DD 7mths is always asleep at tea time! Should I just leave it until she drops that nap?

[Caz10]

After asking around on here and in RL the general consensus seemed to be that 4.30 was a good time for the last solid meal of the day before bed (I think I'd been feeding her too late before and giving her tummy-ache, her sleep was really disturbed with lots of crying, it's better now that she doesn't get food at 5.30ish).

However without fail dd is sound asleep at that time! She normally naps 2hrs after she gets up, then 12/1/2ish, then has a shorter nap at about 4ish which seems to get her through to a 6.30/7ish bedtime without a major meltdown. But then she's not having any tea!

She's not at all into breakfast when offered at 7am-ish, but will normally eat quite a bit if it's offered after her 2nd feed at 10amish, then again mid afternoon maybe 3ish. But 2 meals at 10am and 3pm seems a bit random?!

Any thoughts?!

[Seona1973]

what time does her nap end - could you feed her just after she wakes up? Re: breakfast - you could try giving it an hour or so after the first bottle e.g. milk at 7am and food at 8am.

[Caz10]

Thanks seona

today she woke at 4.30 so I just fed her then which was fine, but other days it's after 5.

brekkie - she wakes at 6 (zzz) tend to feed her around 6.30 then try food at 7.30ish - she's just getting v tired by then I think. I could offer her brekkie at 6.30 I suppose but the thought of that exhausts me!

[Peckarolloveragain]

caz, my DD (bit younger than yours but only just) has tea at 5pm. If she is asleep at 5 pm then I get her up and she eats when she wakes.

I want her to be up at 5 anyway so she is up 2 hours before 7 bedtime!

I do milk on waking brekkie about 8
milk at 11
lunch at 12
milk at 2.30
tea at 5
milk at bedtime

[Caz10]

thanks pecka

i realised after posting what the problem has been - I am still thinking I should prioritise milk over food, so when she wakes at 4.30/5 whatever I am feeding her first (BF), which then obviously pushes the time on.

I'm still a bit fuddled by the milk/solids balance. Looking at your schedule pecka I do one more BF, maybe I don't need to?

[Caz10]

thanks pecka

i realised after posting what the problem has been - I am still thinking I should prioritise milk over food, so when she wakes at 4.30/5 whatever I am feeding her first (BF), which then obviously pushes the time on.

I'm still a bit fuddled by the milk/solids balance. Looking at your schedule pecka I do one more BF, maybe I don't need to?

[Seona1973]

at 7 months my day was pretty much like pecka's e.g.

7am - milk
8am - breakfast
11am- milk
12pm - lunch
3pm - milk
5pm - dinner
7.15pm - milk
in the night till 8 months - milk

ds was bottle fed though if that makes any difference.

[Peckarolloveragain]

caz i think to keep the balance right its best to think of the milk feeds as the main event

So

when she wakes up MILK then 4ish hours later at 11 MILK then 4ish hours later at 3 MILK then 4ish hours later 7 MILK

The meals are what are fitted in between after the milk has been drunk - that way in theory they should only take what they want after they have had their milk

DD is bottle fed too so not sure how you feel about 4 hourly feeds x

[Caz10]

i would LOVE 4 hourly feeds!

to be fair dd is not far off it, a few weeks ago she was still 2hrly and I was going spare! I'm back at work soon and she'll get bottles during the day then anyway.

yes, i felt a bit strange about giving food BEFORE milk, will stick to what I'm doing and if she sleeps through tea so be it, for now at least. she's always starving when she wakes at 4.30 or whenever, wouldn't last until bedtime without something, so I'm sure if I gave her tea then she'd wolf it, but I feel funny not giving milk first!

[Peckarolloveragain]

Why dont you stick with the BF then offer her something at 5.30/6.oo - even if none of it is going in it is introducing her to idea of meal in the evening and gives her extra opportunity to have a play with some food!

[Caz10]

I was just worried about her sleep being disrupted with wind/sore tummy if food was too close to bed? But it's crap anyway so maybe it doesn't matter!