back 2 work NEED HELP!!!!

[newmommyl]

I could really use some help My dd is 5 mos old and in a few weeks she'll start daycare when i go back to work. The daycare is out of a woman's home and i am thrilled w/ it but i am very concerned about transitioning dd's sched.  Right now this is basically what her sched is:

around 8: wake up/bottle
**just starting solids and not sure when to give them--w/ bottle, awhile after?--any suggestions for this
8ish-10ish A
10:ish-12ish nap
12ish bottle
12:ish-2ish A
2:ish-3:30ish nap
4:00 bottle
6:30-bedtime--bottle right before

I have a coulple of questions:
When i start work we will need to leave the house by 6:45! Which means dd will have to be woken up most likely .  She's not one of those babies who can be picked up asleep transferred to the car and sleep in the car.  Once she's up, she's up.  So do i give her her bottle here at 6:30 (or earlier), drive to work (30 min!), and have my daycare provider give her her solids--which is what i'm leaning towards.  My concerns w/ this are that her day will start an hour and a half early.  And my main goal w/ easy has always been to time it so that her bedtime bottle always lands around 6:30 or earlier so we can give to her at bedtime.  Daddy gives it to her in her rocking chair in her room, then lays her down.  With her 1st bottle starting at 6:30 am, her last bottle will be due at 6:30 pm which works out well--kind of answered my own question i guess.  i'm just worried i guess about how to start transitioning her now for this change in a few weeks also keeping in mind that she will be on solids.  When she starts solids do i still need to do bottles every 4 hours?  And now that i've started a breakfast, when do i start a 2nd meal of solids. I guess this is an EASY and feeding post....    I'm not sure if i've really made myself clear...i'm just trying to figure out a plan to make the transition easier.  Any help would be great 

[HeatherC]

When she goes to bed at 6:30 pm, does she sleep through until 8 am?
My thought was to try her new routine both ways: try giving the first bottle before leaving for daycare and having the daycare give solids at the old bottle time; or see if she can last until the usual bottle time even when woken earlier than usual.
When first giving solids, it's really just to get them used to it and for practice consuming more solid food.  You don't want it to interfere with liquid consumption, so you could offer the solids about 1 hr after the bottle.  My dd never had a problem, though, and she would eat the solids first, then her bottle.  Her schedule was just like your's from about 6-8 months old.  I would give the solids with the breakfast and lunch bottles, then give the 4 pm bottle, and solids around 5-5:30 dinner time, then a bedtime bottle.
I would keep the bottle times the same while just introducing solids.  Don't let the solids worry you in relation to your schedule.  It's kind of like giving a little extra E during A time.  Have you looked at the sample schedules for her age range at the top of this forum?

[newmommyl]

hi thanks for your response.  yes when she goes down she sleeps thru the night (knock on wood )  i like how you suggested to use solids as a part of A time, makes it a lot easier to keep the sched straight.  i'm going to give the bottle at home before daycare and have daycare give her bfast.  now when she goes to daycare i'm thinking her whole day will run the same but about an hour and a half earlier.  With that in mind, her afternoon nap would be closer to 1.  Or maybe you can answer this other question i have...should i move her whole schedule back an hour and a half since she will be getting up and eating an hour and a half earlier?  yes right? that's probably a dumb question.  So if that's the case when should i do her 2nd solids?  With an earlier sched she'd probaby be taking her first nap more around 9, then 2nd bottle at around 11ish...next nap around 1 or.  Should i have her 2nd solids be after that nap and next bottle, like around 3?  or will that be awkward for dinner solids?  Or do it around noon?  that makes more sense i think?  it's hard when there's going to be a drastic change in the sched, esp when the current one works so well! 

[HeatherC]

If you are starting her day an hour and a half earlier, then she would likely be ready for bed earlier.  Until she can adjust to the transition, and since you probably don't want a 5:00 bedtime, then you might have to give her an extra early evening catnap. 
So, her day might look like this (I'm also writing it out for my benefit to try to help you, not that this is the right way):
6:30 up and bottle (although if you have to leave at 6:45, will you need to get her up sooner?)
7:30/8 solids
nap 8:30/9 - 10:30/11 (she is currently used to 2 hrs of A time from morning wake up, any more might be too much for her in the beginning)
10:30/11 bottle
12 solids
12:30/1 - 2:30/3 (this would be great as a 2 hr nap if she can do it)
3:00 bottle
5:00 dinner solids eventually?
(she actually could probably make it until bedtime b/c there's really no room for a nap, but if she's exhausted and conks out, you might just let her sleep for 30 mins)
6:30 bottle and bed

Since she will be loosing a bit of the nighttime sleep she's used to, she might just make it up in naps and be able to keep her same bedtime of 6:30.  It's going to be trial and error for awhile until everyone can adjust.  But, like I mentioned, if she really needs to snooze late in the evening, I don't think that would be a bad thing.  Just not for too long.  Sometimes, though, having that dinner can perk them back up to make it through the evening.  Of course, dinner solids is usually the last to be added.  Remember, you'll want to start slow with the solids.  Some babies just are ready for them, so you'll want to watch for signs of upset tummy and of course allergies.