8 Month Old Baby Schedule
Posted by Nicole on July 3rd, 2008
This article outlines the average 8 month old baby schedule, including feedings, solids, naps and night sleep.
8 month old’s sleep
At this age, many 8 month olds can sleep through the night, without a feeding, but some won’t and will continue to need 1-2 feedings up through 9+ months old. And, 8 month old babies take 2-3 naps daily for a total of 2-3 hours per day plus 11-12 hours at night. If you’re having trouble with naps, you might be interested in helping your If you’re having trouble with naps, you might be interested in helping your baby nap.
All babies vary, but here are some rough schedules you can use to make your own for your unique baby. I should warn you that I am in the camp that breast milk or formula should be the primary nutrition for the first year and solids come secondary. Below are the amounts recommended from Super Baby Food, the book I use for reference (as a guide, not as the end-all-be-all because I don’t give my kids nuts before a year or follow other things in the book, but it’s a good reference guide). Another useful reference is Wholesome Baby Food. Although I work full time, I did make most of my baby food (I’d make 1 big batch of something each weekend in 1-2 hours), but even if you don’t, the website is useful as a guide when to introduce what food and other meal ideas.
The amount of food at 8 months is very similar to the 7 month baby schedule, but you will most likely go to 3 small meals per day, rather than just 2.
Amounts per day:
• At least 5 nursing sessions per day or 26-32 ounces formula or combination
• No more than 2-4 oz of water or juice (to ensure they drink enough breast milk or formula)
• 2-3 servings baby cereal or grains (1 serving cereal = 1-2 Tablespoons dry and grains include Cheerios, 2 crackers, etc.)
• 2 servings fruit (1 serving = 2-3 Tablespoons)
• 2-3 servings vegetable (1 serving = 2-3 Tablespoons)
• 1-2 servings protein (1 serving = 1-2 Tablespoons)
• 1 serving Dairy (1 serving = 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/3 cup cottage cheese or 1 oz grated cheese)
• You can also offer cooked egg yolk (but no egg whites until 1 year old due to allergans)
The first schedule is what I call a “staggered” approach. My first son did better with a full feeding and then having solids a bit in between. He was a little hungry but not famished. He just didn’t do well with stopping nursing or his bottle mid-way to eat solids.
If your baby has already transitioned to just 2 naps, please see the 9 month old baby schedule for a sample schedule.
Schedule 1
7:00 – Wake and Breast milk or Formula
8:15 – Breakfast
9:00 – Morning Nap (at least 1 hour)
10:00 – Breast milk or Formula
11:00 – Lunch
12:30 – Breast milk or Formula
1:00 – Early Afternoon Nap (at least 1 hour)
2:00 – Breast milk or Formula
4:00 – Optional Catnap (30-45 minutes)
4:30 or 5:00 – Dinner
6:15 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Breast milk or Formula and Bedtime (goal to be asleep at this time)
+Plus possibly 1 nighttime feeding
If your baby doesn’t mind a more “consolidated” approach to eating, like my second son, here is another type of schedule:
Schedule 2
7:00 – Wake
7:15 – Breakfast plus Breast milk or Formula feeding
9:00 – Morning Nap (at least 1 hour)
10:00 – Breast milk or Formula
11:00 – Lunch
12:30 – Breast milk or Formula
1:00 – Afternoon Nap (at least 1 hour)
3:00 – Breast milk or Formula
5:30 – Dinner plus Breast milk / Formula feeding
6:15 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Breast milk or Formula
+Plus possibly 1 nighttime feeding
Note: When giving any feedings during your bedtime routine, be careful not to create sleep associations, which we saw become important at 4 months old.
You may also be interested in tracking your baby’s sleep, feedings, medication doses, immunizations, etc. using online baby software at Babble Soft. You can even install on your mobile device for when you’re on the go!
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 40 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style. For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out Help Your Child Sleep, a Step-by-Step Guide. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night. Or, join our Members Area packed with premium content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! For those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations.
What is your 8 month old baby’s schedule?
