My 3 mth old is currently following the Gina Ford schedule ie 5 feeds in the day, 1/2 hr naps at 9 am and 4 pm with a long nap between 12 pm to 2 pm. The problem is putting him to bed at the 630 pm sleep for the night which he hates and fusses for an hour sometimes. However the 630pm sleep follows the sleep cycle recommended in the book. Has anyone else had a similar prob and how was it sorted out ?
sleep patterns
- Thread starter glee
- Start date
carang
Registered User
i hate to tell you this but... your child has not read the book!
books are great to give you a feel of how you can try to sort things out, but babies have their own rythym.
my 3.75 month old boy wakes around 6-7am, has a nap around 9-11am and sometimes around 2-4pm. i usually take him swimming from 4-5pm, feed him around 6-6:30. he has a bath around 6:30-7pm and goes to sleep between 7pm and 8pm without fail. he found this pattern himself(without the swimming).
don't try to get your son to conform to what a book says. work with him and find out what works for you both! you'll both be much happier and less stressed!
good luck!
books are great to give you a feel of how you can try to sort things out, but babies have their own rythym.
my 3.75 month old boy wakes around 6-7am, has a nap around 9-11am and sometimes around 2-4pm. i usually take him swimming from 4-5pm, feed him around 6-6:30. he has a bath around 6:30-7pm and goes to sleep between 7pm and 8pm without fail. he found this pattern himself(without the swimming).
don't try to get your son to conform to what a book says. work with him and find out what works for you both! you'll both be much happier and less stressed!
good luck!
Hi,
I completely agree with carang. I read the 'Contented Baby' book and then decided that I had given birth to a little human, not a little robot. For some people this books works and for them, great. However, I found that the routine was too inflexible. I have a two and half year old and an 11 month old who both sleep through the night now, just about, give or take the odd waking.
If you need to read a book (and with my first child I read everything I could get my hands on; with second, I threw the books away and did what felt right for me and my daughter), then try 'The No-cry Sleep Solution' by Elizabeth Pantley. I found it a much softer appraoch, that allowed me to be the parent that I wanted to be, rather than the regimented person the other book was trying to force me into. One of the side effects of the 'Contented Baby' book was that when it didn't work I began to feel that I was a failure. There are as many different parenting styles as there are babies and their parents.
Try to relax, listen to what you child is telling you. They let you know when they're tired, hungry etc. Enjoy your baby and put the clock away, babies can't tell the time anyway.
Jools
I completely agree with carang. I read the 'Contented Baby' book and then decided that I had given birth to a little human, not a little robot. For some people this books works and for them, great. However, I found that the routine was too inflexible. I have a two and half year old and an 11 month old who both sleep through the night now, just about, give or take the odd waking.
If you need to read a book (and with my first child I read everything I could get my hands on; with second, I threw the books away and did what felt right for me and my daughter), then try 'The No-cry Sleep Solution' by Elizabeth Pantley. I found it a much softer appraoch, that allowed me to be the parent that I wanted to be, rather than the regimented person the other book was trying to force me into. One of the side effects of the 'Contented Baby' book was that when it didn't work I began to feel that I was a failure. There are as many different parenting styles as there are babies and their parents.
Try to relax, listen to what you child is telling you. They let you know when they're tired, hungry etc. Enjoy your baby and put the clock away, babies can't tell the time anyway.
Jools
Hi,
My daughter is 7 months old and I have sort of followed the Gina Ford approach since she was born, but no where near as strictly as the routines in the book indicate. I totally agree that when it doesn't fit with what the routine says then you feel a complete failure. However, I did find it helpful as a first time mum to have something to turn to for ideas.
I have been lucky and my daughter seemed to put herself into a routine (which coinsidentally is pretty close to the contented baby routines!)
I have lots of friends who followed Gina Ford, it worked brilliantly for some and didn't suit others so I think you just have to see what works for you.
As for the 6.30pm sleep - I did find when my daughter was between 3 - 4 months she wouldn't settle and sometimes screamed for almost an hour, in hindsight I think she may have had a touch of colic. However it didn't last long and she now goes to be at 7pm without any problems.
Glee - have you looked on the contented baby website for help or ideas?
My daughter is 7 months old and I have sort of followed the Gina Ford approach since she was born, but no where near as strictly as the routines in the book indicate. I totally agree that when it doesn't fit with what the routine says then you feel a complete failure. However, I did find it helpful as a first time mum to have something to turn to for ideas.
I have been lucky and my daughter seemed to put herself into a routine (which coinsidentally is pretty close to the contented baby routines!)
I have lots of friends who followed Gina Ford, it worked brilliantly for some and didn't suit others so I think you just have to see what works for you.
As for the 6.30pm sleep - I did find when my daughter was between 3 - 4 months she wouldn't settle and sometimes screamed for almost an hour, in hindsight I think she may have had a touch of colic. However it didn't last long and she now goes to be at 7pm without any problems.
Glee - have you looked on the contented baby website for help or ideas?
thanks to all for advice. You are right - actual schedules in GFord are only generally followed since have found that baby will not really follow the same timing as set out in the book for his age (especially the long sleep for 2 hrs in the afternoon doesn't really work) but as a first time mom, have found it useful as a guideline and also because baby for some reason as he hit 2 mths seems to have fallen into that particular routine (more or less!).Will continue to watch baby for signs...............
wandasmart
New member
my baby girl won't sleep at the same times during the day from day to day. i just let her sleep when she wants and play in her cot or bring her out if she does not want to sleep. even the 12-2 sleep she sometimes will just look around and talk to her toys etc.. i hope i'm not doing anything wrong but i figure that as long as she still sleeps at night then im fine.
as for the night sleep, i try to put her to sleep at 7 but at times she may gurgle for some attention and top up until around 9ish before she sleeps til her dream feed at 11pm then sleeps through (well sometimes i walk in and her eyes are wide open!!) til 7am.
as for the night sleep, i try to put her to sleep at 7 but at times she may gurgle for some attention and top up until around 9ish before she sleeps til her dream feed at 11pm then sleeps through (well sometimes i walk in and her eyes are wide open!!) til 7am.