Comments for Homemaker Jama http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com Jama's Homemaking Tips and Information Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:40:38 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Jama http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-37 Jama Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:40:38 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-37 Judy, Quite alright! NO WAY did either of my sons have awake times that lined up with the schedule! It was something that had to be taught. Does he wake up happy or fussy? If he's waking up fussy, he's not getting enough sleep with those 30 minute naps, and I would actually try putting him down for a nap BEFORE he tells you he's tired. So, if it takes him 30 minutes to eat, and he's getting grumpy 45 minutes after that, try putting him to bed 15 minutes earlier. My son actually just started taking 1.5 hour naps (he was sleeping for an hour and 45 minutes...), and he's nearly 5 months old. If your son is only sleeping for 30 minutes, it could be that he's going to bed over-tired, and needs to be put down earlier in order to take his full nap. It sounds counter-intuitive, but think about it...have you ever said, "I was so tired, I couldn't sleep!"? Babies do the same thing... So, try putting him down for his nap earlier and see how that works. Jama Judy,
Quite alright!
NO WAY did either of my sons have awake times that lined up with the schedule! It was something that had to be taught.
Does he wake up happy or fussy?
If he’s waking up fussy, he’s not getting enough sleep with those 30 minute naps, and I would actually try putting him down for a nap BEFORE he tells you he’s tired.
So, if it takes him 30 minutes to eat, and he’s getting grumpy 45 minutes after that, try putting him to bed 15 minutes earlier. My son actually just started taking 1.5 hour naps (he was sleeping for an hour and 45 minutes…), and he’s nearly 5 months old. If your son is only sleeping for 30 minutes, it could be that he’s going to bed over-tired, and needs to be put down earlier in order to take his full nap. It sounds counter-intuitive, but think about it…have you ever said, “I was so tired, I couldn’t sleep!”? Babies do the same thing…
So, try putting him down for his nap earlier and see how that works.
Jama

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Judy http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-35 Judy Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:05:34 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-35 Sorry...another quick question! Did your son just always naturally have awake times and nap times that equalled your set scheduled cycle times? My son is currently in a phase where he can only stay away about 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min (including feed time) before he starts to get fussy, but he won't take naps that last very long...right now, I'm happy if I can get a 30 min nap out of him. Technically, since we're on a 3 hour cycle, he needs to sleep for 1-1/2 or more hours! I guess I just have a bad napper? Sorry…another quick question! Did your son just always naturally have awake times and nap times that equalled your set scheduled cycle times? My son is currently in a phase where he can only stay away about 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min (including feed time) before he starts to get fussy, but he won’t take naps that last very long…right now, I’m happy if I can get a 30 min nap out of him. Technically, since we’re on a 3 hour cycle, he needs to sleep for 1-1/2 or more hours! I guess I just have a bad napper?

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Jama http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-34 Jama Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:56:34 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-34 Judy, My second son did the same thing for just a few nights before he started sleeping all the way through. One thing you could do would be to push his last feeding of the night to 11pm. I still do an 11pm "dream feed..." Even feeding him a bit later at night, though, there have been a few times when my little one would wake up at 5 or 5:30am to eat. When he did this, I would basically give him a "snack" to tide him over until 7am. I wouldn't give him a full feeding...just enough to calm him until time to get up. As for him waking at 5:30 or 6am, I would just go with the flow. If he's happy until time to eat, great! Feed him and then just put him down when he gets tired, even if that's a bit earlier than your "scheduled" nap time. Everyone has a natural clock that you sometimes can't "fix," no matter how hard you try. So, if he's happy getting up that early, and it's not too much of a strain on you or your family, just go with it. Let him play in his crib, feed him at the regular time, and put him back to bed for that morning nap when he needs it. My first son has always been an early riser. He would wake up and play in his crib until I came and got him for breakfast...he'll be 2 next week and still does this! He eventually adjusted to "my" schedule and didn't have to go down for his morning nap any earlier, even though he was waking early in the morning. Just be flexible. My first son was very different than my second and, even though we're following the exact same feeding schedule, the sleep schedules differ just a bit. Even though you'll be able to get those feedings on a predictable schedule, naps will depend to a certain extent on your baby's natural sleep needs and internal clock...you can only adjust sleep by so much! -Jama Judy,
My second son did the same thing for just a few nights before he started sleeping all the way through. One thing you could do would be to push his last feeding of the night to 11pm. I still do an 11pm “dream feed…”
Even feeding him a bit later at night, though, there have been a few times when my little one would wake up at 5 or 5:30am to eat. When he did this, I would basically give him a “snack” to tide him over until 7am. I wouldn’t give him a full feeding…just enough to calm him until time to get up.
As for him waking at 5:30 or 6am, I would just go with the flow. If he’s happy until time to eat, great! Feed him and then just put him down when he gets tired, even if that’s a bit earlier than your “scheduled” nap time. Everyone has a natural clock that you sometimes can’t “fix,” no matter how hard you try. So, if he’s happy getting up that early, and it’s not too much of a strain on you or your family, just go with it. Let him play in his crib, feed him at the regular time, and put him back to bed for that morning nap when he needs it. My first son has always been an early riser. He would wake up and play in his crib until I came and got him for breakfast…he’ll be 2 next week and still does this! He eventually adjusted to “my” schedule and didn’t have to go down for his morning nap any earlier, even though he was waking early in the morning.
Just be flexible. My first son was very different than my second and, even though we’re following the exact same feeding schedule, the sleep schedules differ just a bit. Even though you’ll be able to get those feedings on a predictable schedule, naps will depend to a certain extent on your baby’s natural sleep needs and internal clock…you can only adjust sleep by so much!
-Jama

