First Time Mom paranoia over here, yall.
To further my random concerns, I am going to throw our current schedule out there for scrutiny. Opinions are welcomed and I am truly writing this to see where is compares to other kiddos. So bring it.... PLEASE!
Weekday Schedule:
7:00 am: Wake/Nurse, get ready for school
10:00 am: 6oz bottle
11:30 am: 2 tablespoons Oatmeal, 2 tablespoons fruit/vegetable
1:00 pm: 6oz bottle
4:00 pm: 6 oz bottle
6:30 pm: Teething cracker while I get his dinner ready, 2 tablespoons oatmeal, 2 tablespoons fruit/veg, sometimes 1/2 container yogurt
Bath post dinner, get ready for bed, book/guitar time
7:30 pm: Nurse then bed
I have introduced puffs, yogurt melts and water. Water I allow throughout the day as he would like to drink it, but the puffs and yogurt melts are far and few between.
Too much food? On track? Its all so confusing to me!
He is sleeping great at night, bu his day time snoozes are still short. Typically logging (3) 30 minute naps at school. While at home he will nap longer, but only if he is being held. Any suggestions on how to get him to nap better? I am all ears!
I've stressed out a bunch about what schedule my kids should be on. My pediatrician told me that the first year they are basically learning to eat solid food and the bulk of their calories & nutrients should come from breast milk/formula. My kids are 9 1/2 months and basically follow the same schedule as Grayson (no 1:00 bottle though). They get 8 oz bottles during the day and I just weigh out their 2 solid meals so they are approx. 5-6 oz. I try to get 20-24 oz of formula in them and then just go with whatever else they'll eat. I think you're doing a great job with him!
ReplyDeletethank you!! I love knowing I am close to on the same track as others!
DeleteHey, So coming to you as someone who read Every. Sleep.Book.She.Could.Find. I highly recommend the book "healthy sleep habits, happy baby" by Weissbluth. My RD recommended the book "twelve weeks to twelve hours of sleep" and between these two methods my daughter was on an amazing schedule at 4 months (having my RD recommend the book helped me feel a lot of relief because I wasn't worrying that she would be sleeping through necessary calorie intake opportunities). Emma, my girlie girl, slept through the night, 12-14 hours and alternated between two hours awake two hours asleep all day long. Sleep training is really, really, really hard. I remember crying in the hallway while she cried in her room. But those moments were so rare and at the end of the day, I had to remember that she didn't read the books I read, so she didn't know that she was doing it wrong. :-) Also, you can sleep train a baby without doing a "cry it out" method. It's really up to your level of comfortability. I'm not sure what Grayson's schedule is like at school (although you're paying them so it should be up to you what they offer him, within reason) but at home, I would go by the 2-3 hours awake then sleep routine. If he's only napping every half hour, I would up his opportunity to sleep (meaning, start the calming routine after two hours of being awake or whenever you notice tired signs). I bathed my daughter before her morning nap because I wanted her tired and relaxed so she would sleep and I knew that nighttime wouldn't be an issue. She was a really clean baby though, so I didn't have to worry about the food mess that comes from eating solids. What really helped me was to remember, sleep produces more sleep (Dr. Weissbluth talks about this a lot in his book). I was always afraid that if she slept x amount of hours during the day I'd be up all night, however, that is not the way the brain chemistry works. Remind yourself of that during those moments of thinking, "well at least he'll sleep well tonight." That was never true for my daughter, she'd sleep worse if she was overly tired from a long day with little to no rest and a growing body to deal with. Finally, I have to say that I personally am a really scheduled person and as such I thrived as a mother when I knew what my daughter needed and a schedule helped me know her fusses. "Hey, it's 10am, she probably needs a nap," or "hey, it's 9am, she must want a diaper change" (and on with eliminations until I figured it out. As for food, I fed her solids based on what she was hungry for. If I finished a cube or two and she still wanted more, I gave it to her. Babies have the ability to regulate their hunger and eat intuitively. You don't need to measure the food out (I mean, I'd start small so you're not wasting precious food prep energy) or worry about it because Grayson will let you know. Sorry this is a novel... I'm a clinical psychologist and I LOVE helping people figure out a sleep routine that works for their family. I also found a website that breaks it down really nicely. I'll find it and post it here. You truly are doing great though, Ashley, so try not to give yourself unnecessary anxiety. Being a first time Mama is Hard. Luckily, you have good family support an attentive hubby and an RD bestie. You're already giving him what he needs girl!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thealphaparent.com/2013/01/timeline-of-baby-and-toddler-sleep.html?m=1
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm helping and not overwhelming you or being obnoxious. I loved the tips/tricks I received from other young Mamas when I was in doubt or worried so I was thinking this would be helpful.
Thank you Meagan! I will definitely check out the link and book! I am someone who is super organized and runs on a schedule all the time, but for some reason with him I seem to find a lot more flexibility with everything. I would love to get him sleeping better during the day since we have now mastered nights :)
DeleteThat scheduled and organized side of you is the part that wants to understand everything you're doing and know that you're doing it right. The Mama in you melts with love for your baby. That's an Amazing combo that you'll be able to use to love on Grayson throughout his life. One hard thing that all new Moms get to learn: as soon as you have this figured out, he'll have moved onto something new and you'll be stretched in a whole other way. So, give yourself grace girlie! That sleep thing would drive me bananas but I think you have good support to help you figure it out and definitely motivation. I imagine it will only take you a few weeks to get him on your schedule and off of his. I've been reading your blog for a while now and I always relate to things to your writings, so I'm glad I was able to write you a little something. I know I'll be referring back to many of your posts when my little dude comes in June. ;-) The 12 hour book is hard to find because I think she re-wrote it and while I carried it around like a bible during the first few weeks of my daughter's life, the one that really helped me for years was the one by Weissbluth. I know you don't have all the time in the world to read right now, so maybe start there...
ReplyDeleteHey, It would really help me out to know what kind of bottles you found worked for you... I'm planning on having to do the whole nurse, supplement, pump thing and I'm not sure what bottles to use this time around. My daughter had major tummy issues so we used Dr. Brown's bottles but man were they a pain. What are you using for G?
ReplyDeleteWe've used Avent Natural bottle from the beginning. We had to downsize the nipple to a 0 and gradually went up from there. We still only use a 2 and he is good on it. I've tried Dr Browns, nuby, lansinoh... But Avent has always been the best for us!
DeleteThank you so much! That really helps!!
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