Newbie here! Need help!!

[Newmama]

Hi everyone,

My LO is 6 1/2 months old and we've started stage one weaning with the first fruits and veg. My problem however is that we seem to have an established routine that is not healthy in the slightest:

Btw 11a.m and 12 noon - wake up for breakfast (porridge with milk feed afterwards)
1pm - 2pm - short nap
3pm- 4pm - lunch (pureed veg with milk feed afterwards)
5pm - 7pm - long nap
8pm - dinner (pureed fruit with milk feed afterwards)
Btw 9pm and 10pm - bath time
11pm - milk feed
2am - milk feed and then sleep
6am - milk feed and back to sleep
9am - milk feed and back to sleep

This is clearly not a good routine and when I return to work, this will be disastrous so I need an intervention real soon.

Any advice?

[isabellasmum]

Sorry I have no routine advise but I'm sure someone helpful will come along soon.

At this age I would be offering milk first at every feed before solids. Milk is the most important food right up until 12 months.

At this age my little girl had no set routine other than a 7pm bedtime. Anything after then and before 7am we treated as night waking so dim lights/minimal talking/shushing and milk then straight back in her cot.

[DrP]

Is there any particular reason you are starting breakfast with the 11am feed ? As isabellasmum said milk is still the most important food your baby can get so you should be sticking to whatever your normal milk feeding routine was and introducing the solids in with that at the appropriate times. Have you tried moving the solids back a feed so breakfast at 8-9, lunch around 12ish and tea in the evening as you are feeding at those times anyway. It looks from your schedule that bed time is not till 2am - surely you can't keep that up if that's the case. In addition to moving the solids back time wise I'd move bath time as well and try and establish an early bed time routine. Maybe try and keep your baby up, awake and more active more during the day (defintiely from 9am onward) as it looks at the moment as if you have almost reversed day and night in terms of scheduling.

[ladybug]

Originally Posted by Newmama

Hi everyone,

My LO is 6 1/2 months old and we've started stage one weaning with the first fruits and veg. My problem however is that we seem to have an established routine that is not healthy in the slightest:

Btw 11a.m and 12 noon - wake up for breakfast (porridge with milk feed afterwards)Change this to milk feed with carer, followed by lunch
1pm - 2pm - short nap Naps will change cause feeding has - let carer gauge it
3pm- 4pm - lunch (pureed veg with milk feed afterwards)Change this to milk feed then little snack.
5pm - 7pm - long napThis should be dinner then bed.
8pm - dinner (pureed fruit with milk feed afterwards)Still trying to get him to sleep
Btw 9pm and 10pm - bath timesit on your ass time
11pm - milk feed this might stay the same?
2am - milk feed and then sleepthis might stay the same
6am - milk feed and back to sleepChange this to milk feed downstairs then stimulation to wake him up. Then porridge, dressed and out.
9am - milk feed and back to sleep He can get this with carer if you get him there on time.

This is clearly not a good routine and when I return to work, this will be disastrous so I need an intervention real soon.

Any advice?

Yeah, so, ummmmm change it

Basic routine of milk on demand through the night, wake up around 6/7, milk first then brekky.
Milk, snacks, naps and lunch with carer.
Milk, dinner and bath time with mummy.

Establish a bath routine which never changes - same start time, dim lights, cute music, short bath, towel and dry in same place etc etc.

I worked full time after my first bubs was 6 months so I know what you're up against x

[cathyg]

hi, if you're going back to work, you & baby are gonna have to be getting up much earlier, so i would start introducing this sooner than later. if baby is getting up & having brekky earlier, then gradually bedtime will get earlier too. i think between 7pm/8pm would be a better time, so at least you'll get some evening time to yourself. If baby is going to nursery/childminder they will have their routine pretty much set out, so you should try to find out what this is & put it into your routine to avoid confusion. mine went to full time nursery from 9 months. his routine was:

7am milk
8am brekky at nursery
11am milk followed by a nap
12.30 lunch
2.30 milk followed by a nap
4.00 tea
6.00 bathtime, followed by milk & bed.

he wasn't having any in the night time by that age as getting enough milk/food during the daytime.

good luck, just change routine slighty bit by bit so as not to stress you & baby out too much. x

[Newmama]

Thanks ladies,

I've tried giving LO breakfast earlier but he just wants to go back in his cot after his morning feed and any attempt to give him solid after his milk feed is met with crying, moaning and him playing dead by turning his body into jelly so that I can't put him to sit down to eat. It's until he wakes up at 11am that he's ready to start his day.

Should I try to force feed him on my lap instead?

[isabellasmum]

Definitely do not force feed.

My first step would be creating a calm bedtime routine that starts with milk/dinner at around 5pm/5.30pm and includes bath/story/milk and baby in bed by 7pm.

Wake baby at 7am for milk and offer breakfast shortly after.

Anything in between offer milk/cuddles but do not leave bedroom or put lights on. That is nighttime.

Baby will adapt if you offer consistency. Do not worry if baby refuses solid food, milk is all that matters at this age.

[rachaelmae]

You need earlier bed, you could try moving bed time earlier by 20mins each night till you get towards 7pm (or what ever time you need)

If babys not going to bed till late they wont want breakfast at 7 and therefore you wont get adequate time for milk/solids...

Milks most important so keep offering that first.