F/U to sue-bride's post - a ?

TnP102304

Sue-bride makes some great points about helping your child develop good sleep habits.  Unfortunately, we're in a situation where DD hates her bottle and hardly eats.  She eats best when she's half- or mostly asleep, resulting in her best bottles of the day being right before bed and when she wakes at night (we even used to wake her in the middle of the night to feed her!).  She's starting to do better, and we'd like to start lengthening the time between her last bottle and when she goes to bed, but I'm not sure how to go about it.  And, I'm not sure for how long to aim for between the bottle and when she goes into her crib.  We seriously used to feed her and she'd fall asleep while eating in our arms, but lately, we're able to feed her, she's still awake, and we put her down awake.  But, she's still getting that bottle right before bed.  Any tips, suggestions, advice? Thanks!

aes

Can't wait to hear the replies.... We were just discussing that we're dreading the transition from bottles b/c that is key to an easy nighttime routine for us.  We've never had any luck with increasing the time -- Henry typically falls asleep eating still.

sue_bride

What does your pedi think?   She is probably staring solids soon, are you getting bm or f in other ways?    Is there a minimum that they recommend she drink and is she meeting that?    I would let pedi guide you on that.  

Otherwise, I always recommend an hour or two at the bookstore looking through the different books.  They are reinforce the same things. - no crutches for sleep, putting them asleep awake but drowsy, bedtime between 7-8 (the younger closer to 7, older closer to 8), same routine every night, etc....   Based on where you are in your childs age and sleep habits will guide you on what you need to do.

Sandy09579

you can still help her sleep habits and give the bottle at bed. 

We had the SAME issues- never took bottles, best one was at bedtime, woke him to feed him, then moved to feeding him IF he woke up. 

We gave him a bedtime bottle up until he was a year.  Then we moved to a sippy w/ milk and he still gets that just before bed.

The point was to just have a routine down.  So, at 7 we got him in his jammies, read him a story and  gave him a bottle in his room w/ the lights dim so he knew it was time for bed.

Eventually he starting taking a full bottle at bedtime and didn't wake up to eat anymore in the middle of the night.

sue_bride

Oh, Sandy reminded me of something I read.  It was if child needs a bottle before bed, do it while they are drowsy, but make something else part of the routine prior to laying them in bed.    So...give the bottle right before going up to their room for bed or do it before books, so it isn't the last thing they do for sleep.   Better said then done.

We definitely let Sara take bottles to sleep and I can't remember how we broke it, but I think we moved it earlier in the routine.

TnP102304

Thanks, guys.  We definitely have a bedtime routine for Elizabeth, although it's not always at the same exact time each night. Between 7 and 7:30, she gets her jammies on, with just one light on in the room.  Then, we say goodnight to her stuffed animals, then the light goes off.  We listen to the same CD every night, and she gets a bottle and into bed.  And, while we used to wake her to feed her, we now feed her only if she wakes up.  Last week, her 3 days at daycare, she was so wiped out, she didn't wake up at all...we were amazed.  Anyway, the minimum the docs say she should eat a day is 16 oz and she's up to ~20 now (24 is our goal).  She does get solids, two meals a day (mid-morning and evening), but they're pretty small, too (we're talking teaspoon amounts, not tablespoons) so the additional formula used to make up the cereal is pretty minimal and we don't add it into her counts.  I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go along.  Thanks!

Sandy09579

sounds like you are doing all the right things.

If it makes you feel better- Elizabeth is getting more formula then my little guy did at that time.  We were lucky to get 12 oz a day in him...and our doc also said 16 at that time. 

 

TnP102304

Sandy, really?!?  I didn't know there were any other moms on here who went through this!!  I'd love to pick your brain and here about your situation.  Can you email me (if you don't mind sharing, that is)?  My email is tebrown96 at yahoo dot com.  Thanks! 

Sandy09579

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