Help determining morning routine. . .

[Livingmom]

My lo is 9 weeks old and is doing great on the 3 hr EASY routine. We haven't quite figured out the morning routine though--which causes the routine to start at different times each day. We have decided on a later bed time since when school starts she will be in daycare. I can't stand the thought of picking her up from daycare, taking her home, and having to put her to bed 2 hours later. So our evening routine looks like this--

3:00-Feed
Activity
Sleep
6:00-Feed
Activity
Catnap
8:00-Feed
Activity--Bath/massage
Bedtime routine
Usually asleep around 9:00
10:30-11:00--Dreamfeed

She wakes up once during the night usually around 3 or 4 to eat and goes right back to bed--and is very sleepy until around 9 am--even though I usually wake her between 6:30-7:00am to feed.

If her bedtime is around 9pm and she should be getting about 11.5 hrs of sleep a night (right?) technically she'll be starting her day around 9 am every morning?

Am I on the right track and should I be waking her to eat at 7am or letting her wake up natually?

[alligirl]

Hmmmm....well I can understand wanting to put her down later a night so you get to spend more time with her, but if you wake her at 6:30 or 7 you are only allowing her 10 or less hours of night sleep.  What happens or what do you do after that 7am feed?  Do you start her day or let her go back to sleep?

I suppose you could kind of play with things and see what works best, but I would be concerened about making sure she gets enough night time sleep.

[Livingmom]

This morning after her 7:30 feed she went right back to sleep until 9am (When I went and woke her up). She ate only 2 oz. and was down for another nap by 10am and she slept for 2 hours.

When she starts daycare she will be being dropped off between 6:30-7:00 am--so I think that is why I have always wanted to start her days off that early--but I suppose that I can wake her up just enough to drop her off at daycare and then let her sleep until about 8:30?

[alligirl]

I was thinking that, too, that maybe she can sleep some more once she gets to daycare.   You'll know if she needs more sleep or if things aren't working.

Good luck!  Let us know how it goes!

[Livingmom]

Well--last night dd went to sleep at about 9pm, dreamfed at 10:30 and slept until 3:45--I breastfed her for about 15 minutes and put her back to bed, she woke up crying again at 6:45 (hungry cry--I think) so I breastfed her again for about 10 minutes and then put her back in the crib--she slept until 8:00.

This is where I cam confusing myself. When she woke up at 8:00 she wasn't hungry so we had some activity time until about 8:45 when she was hungry. I gave her a bottle (we are weaning) and she drank 3 oz. Very soon after her bottle she was getting tired (understandably) and we put her down for a nap. Now her next feed should be around noon--but I really don't think she is going to nap that long.

Sometimes she seems like she is ready for 3.5 hr routine and other times she resorts to a 2.5 hr routine. Argh!  :? 

Believe me--I am not as stressed about this as my post makes me sound--but I want to establish good habits early.  :wink:

Any ideas/suggestions?