Feel like I am always doing something wrong... is your baby on a "schedule"?
suzienickles36
member
I feel like someone always has a comment to say about my LO and if he is on a schedule yet, or sleeping through the night, etc. And, when I reply no, then I get "oh that's not good" "have you started food yet" "do you ever let him cry"
SO, am I doing something wrong?? He still eats about every 3 hours during the day. Some days longer, some days shorter. Is that not normal? I had someone in my family tell me this weekend they couldn't believe he was still eating every 3 hours. Like it was too often. Then I always get "is he sleeping through the night"? And, I stated no, he is usually up for at least one feeding, some times two, and will fuss at times in between. I got the weird look and stare that it was not good he was still doing this, and that I must be doing something wrong. I am sorry but I was under the impression that if he is literally draining a bottle in the middle of the night then he still needs that feed. I also think it's normal for a 4 month/almost 5 month old to still wake up sometimes right? (I mean I know there are those of you on here that were blessed with a STTN baby, but I do think there are others in the same boat).
Back to the "is he on a schedule" comment. He sort of is, but not a rigid one.. he wakes up about the same time everyday. We play a little, change, eat, he then will eat about every 3 ish hours and nap approx. every 2-3 ish hours (very short naps usually though), and then he knows when bed time is and will wake up at least once to feed, again sometimes fussing throughout the night. I think that's a good enough schedule for his age.
Anyway, I am curious to know what some of your "schedules" are like, and if I am totally screwing up my child 
Of course in a perfect world he would sleep through the night, eat on a rigid schedule, nap wonderfully, and never fuss, but that's not reality in my opinion!
Re: Feel like I am always doing something wrong... is your baby on a "schedule"?
This is a time of big change for babies between 4 - 6 months I find they go from newborns to infants. Feedings spread out, sleeping gets better, a schedule can start to form, they stay awake longer. I think what you describe is perfectly normal - my baby sleep bible says at 4/5 months waiting anywhere from 2-4 hours is normal and waking 1-2 times a night is normal. By 6 months ideal the baby would be working towards 4 hours between feedings and 1 waking a night and getting on schedule. I'm just starting to gentle guiding ds towards this ideal. It doesn't mean that anything is wrong with what you describe. It seems like your LO is in normal ranges. People just want to ask questions and offer advice - either listen polite and ignore or give them the answers they want to hear.
My schedule is this - however he has been sleeping horrible the last few nights.
7am - 8am wake up - nurse when he wakes
9 - 9:30am - down for first nap (1.5 - 2 hours after he wakes up) nap last 1 - 2 hours nurse when he wakes
12:30 - 2pm - down for 2nd nap (2 - 3 hours after he woke up) nap for 1.5 - 2.5 hours nurse when he wakes
4:30ish - a 3rd nap if he slept less then 4 hours total nurse when he wakes
7pm - 8pm - nurse and then to bed
Ideally 1 night feeding but depends on the night
Every baby is different. That's all there is to it!
Your his mom and you know best what works for you and LO. To me it sounds like you guys are doing just fine.
What worked to get us on a schedule was establishing a bedtime and sticking to it. When we established bedtime she set her naps on her own schedule and is fairly predictable, but it isn't rigid. The only thing rigid is bedtime. My LO was STTN, but now wakes up around 2 AM. I offer food as the last resort. I first wait to see if she'll self soothe, which occasionally she will. If it escalates into cries, I go in and help her soothe. If that fails, I offer food, which always puts her back down to sleep.
um my schedule sounds a lot like yours...
he goes to daycare during the week anyway so it'd be hard for me to keep it so rigid.
Also, I don't like to eat on the dot of every time, why would he?
Oh yes I get the comments about food too! Yes, we started food per pedi and still no luck sleeping longer. People look at me like I have a 3rd eye when I say I have noticed no difference.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I usually just brush stuff off, but this was a long weekend of never ending comments from family members that made me doubt myself at times. I think what we have is a pretty normal child!
Well, I guess I'm doing something wrong too, because what you're describing is exactly what DS is doing.
He nurses, on average, every 3 hours during the day (I EBF on demand), and wakes up 2x a night.
Failed multiple cycles of Clomid+TI and Clomid+IUI
3/2011 inj+IUI #1 BFP. 4/2011 missed m/c.
Fall 2011 inj+IUI #2&3 BFN
Jan/Feb 2012 IVF#1 BFP 2/23 EDD 10/31/2012 ~~~ Halloween ~~~
Our IVF miracle, Baby Boy M, arrived on 11/8/2012!
We can't allllll be horrible moms right?! =]