Tags: 8 month babies, 8 month baby, 8 month development, 8 month feeding, 8 month nap, 8 month old, 8 month old sleep, 8 month schedule, 8 month sleep, baby nap schedule, baby on schedule, baby schedule, baby sleep schedule, feeding, sleep schedule
advertisement
August 14th, 2008
I have an 8 month old daughter who has recently REFUSED to go to sleep before 3 or 4 in the morning. Her 1pm and 4pm naps have shortened to 45 minutes each. She used to sleep a lot longer. I have problems sleeping and I’m scared she’s inherited that trait. I’m hoping she’s just teething (she just cut her third tooth this week). Anyways, I think part of the problem is that I’m letting her sleep until ten in the morning some days because she’s up so late at night. Tomorrow, I’m getting her up at 7 and I’m going to try your schedule. Hopefully, this will cure her sleeplessness.
Tinas last blog post..AAT: Why Girls Don’t Want Solutions
August 17th, 2008
@Tina Good luck! I hope the new schedule works and improves your daughter’s sleep. Day and night sleep are handled by different parts of the brain, so just keep that in mind when dealing with any problems.
Nicoles last blog post..Cry It Out Defined and Age to Do It
October 10th, 2008
My almost 8 month old son sleeps okay at night – usually in bed by 7p, up around 2a to nurse, then back to sleep until around 6-7a. But during the day, if I can get him to nap – he’s awake after 30 min on the dot! I can’t figure out how to get him to take longer naps…
February 11th, 2009
I am so glad to see that 3 naps is still okay. My daughter usually only takes 45 minute naps (on the dot) but then sometimes surprises me with a 2 hour one. I never know how to predict how long they will be which is frustrating but I guess I will just deal with it. She pretty much follows the Schedule 2 so I feel better reading that now.
Thanks!
February 12th, 2009
@Kim Has your son ever fallen back to sleep if you leave him alone for a few minutes after a short nap? They commonly wake up briefly between sleep cycles.
@Margaret You’re welcome!
April 9th, 2009
I have an 8 month old son who will sleep for 2-3 hours at night, but once he’s awake he will not go back to sleep until 2-4 hours later. once he’s awake he continuously cries. I try feeding, soothing, rocking, changing, and repositioning. I am so frustrated and I don’t know what to do. He’s waking everyone in the house, every night. Someone please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 16th, 2009
My baby has 8 month now but when i put her on the crib she wakes up. she just sleep with us, on our bed.. what do i have to do to make this stop?? somebody help me pleasee
April 17th, 2009
My eight month old goes down to sleep every night very easily at around 7pm (thanks to Ferber). I’m feeding her when she wakes up between 4am and 5:30 and then she goes back to sleep until between 7am and 8am or as late as 9am! Yesterday she woke to eat at 6:30am and was awake for good, so it’s really all over the place. This all wouldn’t be so bad if her naps were good. Today she took two half hour naps and it was very clear to me that it wasn’t enough – lots of crying and crankiness all day. I’m wondering if it would help to drop the early morning feed and to wake her up at 7am every morning so I can get a schedule started. I always heard that it was best to let sleeping babies lie, but maybe not for my baby?
May 7th, 2009
@Amy Yes, it sounds like you might need to regulate how much night sleep she gets. She can only sleep so many hours in 24 hours, so you might need to balance how much of it is at night as 7pm-9am is 14 hours right there. That’s a lot at night. She must love her night sleep.
May 13th, 2009
Hi, my almost 9 month old son has been living by this schedule since he was almost 1 month old. He used to sleep from 7pm till 6 am, now he goes almost until 6:45 am. His naps are from 9 – 10 am and from 12 – 1:20 or 1:30, he also still wants to catnap some time after 4 for 20-30 mins.
Yesterday I put him down for a 12 pm nap and he cried and couldn’t fall asleep for about 10 or 15 minutes. That made me think that may be the time between his naps is too short (since he is older now). Or may be we should drop the morning 9 am nap altogether (unfortunatelly…) I also looked at your 9 month old schedule and don’t understand why did you move everything by 1 hour later. What should we do? Thank you!
May 15th, 2009
@Dinara As babies get older, yes, they need more wake time between naps. Once they transition to just 2 naps, it’s best to space them out more so they are not overtired by bedtime. Hope this helps!
June 27th, 2009
I have a 2 year old and an 8 month old, both boys, both very different. My first was a dream and slept through the night from 3 months, my 8 month old on the other hand NEVER sleeps through the night, wakes up at LEAST twice sometimes up to 6 times, grizzles and usually the only way i can get him to fall asleep is to give him a bottle, which he takes probably 7-8 mouthfulls then falls back asleep for around 45 minutes then wakes. It has been like this for a while and it is really taken its tole as i am findng myself tired a lot of the time. He was formula fed from the day he was born (not by choice) i have tried feeding him baby food right before bed, i have tried having music playing softly in the bedroom, i have tried keeping him up as long as i possibly can and nothing seems to be working if anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.
