Schedule for a 6 1/2 Month Old

My daugher is 6 months old and is on a WONDERFUL schedule. Maybe this will help...
6-6:30am- wake up and play
8:00am- 6-8oz of formula
9-11am- nap time
12:00pm- 8oz bottle
2:00-4:00pm- nap time
5:00pm- 8oz bottle
6:30pm- rice cereal
7:30pm- bath, 4oz bottle, read or sing
8:00pm- bed time until the next morning!!
I am so lucky to have a day care that keeps her to this schedule. I also have a 2 1/2 year old and was just as good. Good luck and let me know if I can answer any more questions for you. I don't know if this is the answer, but it had definately worked for us.

Hi D.,
I agree with Betty R, if the daycare is not following a schedule for your child, they need to be. 6 1/2 months is too young to not be napping. The disrupted naps are probably the cuase of poor night sleep. At that age, a monring and an afternoon nap are appropriate, in a bed, for more than 30 min at a stretch. If the daycare cannot provide that (or will not) then you really should find someone who can. There are lots of great caregivers in this area. As for the food, I agree with the others, milk does drop off and the child will start deciding what to eat and when. I would also check to make sure the daycare is not feeding your baby junk food like those Gerber puffed fruits or other empty calories. When my kids ate those they never wanted their healthy food because they were all full of sugar. Good luck!

My daughter started an in home daycare at 6 months and she followed a really good schedule. She would nap from 9-11 and 1-3 and she would go to bed around 7PM/7:30PM and then wake up around 6:30. Your son should still be drinking the same amount of formula when they start solids. Give him the bottle 1st and solids separate, so he doesn't get filled up on solids. My daughter I think had around 5 (6 ounce) bottles at that age and didn't eat at night. My pediatrician said (and my experience with my daughter and numerous friends) said that most kids don't need to eat through the night. My daughter slept through the night(10 hours) at 3 months and she was breastfed. I think getting your son on a regular feeding and sleeping schedule can help accomplish this.It does sometimes become a comfort or habit more than hunger. My daycare lady puts her 6 1/2 month old to bed at 7:30 PM and then feeds her around 10PM while she is 1/2 asleep and then she sleeps until about 6AM. I think your daycare lady needs to put your baby on a schedule- I would type it out and have them follow it. If they are not willing to do that- I would find a new daycare.

This is normal! I recently put my 6 month old in day care and them not following schedules did this to our daughter and on her own she grew out of It . Now about 3 months later she sleeps through the night and she's taking her naps again. Just give it some time. My childrens doc. Says she should be drinking 24 ounces total, a day.

Hi D.,

My experience with my daughter at that age was that 1. she needed the schedule for consistency between your house and the daycare 2. when I started her on solids she didn't drink as much breast milk, I am almost positive she went from 28 ounces a day to about 16. 3. Her naps consisted of taking a 1 hour nap at about 9:30a.m. and another nap for a couple of hours at 1:30p.m. But it was very important that it stayed consistent otherwise she was moody and her eating schedule was thrown off. I was lucky to have my mother in-law watch her for a while after I returned back to work when she was 6 months old.

Good Luck!
M.

Hi D.,

I have a 2yo and a 7mo. Both are in daycare. 7mo is not on a strict schedule, but generally naps 3 times a day and sleeps from about 8pm to 6am, waking a couple times during the night to feed (although I'm trying to avoid this because he does not NEED to eat during the night). My 7mo eats breakfast, lunch and dinner solids, and has milk in between each meal and after dinner/before bed - usually consuming either food or milk about every 2 hours during the day. If he is still hungry or thirsty after a meal I will nurse him. He has bottles while at daycare and nurses when he's at home/with me. I'm really relaxed with my kids schedules, but if you want your baby on a schedule I think you need to discuss this with your daycare provider and they should be happy to accommodate your requests. I hope this is helpful. Best wishes.

It's always been my understanding that food was a replacement for the milk... so once they start eating, they drink less milk. Still drink milk, but less often. Good luck, I know it's hard to adjust to daycare. C.

I think its unusual (from my experience) for a daycare not to follow a schedule. In my experience they usually have schedules for nap times, meal times, play time, etc. That way the staff can take their breaks according to what the kids are doing. Your son may be having trouble if he is used to a schedule and is now thrown into a situation where naps are not at a set time. Kids have great internal clocks! If your son is not taking as much breast milk as before the solids, I think I would back off the solids a bit so he'll take more breast milk. At this age, breast milk is very important for proper nutrition. You are right, he does need the breast milk, but the food is filing him up. At this age, it doesn't take much solid food at all to fill their little bellies! Its hard to suggest any type of schedule not knowing what his day is like at daycare. I would talk to the daycare manager about the lack of a schedule.

we had a similar problem with my daughter at daycare. make a schedule that works for you when you have your son and tell daycare to follow it. i read several "sleep therapy" books so can't remember what info i got from which, but we wake up my daughter the same time everyday, even though she's in daycare 3days/week. keep everything on everyday as consistent as you can. 1st nap is usually 2 hours after wake up time. then second nap 2-3 hours after nap wake up. then you can play around with bed time. it might take several weeks to find the right "plan' but once you start playing with it and being consistent you will find the schedule that works for you son. when starting food, he will start to take less milk. talk to his doc on how much milk he wants your son to take. good luck!

D.,
Sorry I don't have time to go into more detail, but the book The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems is a fabulous resource for getting your little one on a schedule. And it definitely helps with sleep. There are also recommendations about how much food he should be eating.
Good luck whatever you choose to do,
C.

