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Hi Yana,
Thank you so much for sharing this additional information!
It sounds like you’re doing an incredible job keeping your little one entertained while maintaining a quiet environment for your husband to work—no small feat!
It’s fantastic to hear that your baby is generally content for 30-50 minutes after waking from a nap. This is a strong sign that he’s likely not in pain or discomfort, which helps narrow down why he might be getting upset.
I’m also glad to hear he’s gaining weight nicely. You mentioned expressing a bit of milk when your breasts are overly full, and you’re wondering if this might be causing him to get hungry sooner than every two hours. One thing you could try is holding off on pumping before his feed. Instead, during the feed that follows his nap, let him nurse until he seems sleepy or pulls off. Then, change his diaper (to make him more alert) and offer the breast again. This little break and second attempt can sometimes encourage a fuller feed, which might help him go longer between feeds.
Regarding his cues, it truly sounds like you’re responding beautifully to his signals. Unfortunately, babies three months and under can switch from content to very distressed with little warning, and their temperament also plays a big role. The good news is that at around four months, you’ll likely find his cries become more predictable and he won’t escalate to distress quite so quickly.
On those occasions when he cries loudly and then immediately falls asleep, my advice is to go with the flow. You can lay him down in his crib or hold him for that nap—whatever feels right in the moment. Then, simply try to reintroduce your usual nap routine the next time.
For bedtime, it makes perfect sense to follow his lead based on his last nap. Since he’s sleeping well regardless of whether bedtime is at 6:30 or 8 p.m., continuing this approach is a good idea. By around four months of age, you should see his bedtime naturally settle into a more consistent window, usually within about 30 minutes. Many families find that a bedtime between 7 and 8 p.m. works well for their baby at this age.
To help bedtime become more predictable, continue to wake him at the same time each morning and try to aim for his first nap to happen at a consistent time as well. Once that first nap becomes fixed, you’ll often find the rest of the day’s naps start to follow suit and bedtime becomes more predictable.
When it comes to early signs of rolling over, here are a few things to look for:
- Rolling onto his side.
- Bringing his legs up towards his chest.
- Lifting his hips off the ground.
If he isn’t showing these signs yet then you can use the swaddle.
Please let me know if the Halo Sleep Sack or swaddling him with his arms down helps.
Emma