Advice needed re: schedule/feeding (almost 8 months)

Hey gals, DD will be 8 months on the 30th and some things are starting to change! We did three naps a day; early morning, afternoon time, and a little one (not always) late in the day. She has definitely, of her own choosing, dropped the early nap! She goes down at night between 7 and 7:30 and wakes generally at 6 am. Here is what we do NOW:

6:30: bottle (6 oz)
no nap anymore here...
play, read, baby einstein while i shower
9: fruit/cereal
play, quick errand, etc
10:30: bottle (generally 5 oz)
NAP (maybe 1 1/2 hrs if I'm super lucky)
2:30: bottle (7 oz at least)
same as below with a possible power nap
5: 1 thing each of gerber fruit/veggie
6:45/7 pm: bottle (7 oz)
BED
I give her some water throughout the day, maybe 3 oz total

OK, here's what I would like to know. I hate being confused about what comes next or what I need to do with feeding. My pedi told me not to worry about adding in the third meal (dinner food, meats, etc) until 9 months. And, even though she dropped that early nap, she gets a little cranky sans it. Should I be giving her the early bottle (6:30 am) with the breakfast meal? Offering a snack (puffs, fruit) after she wakes up from afternoon nap? At first, my doc told us not to do bottle with foods because it was too much food at once and the bottle was most important. Now I wonder. She also said to start trying the sippy cup. Between all this stuff I'm confused as to what to do next. I'd like to call and ask her, but I was wondering what everyone else does. We were so on point and now I'm just questioning our whole day. She knows her "routine" down to a T so I'm a little worried to change anything.

Message edited 8/26/2011 11:50:42 AM.

Re: Advice needed re: schedule/feeding (almost 8 months)

As you know, DD is about a week younger than your DD.

Her schedule is almost identical with the exception of the fact that she has 3 meals a day and we do the 2nd bottle closer to 11 or 11:30.

So it's:

6:30 bottle
8:30 or 9 solids
nap
11:30 bottle
nap
2:30 or 3 solids
4:30 bottle
5:30 solids
6:30 or 7 bottle
7 or 7:30 sleep

Sometimes she takes a nap closer to 12, sometimes closer to 2. So sometimes she'll have some solids before her nap, sometimes after. But the rest of her schedule is pretty much the same every day.

I give her a sippy cup with every solid meal. She doesn't drink much water. She drinks about 24-25 oz of formula a day (I offer her 7-8 oz at each feeding, but she usually drinks around 6 or 7, less her third bottle).

Yes, I'm feeding her pretty much every hour in the afternoon. It's a little insane but it works for us. Oh, and she only takes 4 minutes to finish a 7 oz bottle now. Nothing like her old 45 minute bottle days!!

Message edited 8/26/2011 2:37:46 PM.

Re: Advice needed re: schedule/feeding (almost 8 months)

Thanks! Anyone else have input as well? Spoke to the doc, who said my schedule was awesome and asked ME how I got her down so early, because her daughter won't go before 10:30. (she wasn't my regular pedi; she was the pedi on call)

Re: Advice needed re: schedule/feeding (almost 8 months)

Dd is 8.5months. She has been on 3 meals a day since 7 months. She is in the 75% for weight and 90% for height

She wakes up between 7 and 8am
She gets breakfast which is usually pancakes, french toast sticks or oatmeal and also gets a fruit. She then gets a 4oz bottle to wash it all down

She plays until about 9am and then goes in her crib for her morning nap. She usually sleeps an hour to an hour and a half

She wakes up by 10:30am, plays for a bit and then gets lunch at 11am which is a veggie with either pastina or chicken or turkey. She also gets some yogurt melts or puffs and some water.

After lunch she plays. Usually there's no nap after lunch.

At about 2pm she gets an 8oz bottle and then takes about an hour nap

Dinner is 5pm and it is either a stage 3 combo meat jar or she gets what we are eatting. She also gets a snack after dinner. Usually some watermelon or blueberries or more yogurt melts

By 5:30pm she likes a nap for about an hour. She will wake up by 7pm. Gets an 8oz bottle by 7:30 and is back to sleep by 8pm

She is offered water throughout the day and usually drinks 3-4oz a day

Re: Advice needed re: schedule/feeding (almost 8 months)

Just a little update because i found something that works for us. She has indeed dropped her early nap, but I moved her 10:30 bottle back to 9:45 (just when she gets crabby) and put her down right after. Works like a charm and she's been sleeping for 2 hours. Pretty soon I have to add in the third meal (cut the 2/2:30 bottle out and put lunch meal there). So far, so good. Although, I'm not sure if pedi wants me to "cut" the bottle out totally. That would mean she only gets 3 a day, so we shall see. We're happy for now. (been at mom's all week, by the way. still no power!)