July 2nd, 2009
@Jade It sounds like your 8 month old definitely has a sleep association problem with a bottle. He needs to learn how to fall asleep without the bottle so he can go BACK to sleep throughout the night without the bottle. Please read more here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/sleep-association/ Good luck!
August 10th, 2009
Please help me with your advice. I have a 7 month old who started sleeping through the night at 2 months from 8pm-7am. Then all of a sudden at 5 1/2 months he started waking several times and wont sleep in his crib at night. He sleep with us, which is causing me to get no sleep. Once he falls asleep I try to move him to his crib and in a few minutes he is awake and crying. I can move him back to my bed and as soon as his head hits my bed he is sound asleep again. What can I do???
August 12th, 2009
I have an 8 month old son, and he is also my first. I am trying really hard to understand what type of an eating schedule he should be on. I have breastfed him since he was born and I introduced solids at 5 months. I now feed him 3 times a day at 7:30, 1:30 and 7:30, but I feel like this may not be enough…although he eats quite a bit at each feeding. In the morning I give him 2 ounces of breastmilk with cereal and a stage 2 fruit, I then top him off by breastfeeding. At lunch I give him a stage 2 vegetable and then breastfeed him. At dinner I give him a stage 2 vegetable and meat and then top him off with breastmilk. I recently started giving him 2 ounces of juice in between his meals. I’m afraid that he doesn’t get enough breastmilk and maybe he needs to eat more. Please help!
August 13th, 2009
My 8 month usually doens’t take naps during the day. There’s too much excitement at the babysitters and she wants be involved in every part of it. Every day from 5-7:30 she takes a nap. Once the older kids go back to school I’m sure she’ll sart to take naps again. But then she goes to bed at 9 pm. every night and usually sleep though the night. Is 9 pm to late to put her to bed?
August 14th, 2009
@Chrystal This is common. Sleep changes around 3 to 4 months, but sometimes as late as 5 months. Have you read my article here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/4-month-baby-sleep The key will be to help him learn how to fall asleep on his own. Good luck!
August 17th, 2009
Hello,
I pretty much have my son on the 1st schedule for 9 mos. The only difference is that I nap him 2.5 hours after wake time in the am. Because of this, his breakfast and lunch are given only 15 mins prior to each nap. I’m wondering if it’s normal/OK to be giving solids this close to naptime, or if it’s better to have an hour inbetween.
Also, did you experience with your first son that the 1st schedule took away from his playtime? I have to keep him from crawling or laying on his stomach for 15-30 mins after time he drinks/eats, which means he can’t play on the floor every 2 hours! Because of this, I thought my schedule for him was crazy, but I’m glad to see someone else has done it
Lastly (sorry), I’d like to try schedule two, but can you explain to me why the milk needs to be started and stopped around the solid meal?
Thanks!
September 3rd, 2009
@Shauna A healthy baby will neither starve himself or overeat (those are learned behaviors), so he would tell you if he isn’t giving enough. If he is gaining well at his doctor’s visits I would try not to worry too much. If he isn’t taking in enough breast milk, you may want to consider cutting back on solids so he’s hungrier. Water is typically recommended over juice, but 4 ounces of juice in a day (especially hot days) does not sound like too much. Good luck!
@Alexis Usually 9pm is late for many babies, but given the late nap, this isn’t surprising. All families find the schedule that works for them, so if she is otherwise sleeping well, it might be okay for her. If she’s waking a lot at night, the lack of naps and late bedtime are contributing. Hopefully now that school is back in session, things have settled down allowing her to nap again. Good luck!
September 3rd, 2009
@Jamie If this schedule is working for you, by all means continue. Things will change, though, because pretty soon 15 minutes won’t ever be enough time to get a meal in once they get into feeding himself and toddler time is a lot slower.
Also, having solids so close could promote pooping in the middle of the nap rather than before it. But, if it’s not a problem now, don’t worry about it. And, yes, we had to limit tummy time b/c of all the spread out eating, but don’t worry, he crawled anyway and then walked 3 weeks later. It works out. 