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Judy http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-33 Judy Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:41:44 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-33 Hi, I am a schedule feeder, too, and I'm confused about how the morning start time works. Right now, my 11 week old still eats about 1 time per night (night being between 10:30PM and 6:30 AM. He hasn't quite gotten to where he drops his night feed, but he's getting closer. The way he is getting closer is that he is sleeping a longer time between his 10:30PM feed...so instead of feeding 10:30P, 2:30A, 6:30A, he is feeding 10:30P to 3:30 or 4:30P. Those times aren't so bad, but he doesn't really want to eat at 6:30 if he ate at 4:30 and earlier this week, he went until 5:30A and wanted to eat...and he certainly wasn't going to eat at 6:30 after that. How do you deal with that? Also, occasionally, he'll wake up at like 5:30 or 6 to wake up for good...if I let him play alone in his crib until the official wake time, doesn't that mean that the 6:30-9:30 cycle will be off since he will likely get sleepy very soon after eating since he's already been up for a while? These are questions I can't seem to find answers to! Maybe I"m too obsessive?? :) Hi, I am a schedule feeder, too, and I’m confused about how the morning start time works. Right now, my 11 week old still eats about 1 time per night (night being between 10:30PM and 6:30 AM. He hasn’t quite gotten to where he drops his night feed, but he’s getting closer. The way he is getting closer is that he is sleeping a longer time between his 10:30PM feed…so instead of feeding 10:30P, 2:30A, 6:30A, he is feeding 10:30P to 3:30 or 4:30P. Those times aren’t so bad, but he doesn’t really want to eat at 6:30 if he ate at 4:30 and earlier this week, he went until 5:30A and wanted to eat…and he certainly wasn’t going to eat at 6:30 after that. How do you deal with that? Also, occasionally, he’ll wake up at like 5:30 or 6 to wake up for good…if I let him play alone in his crib until the official wake time, doesn’t that mean that the 6:30-9:30 cycle will be off since he will likely get sleepy very soon after eating since he’s already been up for a while? These are questions I can’t seem to find answers to! Maybe I”m too obsessive?? :)

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Jama http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-32 Jama Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:08:57 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-32 Are you starting at the same time every day? That's the best way to get started, and I don't think it's mentioned in the book. I decided to start our day at 7am so, no matter what time my boys woke during the night to eat, we would have a feeding at 7am. So, even if he woke up for a feeding at 5am, we would feed again at 7am. After that, my goal was to feed at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, and 11pm. Give or take 15 minutes or so, this was pretty easy to maintain. The most important thing, though, is to always have your first feeding at the same time every single day. Let me know how it goes! -Jama Are you starting at the same time every day? That’s the best way to get started, and I don’t think it’s mentioned in the book. I decided to start our day at 7am so, no matter what time my boys woke during the night to eat, we would have a feeding at 7am. So, even if he woke up for a feeding at 5am, we would feed again at 7am. After that, my goal was to feed at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, and 11pm. Give or take 15 minutes or so, this was pretty easy to maintain. The most important thing, though, is to always have your first feeding at the same time every single day. Let me know how it goes!
-Jama

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Crystal http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-31 Crystal Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:33:37 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-31 Hello I have a 6 1/2 week old son that I am trying to switch from a "demand feeder" to a "schedule feeder". I have read the book babywise and I get the concept, but I feel like I am failing at it. The book makes it sound so easy. I have 2 1/2 year old daughter whom I fed on demand ( b/c I didn't know any different) when she was this age, and she eventually got on a schedule. By 6 weeks she was sleeping 11-5, which was great....but I am having trouble the second time around. Any advice???? Hello I have a 6 1/2 week old son that I am trying to switch from a “demand feeder” to a “schedule feeder”. I have read the book babywise and I get the concept, but I feel like I am failing at it. The book makes it sound so easy. I have 2 1/2 year old daughter whom I fed on demand ( b/c I didn’t know any different) when she was this age, and she eventually got on a schedule. By 6 weeks she was sleeping 11-5, which was great….but I am having trouble the second time around. Any advice????

