Work-deprived mom

[fillebouclee]

My DS is almost 11 weeks old and her sleeping patterns during the day are completely unpredictable. In fact, the only pattern is that there is no pattern. I am a PhD student and I desperately need to finish the 3 papers I could not submit because she was born 4 weeks early- exactly 3 days before the end of the semester. She's perfectly healthy though small and she's a BF baby. I feed her on demand. She predictably goes to sleep every evening between 7 and 8 and either wakes at 2 or 4 to nurse then right back to sleep. Any ideas for helping her to develop a daytime sleeping pattern?

[jennylou]

At that age, DD didn't have a pattern. I just tried to watch her sleepy cues and not let her go longer than two hours awake.

[MichelleRenee]

Could someone just come and help you out with the baby a few hours a day so you could work on your papers? We didn't have a pattern until about 4-5 months, and even then he was still unpredictable at times.

[kindermom]

Honestly, I would recommend getting someone to come help out. I have really good kids and neither would have left me with enough time to get PhD level work done in the first 4-6 months. Would any of your school mates want to come play with the baby? I would have been happy to do that for a colleague when I was in my grad program.

[Winter Biscuit]

I agree that getting someone to help out might be a good option. My DD is 5.5 months old and I work from home one day a week. My DD is just starting to develop a regular nap schedule. It is very challenging for me to plan my work tasks on the days I WAH because I never know if/when she is going to be awake and when she'll be napping. In fact, I am working from home today and have had a very challenging morning. DD has been awake since 5am and no matter what I've tried, I could not get her to calm down long enough to fall asleep and STAY asleep. We actually just got back from a ride around the sub in the car because that was the only way I could get her to fall asleep :o

[jh124]

At that age, DS didn't have a sleep pattern. What he did one day wouldn't repeat the next day. So frustrating!

At 13 weeks, we got him a Jumperoo. He was only in it for a few minutes at first, but he loved it from the beginning (huge grins.) That's how I went to the bathroom, let the dogs out, etc. Eventually, he demanded to be in it for a half hour or so at a time. I know that isn't much time for you to write papers, but it's something.:)

[twinnyme]

I WAH part-time now and I can do it only because DD is on somewhat of a regular nap schedule now (and just one nap a day). I started WAH part-time when she was 7 months (the work didn't really speed up until a few months after that) and it was very difficult to do it when she was still on an irregular (and infrequent) nap schedule. I always say that I'm going to have a VERY difficult time WAH when DC #2 comes because I *didn't* WAH during DD's first 6 or so months, and that seems to be the toughest sleep time - which makes for a very stressful mom - and needing to drop everything the second the child sleeps (if they do) to work - which sometimes you're just not motivated to do when you've been trying HOURS to get the child to sleep. (My DD took "catnaps" - 15-20 minute "naps" just a couple of times a day - for 13 hours at a time during the day the first 3 months of her life and it only slowly got better.)

So, I guess I would second, third, fourth the PP's who suggest getting in someone to help for some bulk time to get things done. Good luck!

[bluebunny]

I agree with everyone else that daytime sleep predictability is hard at that age. I would second (third or fourth?) the suggestion of having someone come help you out during the day for a few hours. Also, watching for sleep cues about 2 hours after waking is good, too.