Help Tweaking Bedtime/Bottle Routine

[Mom to M&M]

Hi there. Need some help tweaking DD's schedule (5 1/2 months). Currently she is on 4-hour EASY and has only 4 bottles/day (no DF) totalling about 28-30 ounces. Only problem is that lately she doesn't want much of her dinner/bedtime bottle because she is so tired by then. Currently her bedtime routine is change into pajamas, dim lights, bottle, cuddle, lullaby, read Goodnight Moon, bed. No bath here - we do that only every other day and earlier in day. Her bedtime is usually about 7:30 with last bottle about 6:50/7.

It's not that she needs an earlier bedtime - 7:30 works great for her/us - just need to figure out how best to feed her. Would you suggest feeding her at 6:30 instead and changing her into pajamas AFTER bottle? And maybe saving a slight topping for after that? Something else?

Also, I was thinking it might be best to get out of the habit of feeding so close to bedtime and in pajamas anyway. After all, once she's not on bottles anymore, wouldn't her last meal be dinner with family - not in pajamas and not immediately before bed? So maybe better to adjust this now? What do those of you with older babies and young children do?

BTW - no solids yet - DD has very sensitive tummy (GERD, milk intolerance) and we are waiting at least another month.

Thanks much!

[Mom to M&M]

Just thought I'd bump this up. Anyone?

[Noelle]

Hi Karen

I know you had mentioned that 7:30 bedtime works, but if she's tired earlier, I would go ahead and try a 7:00 bedtime.  With both of my kiddos we did supper (bottle and/or solids) then bath (not everyday as well, other A time if not the bath) and then jammies and bottle.  Bedtime at 7, right after the bottle.  Basically the supper and bedtime bottles were clusterfeeds....and I did that with both of them until they dropped the bedtime bottle. 

At 5-1/2 months I wouldn't worry about the habit of bottle before bed.  As they get older..into their toddler years they will adjust to "do what we do"..with a little encouraging of course.  And also, as the teeth came in, we would do teeth brushing after the bottle and then to bed.


HTH

[HeatherC]

I agree with Noelle.  Go ahead and give her bottle a little earlier, and if she doesn't finish it you can try again while reading her story.  As for giving the bottle so close to bed, as they get older they begin to eat so much more during the day that they won't need the extra from the bottle.  That's not to say that you'll just magically stop giving it one day.  Some babies need a gradual drop, but others do just drop it one night and never look back. 

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks guys will keep tweaking. Tried earlier bedtime (7pm) last night but it went badly. She was wide awake from 2:30-3:45 which she hasn't done in ages and still woke up at 6am this morning.