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Getting a young baby onto a schedule can be a real challenge.
Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire formula, but let me give
you a few practical suggestions that may help.
1.
Feeding:
Before trying to work on your
baby's feeding schedule, I would suggest taking him to the
pediatrician to check that his weight and overall development
are appropriate for his age and there is no physical reason
he has difficulty drinking more than four ounces at a time.
Consult with your pediatrician on how often and how much your
child should be eating at a time.
What is most likely is that your
son has gotten used to getting small amounts of formula around
the clock so that even if he is not hungry, he expects food.
Then, since he is not actually hungry, he only drinks a small
amount.
I would start the day by encouraging
your son to drink as much as possible. Then try and stretch
out the times between feedings. Before feeding him, check
if there is another way to comfort him. Change his diaper,
play with him, and make sure he is not too hot or too cold.
Try and comfort him without food for as long as possible.
If necessary, you could even give him a bit of plain water
(not juice - juice will only fill him up with non-nutritious
calories.)
The main point is, stretch the
time as much as possible. Since he is used to eating every
one or two hours, don't expect him to jump immediately to
three or four. Stretch it out as much as possible, gradually.
You will probably find that when there is a longer time between
feedings, your son will be hungrier and will drink more. I
assume you have also started some solid food by this point.
If your son enjoys "eating," try and see if you
can supplement his formula with a bit of rice cereal once
or twice a day. (Introduction of solids should always be gradual
and done with a doctor's consultation.)
2.
Sleeping:
During the day: Unfortunately
for many weary parents, some children simply do not need as
much sleep as others. While most eight-month-olds take at
least two significant naps during the day, there are some
children who thrive with only a small amount of sleep during
the day.
It may be that you are trying
to get him to go to sleep too often, with the result that
he is not really tired and then sleeps for short periods of
time. Try for only two or even just one significant nap a
day. Do not put your son down for a nap as soon as possible.
Instead, try and keep a long time between when he gets up
and his first nap. I know you are anxious to have a break
during the day, but try and hold him off and you may get a
longer period of time to yourself. Do not try and put him
down for a second nap until several hours after his first
nap even if the first nap is very short. He needs time to
get tired if you can want him to sleep for a significant period
of time.
At night: You have a right to
expect your child to sleep through the night by age eight
months. Here are some brief things to keep in mind when your
son gets up in the middle of the night:
- Do not feed him
- Do not play with him
- Do not take him out of his
crib.
I suggest going over to him,
kissing him, and saying, "Mommy loves you, but it's time
to sleep now" and going back to your room. If he continues
crying, go in again five minutes later and then ten minutes
later and do the same thing. Hopefully, you won't get past
this point. I know this is simple for me to write and harder
for you to do, but at this point in your child's life you
both deserve a full night's sleep. This approach was developed
by a physician named Richard Ferber, who wrote Solve
your Child's Sleep Problems. Of course, not every
approach works for every child. I find this approach, effective.
You need to judge if it works for you and your son.
Good luck with working on a schedule.
Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Esther
Boylan Wolfson, MA
Director, Early Childhood Development Center
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