Baby Wise

Yes I did babywise. After the 2am feeding just keep light level, noise level, and activity level at a very minimum. This way nothing totally wakes him up except for himself. Eventually he'll start to realize and adjust to the schedule. Remember he's very little, only 5 1/2 weeks old. His little body is adjusting to everything outside the womb. His days and nights are mixed up right now. Don't get in too much of a hurry b/c the fact is he's still so little he won't be really ready for a routine for awhile. Following babywise steps helps, but he'll be ready when he's ready for the schedule. All you can do is provide a consistent schedule. It sounds like he really likes his sleep, and that is good. He needs a lot of it b/c his body is going through so many changes right now he needs his rest overall. When he's 6 weeks old you can start to let him sleep a long stretch (if he will). He can only do this once a day, so plan it at night time. He can go as long as 6 hours without a feeding - but only once a day. Good luck!

Could you skip the 2 am feeding?

You may only need to put up with this for a few more days. He may be ready to skip the 2AM feeding, if you're waking him up. If you still have a late evening feeding, I'd let him sleep until he wakes up. If he's waking at 4 or 5 then go back to the 2 AM feedings for a few days. Our pediatrician told us that after a month, let the baby sleep as long as he/she will. This won't last forever. If he hits 10 to 12 weeks and is still waking even after a late evening feeding, I'd let him fuss a little. He's probably doing it out of habit, not hunger. There is another great book on sleep and routines that a friend of mine suggested to me called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It isn't quite as strict as Babywise and it has a lot of info for later years too. My two-year old has recently been fighting her naps and this book has helped immensely. Good luck.

Have you ever just laid him back in the crib afterwards and let him fall asleep on his own. Maybe because you are awake the baby thinks it is time to be up and about. I would try putting the baby in the crib turning on the night light and putting on some of your families favorite music on low volume. It used to work for my son...He was always ready to be up and at it!

I think sometimes we have to realize a theory isn't going to work for every child. There isn't just one way to do things "right". Try responding to your baby when he initiates. If he is having a hard time staying awake or wanting to go back to sleep, let him. He obviously needs it! I thought I had everything figured out with my first son and then my second baby showed me that I didn't really have it all figured out! My second baby was all over the place for his naps/feedings, but after a couple of months he settled into his own routine. Good luck!

Not every baby is the same. My 5 month old was sleeping through the night at eight weeks, so that whole "babywise" thing to me is totally useless. I really think you should just let your baby sleep when he is ready to sleep. Why torture yourself and him with a wake time that isn't working for him? BTW, I have two boys that are 18 months apart, so I feel your pain.