Early wakings - how much sleep during the day at 9 months

[Micky]

Since I stopped feeding her at 4am my DD, 9 months old, wakes at 5/5.30, instead of normal 6.30/7.00.
It could be due to hunger since she doesn't eat much during the day, so I give her extra cearel, just before putting her to bed.
But my question is how much shold I allow her to sleep during the day, since at the moment she could go 3 hrs in the morning and 2 hrs in the afternoon, so I have to wake her up. Should I allow her to sleep more in the morning or later?
Our routine is as follows:

6.30 bf
8.00 fruit&cereal
9.00 - 11.00 nap
12.00 veg
3.00 milk (4-6ounces)
3.30-4.30 nap
5.30 veg+meat
7.00 bf
7.30 bath
8.00 milk with cereal & bed

Micky

[Lana]

I would limit naps to 1.5 hours each.  I have found with both my boys that they would only sleep a certain amount each day.  For instance if B sleeps for 2 hours in the morning he will probably only sleep for 1 hour in the afternoon.  Or if he has another long nap then he will wake at night.

HTH

[Micky]

Thanks, i think I'll try that.

Micky

[Lana]

Let me know how it goes.

[Micky]

Unfortunately it seems it's not just the question of the naps. I still cannot sort it out with the food. She hardly eats any solids during the day, and then at night won't go back to sleep without 8 ounces of milk. The time  changes from night to night, it can be 4am,3am or2am. After the night feed she sleeps till 6.00/6.30 without problem. Also it seems to me it's time to transition to 1 nap, at about 11.30 for 2.30/3.00 hrs. -she falls asleep much easier than in the morning, although is a bit grumpy before.

I think I need to move to Feeding Solids Board to ask my next question.

Micky

[Colin Macs Mom]

Micky,

Don't worry so much about the solids - at 9 mo. her primary source of nutrition should still be from breastmilk and/or formula. Solids are basically just for practice and to get their systems used to it before they're weaned at 12 mo. or more. The solids don't have as much in terms of calories like the BM/formula, which is what sustains them. Some LOs do legitimately need a night feed for quite some time, even up to a year or a bit more - you might have one of those LOs. If she's waking at different times and is hungry, then it's genuine and you should definitely feed her.

[Micky]

Thanks for reassuring me that I still have the right to feed my DD at night since after reading most posts at that forum I felt I was not doing the right thing, but usually gave in to get a bit more sleep.

Micky

[Tatumsmom]

Hi Micky,
I'm so happy I came across your thread. Your dd sounds just like mine. She still wakes at night for a feeding and sometimes in the early morning. She had been going to at least three but for the last four nights she has been waking at one for her feeding then up at 6:30 for the day. Last night she woke at one and then at 5:30 I feed her both times and then she slept to 8:30. I've got some friends who's lo are younger then my dd and they all sleep through the night with no feedings. I was starting to feel like I was doing something wrong because she was still eating at night. I can totally relate to your situation and I hate when pepole think that just because their lo's don't eat at night that there is something wrong with ours because they do. Jessica(Colin Mac's mom) has been very helpful and supportive to me, she has some great tips and words of wisdom. Just listen to what she says and know you are not doing anything wrong. It took me along time to realize that I'm doing the right thing and you are to! One day they will sleep through....maybe tonight.LOL
All the best
Kim

[Colin Macs Mom]

Awww thanks you guys   

Night feeds really are normal for quite some time yet, I promise! Your friends with LOs that "sleep though" probably aren't. For some reason people don't like to admit that they still get up. I guess it's that female competition thing? Who knows, but anyway don't let other people get to you. What's important is that LOs needs are being met, and you are both doing that fabulously!