9 mo old w/ new 2nd nap problem after switching to 3 liquid feeds

[MPalmer]

4 days ago, we switched from 4 to 3 liquid feeds a day and now our 9 month old is taking a terrible 2nd nap?   Is this something we should just stick out and hope he works it out...or should we go back to 4 liquid feeds a day?

At 4 liquid feeds a day we feed at 7am, noon, 4pm, and 7:30pm...with solids at B'fast, Lunch, & Dinner.   At 3 liquid feeds a day I feed at 7am, 1:30pm, and 7:30pm.   It seems like taking that bottle right before his 2nd nap is making him too full or maybe he's just too confused by our switch of routines?

When I put him down for the 2nd nap, we do the same wind-down routine and he seems like he's going to go right to sleep as usual...but then he just sits up in his crib and babbles & talks FOREVER, and finally...maybe 45 min. later, he'll get frustrated and finally go to sleep....maybe for 20-40 min...which is a far cry from the 1.5 to 2 hrs we're used to.

Thanks for your help!

[*Natasha*]

Can i ask why you dropped the 4th feed?

[MPalmer]

Sure...  I thought that the 4pm liquid feed was making him too full, since dinner is at 5:30-6'ish and the bedtime liquid feed is at 7:30.  By the 7:30 liquid feed, he would only want 2-3 ounces.

However, now that I've been thinking about this so much these last few days...I'm wondering if I'm giving him too much solids.  Ever since we started solids, he just wants more, more, more.  He never really acts like he's done eating.  He just LOVES to put anything in his mouth...including any type of food.   On top of that, he drinks out of his sippy cup during b'fast, lunch, and dinner.  But is this really a bad thing?

So today I gave him less quantity of solids and he did drink more fluids....but still had a terrible 2nd nap after his bottle at 1:30.  Could this new routine be messing up his 2nd nap?   Should I try to switch back to 4 liquid feeds a day?

P.S.   I had my final breastfeed 4 days ago as well.   We were only on one breastfeed at 7am...and he has not seemed to mind trading the breast for the bottle each time I weaned out a feed.  He never seemed attached to the breast...but I thought the info might help provide some insight???

[Mom to M&M]

Can you make that bottle a little earlier so it's not so close to the nap? It's possible, like you said, that it's too full on his belly right before sleeping and/or causing gas pains.

Could the formula be bothering his tummy overall since you said you just switched from breastfeeding?

[MPalmer]

Hi Marisa's Mom~

I don't think the formula is bothering him because I started weaning from breastfeeding around 8 months...replacing one breastfeed with formula every couple weeks.  He has never showed any displeasure with it.

I think the bad napping the last few days has caused some early wake ups in the morning now.  Arrghghghg   He usually wakes sometime after 7am...and yesterday he woke at 6:40am, and now 6:23am this morning.   Double Argghghghg

I can try to give the bottle earlier before his nap.  You think I should still stick to 3 liquid feeds a day?

[Mom to M&M]

What is his general routine - naps, A times, etc?

I tend to prefer 3 liquid feeds at this age so I'd try first to make that work - let's look at your whole routine and see what we can tweak.

[MPalmer]

Here's our usual routine 5 days ago before we switched to 3 liquid feeds...

Usually wakes after 7am, 8oz bottle

B'fast 1 hr later...oatmeal w/ fruit & sippy with either whole milk or really diluted juice

Activity till been awake 2.5 to 2.75 hrs...lowkey in house

Nap in Crib for 1.5 - 2 hrs

Noon - Lunch - veggie, fruit, crackers & sippy with either whole milk or diluted juice

Activity till been awake 2.75 - 3 hrs

6oz bottle, then Nap in Crib (would ususally nap 1 -1.5 hr before switch...now it's 20-40 min)

Activity till dinner

5:30 Dinner - veggie, fruit, sippy

Activity till bedtime routine starts at 7:30 w/ 4-7oz bottle...bottle, bath, then bed.  Sleeps thru the night

I don't think he's teeting, and he just started crawling about 2 weeks ago. 

Hope this helps...let me know if there's anything more you want to know.

[Mom to M&M]

Will have a detailed look and respond later - have to run!

[Mom to M&M]

OK - back now.

Your routine looks pretty good - I might just limit first nap to 1.5 hours tops and extend A time before second nap to 3 hours or just over even. So assuming you want the second nap to start around 2pm, I'd offer the middle bottle around 1pm and then do some more activity afterward - maybe go for a walk while he digests?

[MPalmer]

I will try that--thanks!!!

One question tho....on days when either he woke up early in the morning or didn't get a good morning nap...would you still stick to your normal routine or put him down for a nap early when he seems sleepy.   It seems like putting him to bed when he seems sleepy works better, but then your whole day is off.       Is it best to just put him to bed that night earlier to compensate?

Thanks again for your help!!!!!!!!!

[Mom to M&M]

I'd kind of compromise. Try and keep him up close to his normal nap time but before he gets too overtired - so maybe he'll have slightly longer A times and also an earlier bedtime.

[MPalmer]

I just wanted to report that yesterday, even tho he woke up early at 6:23 am, Alex took TWO 1.5 hr naps!!!  Yeippeeee   For lunch I gave him less quantity of solids...a little bit earlier than noon, then gave the bottle earlier to give him time to digest before naptime...and he took a great nap!!!

Also...he even slept in this morning till 7:30...WHOOOPIEEEEE.   That is like a mini-vacation for me to be able to wake up slowly and lounge in bed!   I KNOW you KNOW what I'm talking about! ha ha

Anyway...just wanted to send a message of success and to thank everyone for replying~!   We'll see how today goes, but I have faith it will go well!

THANK YOU GUYS!!!!!!