Stevie's Feeding & Sleeping Schedule

Motherhood

Apr 5

I cannot believe that Stevie is already 7 months old! She is a fabulous baby, so easy and happy. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about how lucky I am that she's part of our family. Life is sweeter with her!

I know that every baby is different but I truly believe there is a way to create an calm, low stress enviornment while raising them. It's all about setting expectations and staying consistent. Brock has done very well on a routine and Stevie has been no different.

This firsst schedule was last updated when Stevie was three months old. This is the exact note from my phone, it's crazy to see how detailed I was. I think it was written this thourough because we did a night away and Brett's parents watched the kids. Either way, it's so nice to have a prepared agenda so that anyone (if needed) could step in and keep Stevie on her consistent schedule.

If you have read any of my sleep training posts you know that we follow an eat, play, sleep routine. As Brock and Stevie grew and consumed more food, adjustments to the routine had to be made.

3-Month Schedule

7 - 7:15 AM - Wake
Change diaper and clothes

7:15 - 7:30 AM - Bottle 1

PLAYTIME

8:30 - 9:00 AM - Nap 1 (1 hour)
I try to time the next nap, 2 hours after she wakes from the morning nap.

PLAYTIME

11:15 - 11:30 AM - Bottle 2

PLAYTIME 

12:30 - 1:00 PM - Nap 2 (2 hours)
If she’s still sleeping at 3:00, wake her.

3:30 PM - Bottle 3

PLAYTIME

4:30 - 5:00 PM - Nap 3 (1 hour)
I don’t let her sleep past 6pm

PLAYTIME

7:00 PM - Bath

7:15 - 7:30 - Bottle 4

8:00 PM - Bed

Quite a bit has changed since this first schedule. Most noteworthy is that we have shifted our 12-hour start/end times to 7 AM - 7 PM. Stevie goes to bed an hour earlier than she used to which has worked better for everyone. She also sleeps through the night, hard. This new routine includes solids three times a day so the amount of ounces of milk Stevie consumes daily has changed. She is eating four, 8oz bottles, every 4 hours. For the most part, this schedule will remain close to this until her first birthday.

Current (6-Month Schedule)

6:45 AM - Wake (yes I wake my babies, all about sleep training here)

7:00 AM - Bottle 1

8:00 AM - Breakfast

9:00 AM - Nap 1

11:00 AM - Bottle 2

12:00 PM - Lunch

12:30 PM - Nap 2 (still working on making this a 2-hour nap)

3:00 PM - Bottle 3

3:30 - 4:30 PM Nap 3 (if needed)

5:00 PM - Dinner

6:30 - Bath (we try to bathe the kiddos together)

7:00 - Bottle and Bed

As you can imagine, life with two kids is busy. But as much as thing are always changing, this schedule stays consistent. Overally, Stevie has been a pretty easy baby and I credit so much of that to the enviorment and expectations that we've (mom & dad) have created for her.

So, what do we do all week? I like to take Stevie on runs with me in the mornings in the jogging stroller. It's good to get her outside and I like to give her a bottle at the park. She's obsessed with watching all the kids play and pretty soon we will be able to start exploring the park too. She's a great sidekick and loves to be out and about, I take her when I run errands and to pick up Brock from school everyday (which she loves).

Weekdays I try to work my schedule around her naps as much as possible. On the weekend we're on the go so much, that it doesn't always happen. Stevie napped on a lounge chair at the pool last weekend (it was actually very amazing)... not ideal but it works. Brett and I are fully aware that when we take her out, her schedule will be thrown off. There is too much stimulation so her naps are cut short and then she gets over tired. The good news is that she just dropped her third nap on her own and she's been able to stretch her wake times by a few hours.

Tips and Tricks

Create a "note" in your phone with your child's schedule and share it with everyone that helps with care taking.
We began sleep training at 9 weeks, looking to start? Read this.
Sleep = Success. Create a consistent nap/bedtime routine that can be easily transferred while you're out and about or traveling. I can't tell you how much this has helped us.
Routines are key, the more the better. I never knew how much I loved them until I saw how happy it made both my babies. Everyone knows what and when to expect things. This type of scheduling has force myself to be extra productive when they nap.
Things that have helped with good sleeping habits: this sound machine, the turtle, this lovie, these pacifiers, and this for travel.
I have a consistent weekly schedule (at the moment). On Monday I get groceries, Tuesday and Thursday I take the baby for a run in the morning, Friday I do yoga, etc) This type of p
Making lists is key (to do, to buy, etc) I keep them all in the notes section in my iPhone. Brett and I also share a family calendar with important school dates, soccer practice and appointments.
When it comes to solids and saving time I recommend having a frozen stock of prepared purees to pull from. At this stage in Stevie's development, I'm doing a lot of food combining. Some of her favorites are Broccoli + Pears, Bananas + Peanut Butter, Fruit + Greek Yogurt. To keep a good stock, I recommend steaming and pureeing your foods at the same time, a few times a week.
Things that have helped us with solids: this book, this food system, these freezing trays, this warmer, these bibs and spoons.