u/spoopyclouds

Hi all. Asked about a month ago when baby was having trouble with his 3rd nap. I increased his wake windows to 2.5/2.5/2.75/2.25 and all was fine.

Earlier this week he started having restless periods during the night again, having 1 or 2 intervals where he wakes up every 15-20 minutes for an hour. Then 4 days ago he started having trouble with the 3rd nap again. He stays up until the 3 hour mark or more then gets overtired and starts crying so I've been having to bounce him to sleep for the 3rd nap. Then 3 days ago we started having issues with the rest of the naps. First he's moved to falling asleep for the 2nd nap closer to 2.75. Then, yesterdat both 1st and 2nd nap were shorter than usual. Today he slept ok for the first nap but only 40 minutes for the 2nd nap. Also started taking 30-40 minutes to fall asleep at bedtime.

So current schedule is something like 2.5/2.75/3/2.5. He has slept better with this schedule overnight but still struggling with naps. DWT is 7 (was 6:30 but I moved it by half an hour cause even with more wake time he was still waking up at 6 or earlier and moving DWT solved it). Bedtime is between 7:30 and 7:50. He wakes any time between 6:30 and 7 but most days it's closer to 7. Daytime sleep is between 2 hours 45 minutes and 2 hours 55 minutes, but with the short naps the last few days it's been between 2.5 and 2.75 hours.

The 3rd nap happening only after 3 hours has also pushed bedtime to 8pm some nights and that has caused EMW 2 times this week already.

Do I add more wake time or would it be time to drop to 2 naps since it's the second time in a month where the 3rd nap causes issues? He's 6.5 months old.

First of all, I know it's normal for babies to want to be held all the time+ I know you can't spoil a baby. That's not my concern. That's why I used the babies being babies flair. I know.

5.5 months old was mr independent pants up until recently. Was content being on the floor playing with his toys for 15-30 minutes while I went to cook something, wash bottles, eat, do survival stuff. Obviously still had moments when he just wanted held, but those were mostly towards the end of the day when he was tired.

For the past week I can't sit down to eat. I can't drink my coffee. I can't wash bottles. I can't do anything. He'll maybe chill in the high chair for 5 minutes and by that time I barely had time to swallow anything. If I am not directly looking at him and interacting with him it's like I'm not even there. Some days if I'm not holding him it's instant screaming.

He doesn't particularly like the carrier and with how much he moves around I wouldn't be able to do anything anyways.

I either rush through chores or try to do them while he naps, but that means that I eat in a rush or don't even get time to sit down and rest, as the chores take up most of the time he's asleep. Eating with him in my arms also hasn't worked as he gets frustrated that I won't give him the food on my plate, or he gets bored after 5-10 minutes. I've been surviving on sandwiches and finger foods.

My husband helps as much as he can, but he leaves for work around 6 am and gets home around 4pm, he works in a high stress environment which means most days he hasn't even had time to eat his lunch so we try to have dinner when he gets home and baby takes his last nap. And then he either has to take over the chores I didn't get to during the day or he stays with the baby and I do them, which means I still don't get the time to sit down until after I put baby to bed, which isn't a lot because we go to bed early as my husband wakes up at 5am to get ready for work. Also baby doesn't stay put with him for more than 10 minutes and then it's screaming until I come pick him up no matter what my husband tries.

This has been flaring up my PPD and PPR, due to how tired I am. I also live in a country where these aren't taken seriously so I have no treatment, I'm just out here raw dogging it🙃.

Any advice? How I could divide up the day as best as possible so I at least have time to eat and sit down? Any ideas on distracting baby? I also think part of it is boredom so any activities I can do with a 5.5 month old that will keep him occupied and entertained for at least 5 minutes while I wash bottles? Anything? Thanks (and once again don't suggest baby wearing as he doesn't tolerate the carrier unless we're outside)