This is the third and final installment of my sample infant schedules. I have described in previous posts Princess's and Little Man's, now it's time to talk about Nemo :)
I followed a child led schedule with Princess and a pretty strict schedule adapted from On Becoming Baby Wise
and The Sleepeasy Solution
for Little Man. Nemo has gotten the benefit of my experience with the others. I started the schedule early, but I also took cues from him on what he needs.Week one:
- Nursed on demand, which was often
- Found out he had lost weight and began supplementing with 1-2oz of formula after each feeding.
- Sleep was often, but erratic.
Week two:
- Found out he had acid reflux and started rice cereal mixed with is formula as part of his supplemental feeding.
- Nursed on demand otherwise.
- Sleep became a little more steady. He seemed to be following his activity schedule from in the womb. Nights and days were not confused as much as with the others.
Week three:
- Began Zantac for acid reflux.
- Stopped rice cereal (binding).
- Started using formula as a full supplemental feeding in the evening (3-4oz).
- He still mostly slept in between feedings which were about 2.5 hours apart except for at night when they were about 3-4 hours apart.
Weeks four and five:
- Feedings stayed the same with the addition of one formula bottle in the AM (4oz).
- He was awake more, but content.
- His began sleeping up to five hours straight at night.
Weeks six and seven:
- Added another formula feeding in anticipation of going back to work.
- Sleep jumped up to 7 hours straight at night.
Week eight:
- I went back to work full time.
- 6:30AM nursed
- 7-9AM nap
- 10AM formula
- 11AM-12:30PM nap
- 1-2PM formula
- 4-5PM nursed
- 7PM pre-bed nap
- 8-9PM formula
- 9PM bed
- 3-4PM nursed
5 Months:
- 6:30 formula (6-7oz)
- 10AM formula
- 2PM formula
- 5PM nurse
- 7PM still takes a pre-bed nap :)
- 8PM formula (6oz)
- 3-4AM nurse and formula (3-5oz)
- He usually takes a 1 hr nap in the AM and a 2 hr nap in the PM. Sometimes he splits them into smaller increments.
You may notice some of the differences:
1. Nemo started formula much earlier, but he has also nursed more that 4 weeks past what his siblings did.
2. I generally don't lay him down awake. He naps similarly every day on his own. At night, he may go down groggy. As long as it is dark and pretty quite, he will go to sleep.
3. I still do not consistently offer him cereal. He had it very early for his acid reflux and it bound him up. I began offering cereal at 4 months but he is still adjusting to the texture. I also don't give him rice cereal, he gets oatmeal which seems to be gentler on his system.
4. He has a pre-bed nap. I worried about this because I would never have allowed it with his sister or brother, but it works for him. He only cries when he is hungry, tired, has a dirty diaper or his teeth are bothering him (haven't come in yet, but teething has begun). He gets really cranky at 7PM like clockwork, falls asleep for about 30mins, plays for a while, eats and passes out for the night. If it starts to affect bed time, then I will try to drop it.
5. I am still nursing, though just barely. He is the only one that I have been able to continue nursing after 4 months which is surprising because I have not pumped once. I won't be doing it much longer, but so far he still gets at least one feeding from me.
I obviously don't have more information on Nemo's next six months, but I imagine it will be more of the same. We have been blessed with a very happy baby :)
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helps you keep track of feedings.
gently alerts you if you fall asleep while nursing. LOVE. You want to be alert while feeding.
portable night light. Nice for nigh time feedings and diaper changes because you can keep baby in twilight mode. To facilitate a calm, sleepy night time mood, it is best to stay as dark and quite as possible to avoid stimulation.
It's sooo nice to have free hands while pumping.