My daughter started at a family day care when she was 9 months and the schedule was flexible due to the changing needs of the children. This particular day care only has 5 kids under the age of two and no others. So the schedule is set for what each child needs. My daughter only took one nap a day at home and did the same in day care. Also, with the milk - solids do start to replace milk at this age. My daughter actually would not take any milk from day care when she started at 9 months and now that she is almost 2 she continues to refuse milk while she is there. However, her growth has been consistent. Unless weight and growth rates are a concern for your son, I wouldn't worry too much about him taking less milk.

I'm not sure what you mean by the daycare isn't following any kind of schedule. If it means exactly that... no schedules at all... I would really consider another place. Some daycares have more flexible schedules than others, and flexibility can be very good, but a reliable daycare will have at least some sort of schedule, particularly at such a young age. Otherwise, it sounds to me like what others have said about your son going through several transitions, and things being age appropriate right now, are correct. I've found with children that as soon as we get used to their routine, they change it up on us. It keeps life from getting boring, I guess!

Hi D.,
I recommend Dr Marc Weissbluth's book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It includes age appropriate expectations and strategies in sections organized by age.
For a 6 mos old, I think he recommends 2-3 naps and a very early bed-time, and to expect an average of two wakings for feedings at night (for noncosleepers, cosleepers feed on demand). To cut down on extra wakings, have daddy respond to nonfeeding times.
Some counter-intuitive advice about sleep that I find extremely helpful: The more your baby sleeps, the better he sleeps. The key to sleeping through the night is taking good naps during the day, and a shockingly early bedtime. If you try to tire them out in the hope that they will be so exhausted they have to sleep, they produce stress hormones that interfere with good sleep.
Life got a lot easier when I got my baby on a healthy sleep schedule. He is so sweet, affectionate, and playful when well rested. When over-tired (skipped naps), he gets frustrated so easily, bangs his head on the floor, and throws things. Like a different baby!
I also have had challenges getting the daycare (wonderful caring people) to get him to nap on his schedule, but they are more than willing to try. Most parents think too much sleep keeps their kids from sleeping, so that is the attitude daycare usually caters to.
Good Luck!

Your so is dealing w/2 changes in his life right now: starting daycare & the introduction of solids. It's pretty common that once solids are started, there's less intake of milk/bottles/nursing. Just keep doing what you're doing & he'll get used to the change. Altho, if his weight drops, then you chould get in touch w/your ped or advice nurse. His changes in sleep patterns are probably related to the start of daycare. Funny that the daycare isn't on any kind of schedule which is usually the case as it helps them keep things organized & runnning smoothly. I used to work in daycare & we always had some form of a schedule for all ages but especially at your son's age. Talk w/them & see what they're willing to do.

Hi D.,

My baby is 7 months now. She drinks anywhere from 12oz-16oz a day. It might be a bit more since she drinks during the night for a feeding at 1:30am and then again at 5:30am. She is also a pretty healthy eater. She gets three meals a day. Veggies, fruit and cereal. I would say she gets about 3-4oz of food at each serving. I make her food and freeze them in 1oz cubes.

I believe it is normal for babies to drink less milk once they start eating solids. They get most of their nutrition from your breastmilk but they are getting the calories from the solid foods. This is a good and necessary thing. It's another stop on the road to your baby growing up. It happens fast!

As far as a daily schedule, it's hard to do this when you're not home with your little guy. You have to relinquish control of your baby's schedule to your daycare provider. Hopefully, you'll be able to work with her to establish something that works well for everyone.

Since you just started daycare, it's going to take some time for everyone to get used to the new schedule. Right now, I would just focus on getting him used to being with someone new during the day. Keep your schedule consistent. Your routine with him in the morning should be consistent as far as wake up, nursing, drop-off, etc.

Ask your day care provider if she can provide a more consistent structure for your son. All children love structure, routine and predictability. Once he realizes there is one, he will fall into place.

One thing to remember, his sleep schedule is going to vary depending on if he is teething or sick or just feeling funky. You can try to put him down at a regular time but it may not work out. Watch how he behaves and he will tell you when he is sleepy. Usually, after a few hours of play, he should want to go down for a nap. But my daughter went through a period where she would only nap for 20 min at a time - and that was only when she was drinking a bottle or on the breast. She had some teeth coming through. Now she has a regular napping schedule.

To wrap it up, have a structure but be flexible within your structure. Good luck to you!

Hi D.

Ok, you have enough advice for the next several children....I just had to add my silly 2 cents...
First, honey, please, there is no need for a schedule...and if baby eats food he will not take nearly as much bottle (a good thing)
not sleeping well is more than likely just the new daycare situation.
Baby has the most wonderful schedule built in. dont stress yourself out trying to have him eat at exactly 7 12 and 6! Bed times, well, ok a general nightime and nap time bedtime is somewhat recommend but if it happens a bit early or late its just so not the end of the routine bedtime.
With a baby they dont know its 730pm time for bed or 7am time for breakfast but keeping the times somewhat close is good enough while he settles into his own schedules.

Much warm regards & a hug, your doing a great job! Daycare is meant to screw a few things up...lol...its momma Karma! :o) j/k.

C. ;O)

C.

Know that your son's eating habits will fluctuate. If he is not losing weight and isn't fussy becuase he's hungry then don't worry about it. His appetite will come back up. Yes, you are 100% right that the solids are just extra. It's to get him introduced to food. My son is two months older and we're just now to the point where he looks forward to his solids. If the daycare isn't able/willing to follow a schedule then it won't help much. Usually you will have to follow their imposed schedule. They have more kids than just your son and they can't have several different eating times and several different nap schedules. Talk to the director and see what you can work with.