advice needed...bedtime feeding UPDATE below

My DS started rice cereal a few weeks ago. He doesn't love it..in fact he sticks his cute little thumb in his mouth as I try to feed him....stinker But SOME does get in as far as I can tell

We start the bedtime routine at 630pm with the cereal. Then we go upstairs, put PJs on etc, music on, lights low and then the bottle. He usually takes around 6-7 oz of formula. Well, lately he has been falling asleep on the bottle. Can't keep his eyes open, usually when there's about 4 oz left. Of course I want him to finish. I usually have to burp him to wake him up or put his sleep sack. If he doesn't finish his bottle, you guessed it, he's up in the middle of the night and he does NOT go back to sleep.

So - what do I do? Do I start the routine earlier?

Maybe I should try the cereal in the bottle? If so, I have to get a different nipple because the ones I use (Playtex Ventaire) don't work with cereal.

Help!

Message edited 11/19/2009 9:35:17 AM.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

I would give the cereal about an hour earlier - then continue the bedtime routine as usual.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Playtex does make a Y nipple for cereal, Also, what flow nip is he on? you made need to go up one size if he falling asleep on it.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

He might be full from the cereal, try giving it to him a little earlier.

I feed Samantha her "dinner" at 6:00 (non daycare days... daycare days she doesn't eat dinner because she's a hysterical mess she's so tired)

We start bedtime routine at 7ish, so by the time she gets her bedtime bottle, it's been about an hour and a half since I fed her.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

I wouldn't put the cereal in the bottle. I would feed him cereal earlier.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

My DS REFUSED to eat cereal just on a spoon. To make sure he got it, we had to put it in his bottles throughout the day.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

thanks everyone i will try the cereal earlier tonight.

it stinks though, we don't get home til close to 6 by the time i pick him up from daycare....then he goes to bed an hour later!

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

I wouldn't put the cereal in the bottle. The whole point of starting them this early on cereal is so that the start exercising their mouth and tongue movement...definitely start with the cereal a little earlier and then the bottle right before bed...I bet he'll sleep like a champ

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

I would try giving the cereal a little earlier. I wouldn't put it in the bottle. I think that the main purpose of giving them the cereal is so they can start learning how to eat from a spoon.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

I would try to give him cereal earlier. Also, Liam didn't love the plain cereal at first either. Even now with veggies he does spit a lot of it out. I think they will get used to it eventually.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Posted by CaseyGirl

thanks everyone i will try the cereal earlier tonight.

it stinks though, we don't get home til close to 6 by the time i pick him up from daycare....then he goes to bed an hour later!

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Posted by MrsRbk

Posted by CaseyGirl

thanks everyone i will try the cereal earlier tonight.

it stinks though, we don't get home til close to 6 by the time i pick him up from daycare....then he goes to bed an hour later!

Jen - I know it's not ideal, but can you have daycare give him the cereal before you pick him up?

I'm starting to wean Samantha off her 430/5:00pm bottle (since she rarely finishes it) and I will be having daycare give her, her solids instead.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding

Just a quick update...

When we got home last night, we played for a few minutes then around 6 I gave him the cereal (so a half hour earlier than normal). Then I gave him a bath, put on PJs etc etc...then it was already 7pm and time for the bottle. AND I tried the fast flow nipple - wow did that make a difference! I started with the slow one, then he was falling asleep, so I ran downstairs quick and got a fast one. He finished the bottle in like 10 minutes! And was asleep by 745. So overall went ok.

But - I happened to wake up around 430am and pop on the video monitor..and he was awake, but quiet just sucking his thumb...he did go back to sleep but I have no idea why he keeps waking up around that time!

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding UPDATE below

That's good that he finished everything and slept well! DS didn't really like the rice cereal. He ate like a champ once we switched to oatmeal.

As for his waking up, it's ok as long as he puts himself back to sleep. babies wake up numerous times throughout the night. I bet he's so excited to explore the world that he wakes up but then realizes he's too tired.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding UPDATE below

Posted by MrsPornStar

That's good that he finished everything and slept well! DS didn't really like the rice cereal. He ate like a champ once we switched to oatmeal.

As for his waking up, it's ok as long as he puts himself back to sleep. babies wake up numerous times throughout the night. I bet he's so excited to explore the world that he wakes up but then realizes he's too tired.

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding UPDATE below

not related to feeding, but I often wake up at 4 30 to go to the bathroom and my DS is awake at that time too! usually just playing with his cheeks or pjs or feet... never crying.

WEIRD!

Re: advice needed...bedtime feeding UPDATE below