6 mo old and can't get it right...

[mommy2kc]

So my DD was 6 months this past weekend and recently switched from breast to bottle feeding.  She has never been a good napper/sleeper.  But since switching to bottles her nights are a bit better.  But I just can't get it right because she wakes at different times everyday.  Most days she is up around 530, but will sleep for a bit longer if I hold her and rock her.  But my older one is usually up btwn 6:15 and 6:45 so that is the longest I can rock her.  She is a very short napper (we are on 50mins right now and counting and I consider that a huge success).  2 nights ago she woke at 345am and seemed hungry so I gave her a bottle and she slept until 7am.  Could she really be hungry over night still?  So this is what we strive for everyday:

E - 6am wake and 630 bottle 6oz
A - play in exersaucer and with her big sister while I get things ready for the day.
     715am solids
S - 8am-930/10 but really this is usually 30-45mins so I make sure it is very quiet for her until 930.  We sit in our livingroom with lights off, blinds closed etc if she doesn't take a good nap.  Little to no stimulation.

E: 1030am bottle 6oz
A - play or errands for the day.
    1130 solids (we just added this meal yesterday)
S -1230/1 - 2/230 nap (again very short 30-45 mins but my older one is asleep for 2hrs 1-3 so I can sit in her room and rock her to sleep but I can't put her back down or she wakes up)

E - 230 bottle 6oz
A - play indoors or outside
S - 430-515 Catnap (would love to phase this out, but she doesn't nap during the day to do so yet)
      Wake 515 - solids

A - play with daddy
     645 bath and massage

E - bottle 6oz around 7pm then bed.

She wakes several times throughout the night, but I just need to go in and put the paci back in and she is fine.  She sometimes puts herself to sleep - AM nap is the best for this.
Yesterday she was so tired in the afternoon that I put her in her swing for a nap and she slept 30mins in her crib and 1 1/2hrs in her swing.  I really don't want to start that habit, but do you think just to get her to nap I should use the swing? Help please, this just doesn't seem to be working.  Any suggestions would be very welcome.  I might try to up her to 7oz bottles, but she is already a bad refluxer and spits so much, not sure if that will work.

[mommy2kc]

Maybe I can answer one of my own questions after going back to the book and reading more in the forums...do I add a DF in until solids are well established 3x day?  Solids are hit or miss here.  Sometimes she will take all, some, or none.  Sometimes I think she did great and took it all then she vomits it all back at me.  Like I said she is a bad refluxer.  She is on 2 meds and the doses were just adjusted so she at least comfortable.  We are also on Neocate formula b/c of allergies.  So does that sound like I should add a 10pm bottle and see if that eliminates that 530 waking wanting a bottle?  Maybe that would get her to 630 or 7?  She was BF'ing every 2-3hrs at night before we stopped so maybe she just isn't ready to give up the night feedings yet until she is taking in more during the day.

[mommy2kc]

well DF didn't work.  Still up at 5 and could not even get to go back in my arms The DF didn't go as planned - she had leaked through her diaper so we had to change and wash her up and change her sheets.  Did it all in the dark without any talking/play and she went right back down, but still I hadn't planned on waking her up completely.  Maybe try again tonight?  Any ideas?

[*Liz*]

I think at this age ot os up to you whether you try a DF or just accept that you have one remaining night feed. Some 6 mths olds will struggle to adapt to it really - but it is perfectly reasonable that she may need 1 night feed until solids are well established. My DS had a bottle at night until 11mths as he was a poor eater (reflux and food aversion as well  ) - and he did just drop it when he no longer needed it. Personally I think 6 oz for a 6 mth refluxer is just fine - J was only managing 4oz at that age. Didn't take more than 6oz until he was over 12 months, and I guess that is why we had night feeds for longer than most - but he simply couldn't eat anymore at that age.

Most Mums drop the DF between 7 and 9 months so I guess it is up to you have much effort you want to put into establishing it iyswim?

Can you type your ACTUAL routine rather that what you want it to be? What happens today or yesterdays will be fine  . It is easier to work out why the sleep is disrupted that way. I think that first nap being short is throwing the whole day off, and the second nap is definately OT if you are not shortening the A time to allow for the fact the first nap was so short.

There might be some prop issues creeping in there are well really 

[mommy2kc]

Thanks for the reply.  Sure here is yesterday and so far today (11:30am here).

yest -

E - 530 awake and bottle
A - Play and solids at 7am (she typically will take some in the AM and noon)
S - 800 x 1hr 10mins

E - 930 bottle
A - play and solids at 1130am
S - 1230 (attempted at 1130 through 1230 and she was wide awake and playing, lauging) but slept 1 1/2 hrs once down

E - 215 bottle
A - play (I left for work at this time so she was with DH)  he attempted cat nap at 430 but she wasn't having it.
     Attempted solids at 5pm but didn't take any

E - 630 bottle
A - bath, massage, and book (all done by 7pm)
S - she was falling asleep in our arms so went down.

1000 attempted DF she was up for 45mins

3am quick wake for her paci

E -5am - awake and bottle
A - play 7am solids
S - 730 x 1 1/2 hrs

E - 9am bottle
A - play 1130 just gave solids

[*Liz*]

Thanks 

2 things stand out to me - firstly your LO has extended their A time so has started short napping in the morning on the 'ideal' routine.

Your LO seems to need to have a total A time of 2.5hrs first thing in the morning now to take a good nap.

Based on today I would say that it looks as though her second A is likely to be 3hrs as long as she had a long am nap. It was 2.5hrs on the old routine anyway - but she is short napping due to OT at that second nap as 3hrs is WAY too long if that was a 30 min nap.

She is essentially moving towards dropping the CN isn't she? And with A's of 2.5-3hrs she will easily be able to do this once we have the naps back again  .

The EW at 5.30am is due to being OT at bedtime after bad napping all day. I personally think the best way to fix these are to fix the routine and then gently push the day back again. If the EW is due to OT trying to push it out tends to lead to more OT and doesn't work.

So I would try a 1st A of 2.5hrs, then 3hrs after a good na, and 3-3.5hrs to bed. That would work for an early bedtime if you get good naps.