When is the last bottle of the day?

The girls seem to be getting hungrier earlier. I hate to start the bedtime process before 6, but they aren't making it that long anymore.

What time do you start your bedtime routine?

 

Our timing is directly proportionate to their crankiness! It's usually between 5:30 and 6:00. It's only about 2 - 2 1/2 hours after their afternoon bottle, but so far it hasn't been a problem.

Suzi

 

We start around 7pm. I used to do it later when they were younger, like 8. It seems to keep getting earlier and earlier lately. I really try to push it to 7 at least though! We do bath, lotion massage, bottle, the bed. We start the routine at 7 and it usually ends at 8 (as long as they go down easy!)

 

QUOTE(SusieQ @ Nov 27 2007, 09:15 PM) [snapback]511126[/snapback]
Our timing is directly proportionate to their crankiness! It's usually between 5:30 and 6:00. It's only about 2 - 2 1/2 hours after their afternoon bottle, but so far it hasn't been a problem.

Suzi



This is exactly what I would have said. It definitly depends on how cranky they are. Our bottle usually ends up being around 6:30. Have you started solids yet. I have been giving my girls supper at 5:30 and the last couple of nights they seem like they have really been ready for it.

Missy

 

The last bottle of the night here is actually quite early... usually at 5:30. It used to be at 6:30 but daylight savings time messed us up as did a change in nap habits (no more two hour nap in the morning... sigh). I'd like to get them back to eating later and going to bed later, but so far no luck!

 

QUOTE(SusieQ @ Nov 27 2007, 04:15 PM) [snapback]511126[/snapback]
Our timing is directly proportionate to their crankiness! It's usually between 5:30 and 6:00. It's only about 2 - 2 1/2 hours after their afternoon bottle, but so far it hasn't been a problem.

Suzi

Ditto! Usually both the kids are in bed asleep by 6:30PM! They are just too tired and cranky. I am up early anyway with my 5 and 3 y.o. - 6AM on the dot!!! So, it doesn't bother us.

 

At that age mine were going to bed by 5:30pm. They simply could not make it any longer or we would have a huge meltdown and it would take even longer for them to go to bed. So we did a bottle at about 5:15ish unless they were screaming earlier and sometimes they fell asleep on it and sometimes they finished it.

 

I ran into the same problem around that age, so I broke up the last bottle. Say they were getting 6-8 oz. at the end of the day. I would give them 4 and then 2 hours later give them the other 2-4 oz. (right before bed). It was more work, but really helped.

 

We start our last bottle around 6:45, followed by a quick sponge bath and in bed between 7:15-7:30. This also changes a bit based on the end of their last nap and their ever increasing crankiness...which, I thought would get better as they get older but seems to be getting worse. DS woke from his nap at 5:10 and was already cranky by 6pm tonight.

Amy

 

At 6 months, our bedtime routine started around 6:30- go into the nursery, turn down lights, give bottles and then bed (baths every other day). So they were asleep by 7pm. But we gave them another bottle (dream feed) at 10pm too. Also, my girls were (and still are) taking a third nap between 4 and 5 so they were able to make it until 7. When they stop taking that nap I'm sure bedtime will be a lot earlier.

 

Getting ready for bed starts at 6 with bottle and jammies. They are in bed by 6:30. This has been the same since they were about 5 months old.

 

7:30 for us.

 

6:30p solid feeding
6:45 baths
7:00 bottles (w/rice cereal)
7:15 bed
7:00a wake up and start all over again!

 

Thanks for the responses!

At about 3 months, the bedtime routine used to start around 7pm, in bed by 8. Then they got way too cranky, so I moved it up until 6 and they were in bed by 7-7:30. But the daylight savings screwed everything all up and now they are barely making it until 5. I try to stretch it until 5:30 so they aren't down before 6:30, but by that time of day I'm exhausted and it's hard to find the patience to make them wait.

They went down at 6:45 last night and my little one was up at 5:30am screaming her head off! I guess it just seems odd to be putting them to bed before 7.

I shouldn't be complaining though. They go down w/o a peep and sleep thru like champs!