The goal of the start/stop of the milk is because if they are too full, they won’t eat the solids and if they are too hungry, sometimes they won’t have the patience to wait for the solids to start satisfying them. So, this way you curb hunger, but they are still hungry enough to be open to solids. Hope this helps! Good luck!
September 11th, 2009
Hello…
My 8 months old baby boy…he sleeps at night about 10.30-11pm then in mrng wake up around 7.30-7.45am…then he have shower and milk and sleeps again at 9-9.30am and wake up around 10.30-10.45am, then he plays have solid food milk then in the afternoon he sleeps around 1.30-2.00pm and sometimes he wake after 30 mins only sometimes he wake up after 1 hour, then again he have one more small sleep in the evening….so pls. sugeest me his schedule is ok?
September 12th, 2009
My 8 month old daughter sleep for 10 hours in the night and during the day she sleeps for around 2 hours( half an hour-Morning nap, 1 hour afternoon nap and half an hour-late afternoon nap). Sometimes she sleeps for 2 hours in the afternoon. Please tell me if this is enough and also most often than not she wakes up from her sleep howling as if she has seen some nightmare. But she quitens down the moment we pick her up. She sleeps beside me. Please advise if this is normal.
September 18th, 2009
@Rami At this age, I expect 11-12 hours of sleep at night and 2-3 hours during the day, so I think bedtime sounds very late. I’d look into moving bedtime earlier. The naps sound like they could be a little better, but the two 1-hour naps plus a small catnap sounds fine. He just needs more night-sleep. Good luck!
September 18th, 2009
@Shanti Yes, she sounds like she’s getting enough sleep and she might just wake up before coming out of her sleep cycle completely. She will most likely outgrow it. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
October 6th, 2009
My 8 month old sleeps great at night and has been since very early on. She sleeps 7pm-8am! Does she still need 2-3 hours of nap time during the day if she gets 13 of sleep at night? She lately has been going down for only 2 naps and if her 2nd nap ends early (let’s say before 2pm) I will put her to bed earlier or she will be grumpy.
October 7th, 2009
Hi, my son will be 8 months old on the 13th of this month. He started sleeping through the night when he was 2 months old, but since he turned 6 monhs old, he’s up anywhere from 2-7 times a night. He’s breastfed, and that’s the only way I can get him back to sleep. He will cry and cry until I put him on the breast. He goes to sleep at night between 8-9 and gets up between 7-8. A lot of days he doesn’t even take a nap, but if he does it usually only lasts for an hour. I really need help, I am finding myself more and more drained every day. Most people tell me to let him cry it out, but I don’t think that is an option for me.
October 7th, 2009
I want to add to my last post… She will have a nap 2 hrs after she wakes from approx 10-12. Then only about a 30 min nap from 2:30-3 (or 3-3:30).
October 9th, 2009
I feel like the luckiest mom on the planet! Our 8 month old son has been sleeping through the night since he was 2 months! In bed at 7pm and up at 7-8 am! And he takes 3 naps a day!
October 15th, 2009
My almost 8 month old has trouble sleeping at nite….naps during the day are round 930 and then again at 230ish for about an hour sometimes a little longer.Occasionally he’ll have a power nap at 4ish but not every day.
But nite he goes to bed between 930-1030…he wakes 2-3 times a nite sometimes more.and akes with us round 730am.
We try to give him a bath 1st then quiet time with a bottle feed.
He eats 3 meals a day,and is combination feeding now as breast wasnt enough for him – he was feeding very often but now less frequent.I always give a bottle at nite tho! (The nite time milk=thicker formula).Is this enough and how do i stop all this wakin thru the nite?
He went into his big cot and own room last nite and i tried leavin him 5 mins,quick cuddle, then 10.cuddle,then 15 but he didnt get to 15 (8 i think) then zonked and woke once in nite for feed then straight down again…hopin this will wake – is this ok?
October 15th, 2009
Well now that my son has almost turned 8 months…I am stressing about a feeding schedule to suit him. Please help! He usually eats 6oz every bottle and eats a whole jar of stage 2 at every meal. I am trying to come up with a way to incorporate this into a schedule. He usually has always ate every 4 hours.
October 15th, 2009
@Mandy Many 8 month olds transition to just two naps, so that sounds great!
Sleeping 13 hours is great, so I wouldn’t worry if the naps aren’t as long as others if she’s not too grumpy. If she is grumpy, you might try limiting night sleep to “just” 12 hours and then that will leave more sleep for the daytime. Good luck!
