Ok Mommies, help me out. I'm following my sister in laws lead and turning to you bloggers for tips.
Holt is changing his schedule up on me and I don't know what to do! He's been on a 3 hour schedule since he was born and now he's more like 3-4 hours, which is fine. The biggest question is what to do for bedtime. He needs to be going down around 7:30 or 8 at the very latest. 9 is just too late for him and I'm certain he would sleep better if he could go to bed earlier. We haven't introduced cereal yet, waiting awhile longer, but I'm thinking that might be the answer. As of now I feed him around 5:30 or 6 and then again before he gets ready for bed which sometimes isn't until 9. He needs to have already been in bed but he'll never make it if his last feeding is at 6. If I introduced cereal, I could still keep that one feeding at 6 and give him cereal while we eat, then he can get ready for bed. Right? What are some tips for moving his bedtime up while satisfying his belly at the same time? I just feel like he is so so so tired and a nap around 7:30 seems pointless to me. What did you do? Or what have you heard from others?
Shea,
ReplyDeleteNo need to introduce cereal until you are really ready. If you are ready go for it. That definitely is one solution to your problem. Our pediatrician recommended only breastmilk/formula for the first 6 months but I know that she is a little conservative. I breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months. What I would recommend if this is what you would like to do is just feeding him again with breastmilk before you put him to bed. Your body will compensate to make enough milk for him. Once I started trying to regulate Harrisons sleep schedule I would always just "top him off" for the night with a little extra milk. It may not be as much as an entire normal feed but puts them going to bed with a full tummy and sleeping longer. As long as he is getting enough food during the day it will carry over to help him sleep through the night. I hope this makes sense. I am just trying to say even though it hasn't been a full 3 hours or so since the last feeding he may still nurse and eat because he is tired and it will help him go down. I would feed him at the normal time and then nurse him again around 7:30 or 8 after he is already in pjs and ready for bed. Let me know if that helps/works!! So proud of you for breastfeeding!!!
Ashleigh Howlett
hm....I just adjusted Jacksons whole day to where we could get him down by 7:30....Here goes:
ReplyDelete6:15-wake up and feed
9:30- feed
1:00- feed
4:30- feed
7:00- bath
7:15-feed
7:30-bed
He is only eating 5 times a day...Just take how much you are feeding him throughout the day and divide it by the number of feedings you want to have and feed him that amount at each feeding! Confused?
He use to be every 3 hours and now he is every 3.5 hours which allowed us to eliminate his last feeding...It worked like a charm....your life will change if you can get him in bed by 7:30. Sometimes he is even down at 7 and thats even better :)
I agree with Sarah. Just adjust the whole day by the time you want him to go to bed. If he needs to be in bed by 7:30, start back from there. Last feeding at 7, the one before that at 3:30, etc. You might have to work it out a bit in the mornings, but that should be fine. And like Ashleigh said, you can always top him off before he hits the crib.
ReplyDeleteIf you are wanting to introduce cereal, stretch his afternoon feeding out a little bit, then give him cereal 1.5 hours later, and then a full feeding before bed. And make sure you mix the cereal with bmilk. I used Happy Bellies (at bbb) and he loved it!
Good luck!