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October 2012 Moms
LorMor
member
Evening routine brainstorming help
LorMor
member
Evening routine brainstorming help
Our LO has always gone to bed late (10:30-ish) after a LOT of feeding, and she STTN and wakes up around 8:30am, so we always figured that's just how it is.
But last night DH went out, so we started the evening routine an hour early so he could help with her shower before he went out. I got her to bed an hour early and she slept until 8:30, so it made me think that she actually needs to get to bed earlier.
Here is our current routine:
6:30 solids
7 shower
8 nurse then play quietly
9 nurse until asleep, bed around 10 or 10:30.
So last night we showered at 5:30, then I fed her solids at 6pm, then we did the nursing/playing an hour earlier and she was asleep by 9:30. What bliss to have an evening, because I find going to bed at 11pm too late for me.
I'd love to make our whole routine earlier, BUT DH loves being involved in the evening feed and shower, so we can only start that when he gets home, at 6:30.
I can't think of a way around it - EITHER DH misses the feeding, and I feed her earlier and we shower at 6:30 and go from there, OR we continue as we are and DH gets quality time with LO every evening and we go to bed late.
We've tried shortening the last feeds/play time but that doesn't work.
Am I missing some awesome solution, or is this what I have to work with?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Evening routine brainstorming help
I also agree that perhaps you guys can take turns on the whole bedtime routine perhaps every other day. That way you and him can have turns spending time with LO for bedtime routine (except for nursing part if you BF)
I would keep the earlier bedtime and I would aim for 9p sleep time for LO. Good luck LO's sleep these days can be all over the place
Personally? I'd cut down or out the play time unless LO really needs it.. we actually kind of include that in bath time (Which appears for you is shower time) What we do is this - bottle (or breast for us it depends on the day), the play or solids depending on timing. Then play for 20 minutes or so - then bath (this is our "start" of bedtime) at 7:30 (we have been moving it earlier like 7). Then after bath she now gets ONLY a diaper. Then nurse, then I take her down to her room for lotion and jammies - then kiss and goodnight.
Previously it was nurse, bath (jammies and everything), nurse, sleep
We let her play in the bath and often times we let her play naked in the bathroom on a towel for a while. We are trying to move it around for a variety of reasons right now and also prepping to drop the last nursing and sub in a book
(our main goal right now is that she's awake when she goes in her crib)
I have been near tears on numerous occasions because I miss my girls so much-especially DD2 because she goes to bed very early--so i completely understand your DH's point. However, if DD's responding well to an earlier bedtime, Id support that and alter your routine a little.
Looking at your schedule, it seems like you have a lot of time you could condense down to get her to bed earlier. It also seems like a lot to me to give DD solids and two nursing sessions in a 3 hour period, but maybe thats just our babies being different. I dont know.
You could easily start solids at 630, do a shower and some playtime afterwards for and hour or two and one final nursing session right at bedtime (8-9pm). Does that make sense? Id take DDs cues to see how long she can stay up and adjust playtime accordingly.
Thanks for your suggestions everyone. I like these ideas.
We're going to try to stick with this earlier bedtime, but last night was a mess!