onto the bed, put the bed rails up and go. If I ever get PG again, another of those will be my very first purchase.

[Peek a Boo]

I had the BEST luck getting my kids to sleep when i switched the schedule a'la Babywise -- not nursing them to sleep made allll the difference w/ number 5. I wish I had known about that w/ teh first 4 kids! There are a couple books that discuss instituting a sleep-wake-feed schedule instead of nurse-sleep-wake schedule. He had more energy to nurse cuz he wasn't tired, I wasn't associated as his comfort mechanism for getting to sleep, and I can put him to sleep almost anywhere.

good luck!

[qfbrenda]

If you want to be able to hold her lots but can't since the sling hurts, you might try a mei tai or long wrap type carrier. Or maybe a soft-structured carrier would work. thebabywearer.com has lots of info about different types of carriers.

Four months was often tough for my babies because they started teething, and it messed up their sleep.

I hope it gets better soon!

[Rhondabee]

I had the BEST luck getting my kids to sleep when i switched the schedule a'la Babywise -- not nursing them to sleep made allll the difference w/ number 5. I wish I had known about that w/ teh first 4 kids! There are a couple books that discuss instituting a sleep-wake-feed schedule instead of nurse-sleep-wake schedule. He had more energy to nurse cuz he wasn't tired, I wasn't associated as his comfort mechanism for getting to sleep, and I can put him to sleep almost anywhere.

good luck!

No time for specifics, but yes - definitely the key!

Rhonda

[Michelle in MO]

I had the BEST luck getting my kids to sleep when i switched the schedule a'la Babywise -- not nursing them to sleep made allll the difference w/ number 5. I wish I had known about that w/ teh first 4 kids! There are a couple books that discuss instituting a sleep-wake-feed schedule instead of nurse-sleep-wake schedule. He had more energy to nurse cuz he wasn't tired, I wasn't associated as his comfort mechanism for getting to sleep, and I can put him to sleep almost anywhere.

good luck!

I did the nurse/wake/sleep routine also, and it saved my sanity! If you do a search on this forum under the name "Babywise" you should be able to find the discussion that took place sometime within the past two weeks on this topic. The key: be flexible, not legalistic, and use your common sense about watching your own milk supply (coupled with eating and resting well yourself, plus lots of liquids), watching the baby's growth patterns and wet diapers, etc. We used the Christian version of Babywise--Preparation for Parenting--and if you think of their ideas as "principles" rather than "rules" you should be fine.