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Answers / Parenting / Babies (0-12 months)

Need "schedule" help!!!!

I need help bad! DS is 9 1/2 months old and has never been on a set schedule for anything. I have always let him eat and sleep when he wants and it has always worked out great for us and for awhile he was on a good schedule. bed by 9pm, wake at 7am nap at 11 and then another nap at 3. WELL lately he has been all messed up, not taking naps at all and if he does then its only for about 30 minutes. Bed time when from 7pm to "whenever" and I am having a hard time with this. We have a good bedtime routine but still not working. I don't believe in CIO but don't know what to do to get him on a good nap and bedtime schedule. Any advise? I feel like it would be better for him if he had set naps and bedtime. I BF so he eats whenever he wants and we have co-slept at night since he was little (medial reasons led us to this) He does however take naps in his crib but 45 minutes is as long as he'll ever sleep in his crib. I would like to get him in his own bed at least part of the night and for ALL naps. Any ideas, advise? or am I asking to much??

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staciaw

Asked by staciaw at 9:47 PM on Jan. 2, 2011 in Babies (0-12 months)

Level 9 (365 Credits)
Answers (6)
  • This is a hard one. This is my opinion only..Doesn't make it right or wrong just mine:) Start in the morning. He wakes at 7am, he nurses and/or eats, some play time or whatever until about 1030 or 11am nurse him and put him in his crib for nap. He will cry, just keep rubbing his back telling him it's OK but, don't pick him up. He just needs to understand it's time for sleep. If you don't want to CIO, you don't have to. Just sit with him till he falls asleep. Let him wake when he wants, then it should be lunchtime. Get him up, change him and nurse/feed him. Have some more time where he plays on the floor or with a few toys, just keep him stimulated until about 2pm. Then nurse him and put him down for another nap. Maybe an hour or so.....Then he wakes, you nurse and play a bit until dinner. After dinner, go out for a walk or play a little whatever then at about 730pm give him his bath and get him ready for bed.
    mrimom

    Answer by mrimom at 10:00 PM on Jan. 2, 2011

  • Then continue from there. It may take a bit but, it will work. My youngest was a little bugger like that. He didn't sleep through the night until he was 2....
    mrimom

    Answer by mrimom at 10:01 PM on Jan. 2, 2011

  • I don't know how to tell you to start a schedule - mine all had one from birth. But at least by a year I would think you would want your child eating meals when you do (since even by now he can pretty much eat what you do), so I would work towards getting him to set mealtimes. He will still need "snacks" of breastmilk in between, but when you feed him solids do it at "normal" mealtimes, whenever that is for you. Having his food at regular times will also help regulate his sleep schedule.
    At 9 1/2 months, some babies are already ready to drop the morning nap, some aren't so you'll just have to judge that for yourself. But I would say most babies are still have two naps - one mid morning and another mid afternoon.
    I also agree with most of what the above poster wrote and sounds like a reasonable schedule to start with.
    missanc

    Answer by missanc at 10:07 PM on Jan. 2, 2011

  • Thank you to both of you, Those are alot of good ideas. I forgot to say that he eats breakfast and dinner with me/us everyday and eats what we do, I am doing baby led weaning and he is doing pretty good with that. I think I just really need to help him get into a good schedule and keep to it. Thanks again
    staciaw

    Comment by staciaw (original poster) at 10:13 PM on Jan. 2, 2011

  • Do make sure he's nursing before solids, staci... I seem to recall you have had supply worries in the past.

    His own personal schedule actually sounds GREAT already and needs to be left alone. He may be ready to dump at least one nap; that's pretty common. (Heck, mine NEVER napped as an infant!)

    Changing things up is also common; they do that when they hit growth spurts and he's due for one now.

    I don't necessarily disagree with anything written above... just been there done that... and it did nothing. They set schedules on their own really well, and it's less stressful to just go with it.
    gdiamante

    Answer by gdiamante at 2:32 PM on Jan. 3, 2011

  • gdiamante, thank you for your advise. I have just recently had supply worries and I think it was wiht his 9 month growth spurt. I ALWAYS nurse him no more then 30 minutes before he gets solids. I agree that the schedule he set was WONDERFUL but lately he has no schedule at all and it seems hard on him. Seems like the last few night he has been taking a nap around 6pm for about an hour and then staying up way later then we would like (normal bed time before was 7, 9 at the latest) So you think I should just keep going with the flow and follow him in letting him schedule himself?? Thanks for your advise, I always look forward to it!
    staciaw

    Comment by staciaw (original poster) at 3:04 PM on Jan. 3, 2011

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Answers / Parenting / Babies (0-12 months)