October 15th, 2009
@Savannah It sounds like your son most definitely has a sleep association with nursing. Here is the article about it: http://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/sleep-association There is a lot in between sleep deprivation and cry-it-out and the key is to find a method that does suit you and your family and will lead to success. There are many options. Good luck!
October 15th, 2009
@Jennifer That’s great!!! I wish we were all that fortunate! Enjoy.
October 16th, 2009
Well, what schedule would you suggest since he has always ate on a 4 hour schedule. do I give him 6oz everytime with a meal or split it up a hour difference? I was splitting it up, but it just seemed I was feeding him when he wasn’t telling me he was hungry. He would eat though, he loves food period! Now I feel I need to change again, but I hate changing things on him! I tried feeding his cereal and fruit with his 6oz bottle after today and he spit up a little. So I do not know what I am doing anymore….I am so tired of thinking about it. But then again like today, I have no idea what to do with him and his feedings.
It was so much easier when he just ate the bottles! What do you suggest?
October 17th, 2009
Well, my baby is 8 months today, he has seven teeth now and since he started teething he has’nt slept through the night. I give up around half 5 and we are up altogether a hour later. BUT if my mother takes him hes an angel sleeps the whole night. What the hell am I doing wrong?
October 18th, 2009
Thanks Nicole!
I have another question though, yesterday my 8 month old missed her afternoon nap because we were at a friends house for dinner. So she had a morning nap from about 10-12 and then went to bed at her regular time of 7pm. She was grumpy around dinner because she was so tired. So I thought she would be overtired and be harder to get to sleep and would wake frequently at night… But she slept great at night and usually I would have to go in about 3 times a nght to put her soother back in. I loved that she slept great, but she was really grumpy that evening because she was so tired. Should I change her bedtime at all? Maybe she’s going to sleep too early if she’s waking at night for me to giver her her soother?
October 22nd, 2009
I am wondering how many oz of formula to give before the solids an hour later. My little one is a bottomless pit, till he sits in your lap after his feeding and spits up half his food and milk! He was taking 6oz of formula before 5 months old adding solids to the mix. Now I am perplexed on how much to give him throughout the day and I am talking about formula and solids. He never acts full. He is so active these days and it is hard to prevent him from moving after his feeding. Any help will be appreciated.
October 22nd, 2009
Well do not knwo what happened to my earlier post? Anyway Nicole, just wondering how do you figure out how much formula to give before solids an hour later? My little on used to be on 6oz every four hours but at 5 months added solids and do not know what I am doing? ANd how do you know how much solids to give at a feeding also?
October 23rd, 2009
@Emma Bedtime is most likely too late, which can cause more wakings. Babies this age need 11-12 hours at night, so try to bump bedtime a bit earlier to 7:30. The controlled crying plan you’re doing sounds like it will work if he had such a good night last night. Hope it’s going well for you! Good luck!
October 23rd, 2009
@Jennifer He’s still learning to regulate how much to eat so he doesn’t overeat, so a little spit up is common. I’d offer 1/2 the bottle, then solids, and then the rest of the bottle. I would not rush through it so his body has a chance to know he’s getting full. Try not to stress too much about it. He will tell you if he gets hungry. At this age, I’d just try to have the 3 meals and look for cues he needs snacks between as he gets older. Good luck!
October 26th, 2009
How do you know if the spit up is normal or is it an allergy? He spits up and it runs out like a faucet. it is pungent as well! Thanks for the advice before, but this is worrying me. He does not act like he is bothered by it?
October 26th, 2009
Jennifer…. My daughter was the same way!! Threw up sooo much that I would be changing her clothes and mine numerous times. She finally outgrew it at 7.5 months! Good luck!
October 27th, 2009
I hope he outgrows this! Not enough spraynwash in the world!
October 28th, 2009
Hi Nicole, I wrote you a few weeks ago and got some really helpful advice from the link you gave me. I decided I had to let my son cry it out, I hate doing it but it’s the only thing that has worked. My only problem is that I have been doing it now for almost two weeks but he still cries every night when I put him in the crib..sometimes he cries for up to 20 minutes. Do you know of anything I can do to make it easier for him? And thanks for all your help!
