Sleep overlapping eating times...

[cam621]

I guess this question relates to napping as well as bedtime sleep:  there are some situations when my 8.5 mo dd needs to get to bed before her last bottle is due since she is exhausted (for example, she is ready for bed at 6pm and her bottle would be due at 7pm).  What would you do in that scenario?  Feed her early (at 6pm before bed) or "dream feed" at her normal time?  I really didn't want to go back to dreamfeeding, but then feeding her at 6 would mess up her EASY 4 hour schedule (plus she probably won't take as much since it would be less than 4 hours).

Alternatively, what if dd naps PAST her feeding time during the day?  Should I wake her from a nap if it is going to go past her feeding time?  For example, the other day, she slept from 10:30am until 1pm, but her scheduled feed was for 11:30.  It threw us off for the rest of the day and she ended up taking not much of her last bottle since I had to squeeze it in before the 4 hours was up.  SHe ended up waking up that night...Not sure if that is why, but I can only assume that is why.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks!

[teezee]

when my lo naps past her feeding time (if she goes down for her nap late) i just go with it - she will wake when she is hungry. i do caution you though, not to let your lo sleep too long as it may have an effect on how much dd sleeps at night if she gets too much daytime sleep. i think that is  what would have happened with the other day - not stretching out feeds too long - but her sleeping too long! i don't think u have to go back to a df.  when my dd goes to bed early (bad napping, just tired early) i feed her right before i put her to bed - if that is at the three hr mark then so be it.  it really hasn't affected her sleep in any way. it may not be the 'proper' way to do things but it works for us - i would be very interested in hearing what others do though!! there are many days when dd naps later and has her bf later, and then the other on the the 3 and a half hr mark b/c she wakes earlier- i try to hold her off, but i most importantly read her cues and she tells me what she needs. myself - i have a hard time understanding why sometimes it is ok to go up to 5 hrs + without a feeding (during the day) but then she needs to eat the next feeding (a full feeding at that) at 3 and a half hrs...i guess it is not meant to be understood - if i spent my whole day thinking about things i don't understand about my dd...then i would have no time to be on here chatting with all of you mommies!!...and a few daddies too! hope i didn't ramble too much and helped answer some of your questions.

[HeatherC]

Hi.  Looks like you got some great advice.  Just to make sure there's nothing else to offer, can you post a typical day's routine for us to look at?  I'm assuming she's having 4 bottles a day at 4 hrs just from what you said.  What is her morning wake time and her typical nap times?

[corrina01]

I do the same as Tawnya,  when my DD refuses to have a catnap (which is often now  ) and I fed her at 3pm, her solids at 4.30pm and if she is extra tired and she wants bed at say 6.15pm I give her, her bedtime bottle at 6pm.  She doesn't wake up in the night either. 

[cam621]

I dread the question "what is her typical schedule", since it is ALWAYS different, varying by a half hour to an hour    But here goes for the most part:
6-6:30 wake, FF
8-8:30 nap
9:30-10:30 wake
10-10:30 FF
12:30, and can be up to 1:30 nap (Depending on how she is)
2:00-2:30 wake, FF
4-4:30 nap
6-6:30 start her bedtime rituals, then ff
asleep by 6:30-7pm

Oh and in between all of this I feed her solids...

DOes that help?

Thanks so much for your responses!  They were all very helpful!

[HeatherC]

It seems that you have a good routine in place.  At 8.5 months and as she gets older, you'll find that she can be much more flexible.  I personally tended to wake my dd from naps just to keep us on track for the day, and to preserve her other naps.  What I mean is that if I were to let her sleep too long for the am nap (even now at 13 mos) she wouldn't have as good of a pm nap.  Babies tend to only need so much day sleep, and if they get it all in one chunk, they might not sleep well for other naps, and then by the evening they are zonked.  Anyway, if you feel she is ready to go to bed early, just feed her early.  If she's eating well the rest of the day, she should be fine overnight even if she doesn't take a full bedtime feed.  Of course, every baby is different.  But, no, I wouldn't suggest going back to the dreamfeed either; Tracy actually suggested dropping that around 7 months anyway.