Some of you have babies so...

[smjmekg]

I have a nine and a half month old baby, ten months on the 2 of May, I want to know how to get him on a regular, more routine schedule. Right now he eats when he wants (bottle), he gets fed baby food twice a day (I think I should be starting three times, he wakes up at least once wanting another bottle), naps when he gets grumpy and tired, and he goes to sleep between 7 and 11 at night, but more often around 8, and wakes up between 6 and 1030. He also won't go to sleep without a bottle, I either have to lay him in his crib, or hold him with the bottle and pray he doesn't wake up when I move to put him in his crib, if he does wake up it's like he's slept all night~~~playtime!!! He still doesn't have teeth, so I'm not too worried about the whole crib rot thing, and when he falls asleep the bottle is either out of his mouth already, or he drops it a few minutes later. I've tried letting him cry for at least ten minutes, but not too much longer, and it doesn't really work. He just gets mad and doesn't fall asleep, but gets more energy to play longer. I would like him on a better schedule because then I can get on a better schedule, and I would like for him to not have a bottle when he goes to sleep because I want to take the bottle away completely when he turns a year old, or at least attempt to start weaning him off it. Any advice ladies?

[smjmekg]

Thanks! I do give Elijah a sippy cup, but only with juice, I actually try to stay away from too much water and juice b/c his bowel movements go one of two ways...really hard, or really runny (sorry tmi). I'm only worried about the bottle b/c I have a three year old cousin that just got rid of his, he'll be four in Oct. I've tried only a sippy during the day but I babysit a three month old and when he sees her with her bottle he pushes away the sippy and wants a bottle, and occasionally when she's not here he pushes it away still, but I can't really recall if that's only when he's tired. He takes between 1 and 4 naps a day depending on how tired he is I guess, and how long he naps for. I'm not necessarily trying to wean, just don't want him to be a three year old with a bottle. Granted, I can wait til he actually gets teeth to start, if he doesn't til after he's one...should I let him keep a bottle for naps for longer? I worry sometimes that one is a little too young to make the bottle disappear completely...

[momof5grlz]

Oh and as far as the meal schedule, if you can get breakfast going first thing in the morning you could easily follow a breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner snack routine.  Working in a nap or two (depending on how often he needs to nap), between morning snack and lunch snack.  But I wouldn't do naps any later than4 or 5 depending how late you like him to go to bed.  Good luck again!

[momof5grlz]

First of all.  You have to have nerves of steel, but it can be done. And the sooner the better, the older they get the more it tugs on your heart.  First start by making sure he naps at a similar time each day.  If he gets too much sleep during the day or late in the day it makes the night time routine impossible.  What worked for me was to ease into a nightitime routine.  You know meal or snack of needed, bath, story, and put him to bed awake.  I would work on taking the bottle after you get this under you belt.  Don't shell shock him with taking too much at once out of his norm.  As you add each piece of a new routine and keep doing it religiously every day he will adjust and it should be easier.  He is probably going to cry quite a bit, but if you keep your calm and a calm reaasuring tone in your voice, he might still cry (alot) but he will feel reaasured that you haven't abandoned him.  Put him to bed, tell him goodnight (without the apprehention in your voice) walk out, don't look back.  Then go back in if he is still crying every 10 minutes or so and just lay him back down.(CALMLY-this is soooo important!)  Don't get all emoitional or invested.  Just keep doing this and eventually he will go to bed.  It may be a long night the first few nights though.   Don't forget babies are like aniamals, they can smell fear and will call you on it everytime!!!  Good luck and keep in touch if you have any questions I can help you with.

[Joyce49788]

first off i have to give you credit for trying to wean already... try giving him sippy cups during the day and a bottle only at bedtime and naps. you can add the 3rd solid food meal if you like, and try to feed him when everyone else is at the table eating... that will start with THAT part of the schedule.

ok now to give my background...lol... i am 35 w/3 older kids and due to delivery next one in 5-6 weeks... my kids are 6,12 and 14 so i have been where you are a few times.

with my kids, i didnt really worry much about taking them off of the bottle until they got close to 2yrs old... and usually then they just had a bottle for naps and bedtime.  if you are real worried about how his teeth will be then give him water when he has his naps/bedtime instead of formula/milk, or juice.  and give a sippy cup for other drinks (formula, milk, juice,ect..)

from what i have read, you actually have him on a decent schedule... it might vary at times, but it is hard for a child of ANY age to have a 100% set in stone schedule although i have heard of some mothers being able to do it...

good luck and let me know how that goes for you