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Jama http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-29 Jama Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:19:17 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-29 Emily, My first was naturally feeding around every 2 1/2 to 3 hours from the beginning, so, at about 2 weeks old I started working on getting him on a schedule. I picked what time I wanted to start feedings in the morning - for me it was 7am - and started working from there. If he fed at, say, 2am, I would wake him up at 4:30am or 5am for a feeding, and then again at 7am for a feeding so we could start our day (if I didn't wake him up at 4:30 or 5, he might have decided to sleep until 6, and then not be ready for a feeding at 7!). So, beginning with a 7am feeding, our goal was to feed at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm, and then once during the night. It was a process...sometimes he was HUNGRY at 9:30, which altered our day a bit, but we would adjust and try again the next day. I can't remember exactly how long it took to get on that consistent schedule, but it was maybe only a couple of weeks. So, the best thing to do it just pick what time you want to start feedings in the morning and start from there. Don't starve your poor child, of course, but if he/she startes acting hungry at 9:30am, and your schedule says don't feed until 10am, waiting 15 minutes isn't going to kill him/her and will likely allow you to stay on your schedule. Good luck, and let me know if you have questions!! -Jama Emily,

My first was naturally feeding around every 2 1/2 to 3 hours from the beginning, so, at about 2 weeks old I started working on getting him on a schedule. I picked what time I wanted to start feedings in the morning – for me it was 7am – and started working from there. If he fed at, say, 2am, I would wake him up at 4:30am or 5am for a feeding, and then again at 7am for a feeding so we could start our day (if I didn’t wake him up at 4:30 or 5, he might have decided to sleep until 6, and then not be ready for a feeding at 7!).

So, beginning with a 7am feeding, our goal was to feed at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm, and then once during the night. It was a process…sometimes he was HUNGRY at 9:30, which altered our day a bit, but we would adjust and try again the next day. I can’t remember exactly how long it took to get on that consistent schedule, but it was maybe only a couple of weeks.

So, the best thing to do it just pick what time you want to start feedings in the morning and start from there. Don’t starve your poor child, of course, but if he/she startes acting hungry at 9:30am, and your schedule says don’t feed until 10am, waiting 15 minutes isn’t going to kill him/her and will likely allow you to stay on your schedule.

Good luck, and let me know if you have questions!!

-Jama

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Emily http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-28 Emily Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:19:44 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-28 This is such great advice! I have a baby that is 10 days old and have been trying to figure out how to slowly move over to schedule feedings, mainly because I feel it will keep me more sane as I return to work at the end of 10 weeks. When did you start gradually moving to scheduled feedings and how did you do it??? Any help would be appreciated! This is such great advice! I have a baby that is 10 days old and have been trying to figure out how to slowly move over to schedule feedings, mainly because I feel it will keep me more sane as I return to work at the end of 10 weeks.

When did you start gradually moving to scheduled feedings and how did you do it??? Any help would be appreciated!

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Megan http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-27 Megan Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:52:58 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-27 Haha! I can't wait for that one! Thank you! Haha! I can’t wait for that one!
Thank you!

]]> Comment on Schedulers vs. Demand-Feeders: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by Jama http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-26 Jama Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:03:21 +0000 http://homemakerjama.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/schedulers-vs-demand-feeders-cant-we-all-just-get-along/#comment-26 Megan, You know, I'd probably just let her be. James goes through phases where he wakes up early for a bit, and then sleeps super late (like, 9:30!). As long as she's happy hanging out in her crib until 8am, my guess is that she'll eventually decide to start sleeping later again. She's not sleeping an exceptional amount during the day, nor going to bed really early at night...it's probably just a phase. Pray for the phase that causes her to sleep later in the morning! That's a fun one... -Jama Megan,
You know, I’d probably just let her be. James goes through phases where he wakes up early for a bit, and then sleeps super late (like, 9:30!). As long as she’s happy hanging out in her crib until 8am, my guess is that she’ll eventually decide to start sleeping later again.
She’s not sleeping an exceptional amount during the day, nor going to bed really early at night…it’s probably just a phase. Pray for the phase that causes her to sleep later in the morning! That’s a fun one…
-Jama

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