October 29th, 2009
I think we have figured out the spit up! He was just having too much at one time and it was also about me feeding him on a schedule instead of listening to his cues more. He was eating when he was not hungry. Now it just depends on him, when he is hungry…the older he has gotten…the more he stretches out his 4 hours ot 5 hours sometimes. Thanks Nicole for the advice! I tried to split up the milk and the food at the same time…like give milk and solid and milk again and once he seen the milk he did not want the food much! So with him I have to give that seperate, like 15 min after the food. or before, whatever. Thanks for being a listening board though. Joshua makes his own schedule and sometimes it fits in to ours and sometimes it does not , but that is ok! He is still 8 months old. Thanks again! For you and everyone’s comments! the spit up might just be a phase also?
November 6th, 2009
@Jennifer It takes some time for babies to learn to stop overeating and it takes their body some time to “catch up” and tell them they are full, so it’s best just to limit the amount of solids, give him time between “courses”, and don’t necessarily wait until he seems full to stop. At 8 months, I’m pretty sure my boys were eating 2 cubes of homemade baby food at one sitting (or about 1 jar). Good luck!
November 13th, 2009
@Jennifer The best thing you can do is talk to your doctor. It could be reflux or allergy, though some spit up is normal. My sons both had sensitive gag reflexes and it took some time to learn not to overeat. But, I would still mention it to your doctor, to be sure. Good luck!
November 13th, 2009
@Savannah You’re welcome! Without knowing all the details, it’s hard to say, but you might consider bumping bedtime earlier. Crying at bedtime is often over-tiredness. You might also read the article about knowing when you’re done sleep training here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/knowing-when-youre-done-sleep-training/ Good luck!
November 13th, 2009
@Jennnifer Just catching up to everything and in my dashboard I see everything in date order, not per post, so I’m glad you found something that is working! It is common for them to spit up while their sphincter matures. Glad it’s gotten better!
December 7th, 2009
my baby is 8 months old now she wakes up at 11:00am and doesn’t fall asleep till 3or4am inn the morning sometimes it will be later. around 12-1pm at nightshe will be tired but wont fallasleep its like she does things to keep herself up. my myself have a sleeping problem.please some one give me some advice i know she shouldnt be sleeping in at 11am but she does not fall asleep till so late.
December 7th, 2009
o im sorry by the way when she gets up at 11am she will be up for about 3hrs n take a nap about 45 min long depends sometimes its shorter and her second nap will be around 5 or she will take a nap later.
December 29th, 2009
@Kayla It sounds like your daughter’s schedule is shifted forward. You might want to check out my Shift Your Child’s Schedule e-Book and case study. You can find it here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/waking-too-early Good luck!
January 1st, 2010
The sample schedules listed above seem a little extreme. Five feedings a day is quite a bit. Your schedules had them eating every 2 1/2 hours when an eight month old only needs to eat every 3-4 hours. The problem is that if they are feeding that often, they may just be getting the letdown which is watery and less fatty which may mean they don’t sleep as well. I know my son, who is now 8 months, had some sleeping issues earlier on because I was nursing him constantly and he wasn’t getting any of the fatty hind milk… Just a thought. He now eats every 3 hours, sometimes 4 and sleeps 12 hours at night with two 1-2 hour naps.
January 6th, 2010
Hi there my daughter is 8 months old and wakes up at 4:00 am most nights, she doesn’t want feeding, she just wants to be awake. She goes to bed between 7 and 8 pm. I am having some difficulties in getting her back to sleep especially as I cannot leave her to cry as she shares her bedroom with her sister who is 9 and has to get up for school.
I really don’t know what to do with her should I try dream feeding her again ? Although I don’t really want to take a backwards step ! I am due back at work in two weeks and would really like her to be sleeping to at least 6:00 am
Your comments would be appreciated.
January 22nd, 2010
@Diana You should always encourage a full feeding to get the fatty hind milk (if breastfeeding). These are just sample schedules. Not all babies can go 3-4 hours between feedings and the more they can eat during the day, the less they eat at night, so I err on the side of more feeding during the day and less at night, but yes, you should make sure they get the hind milk and if that means that they then can go longer without eating, then so be it. Thank you for sharing your story and commenting!
January 29th, 2010
@Fleur If she’s not hungry, I wouldn’t bother with the additional feeding. Without knowing her whole schedule, it’s hard to say, but sometimes a too-late bedtime causes waking too early in the morning, so if she’s overtired by bedtime, try 30 minutes earlier and see if it improves.