I need another opinion please!

[mommahnatuk]

My LO is now 9.5 months old, a textbook angel baby. Lately, she has started getting up earlier, and able to have up to 4 hours of A time on a 1 hr 15 min to a 1.5 hr nap, this ends up making her day longer than the usual 12 hrs. She goes 5 hours between breast feeds, and loves her solids. Also, how do I work eating times (solids vs. nursing) into the easy day?


Wake: 6:30
Breastfeed 7:00
Solids: 8:00
Sleep: 10:15 (3 hrs. 45 min A time) - 11:15 or 11:30
Breastfeed 12:00
Solids: 1:00
Sleep: 3:30 (4 hrs A time) - 4:30 or 4:45
Breastfeed: 4:45
Solids: 5:45
Sleep: 8:15 or 8:30 (with bath and wind down)

So, do you think she's ready for 1 nap? Her naps used to be longer and have been getting shorter, and is waking earlier in the morning, and will not go back to sleep. I've even tried snuggling her back to sleep with no luck, she just wants to play and get up.

Thanks!!

[*Liz*]

Yes - I think you do need to start limiting daytime sleep to keep your night at a consistent length ie 11 -12 hrs.

Switching to one nap is a process that can take some time and the first thing you need to start with is deciding which nap you are going to cut - am or pm.

LOs need to be able to handle 5+ hrs A time before they can truely be on one nap.

Have a look at this link
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=95670.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=145344.0

Regarding the feeds - do you offer another BF before fed? Or is she on 3 BFs?

[mommahnatuk]

Yes, sorry, I breast feed right before bed as well.

[*Liz*]

I thought you would be 

Might be time to see whether you can do only 3 feeds then, depending on how much solids your lo is taking. If they are not ready yet then you might just have to muddle through for a while longer. It will certainly be neater with only 3 milk feeds but it just depends if your lo is ready. My DS still needs 4 milk feeds as his solids are not enough to bridge the gap yet.

You could try something like;

7am BF
8am Solids
12pm Solids
1.30pm BF
4.45pm Snack after nap and a sippy of water or something
6.00pm Solids
7.30pm BF followed by bed

At this age it isn't really EASY anymore - but it is a routine appropriate to their needs.

But if what you are doing is working for you then carry on. If you do start to limit the daytime sleep to get a longer night, then bedtime and wakeup will be closer together and that will make it a little easier to do 3 feeds a day.

HTH