Bed time routine suggestions?

MaggieN2028

We've been bedsharing since week 2 or so. LO is 6 weeks. It makes nursing easier in the middle of the night. LO is starting to sleep longer stretches at night though and we have a bassinet in our room. I'd like to start transitioning her to bassinet then eventually crib in a few months.

Suggestions on bed time routines? What do you do with your lo before bed? Do you move them from somewhere else to their bed?

FTM here, I'd like to hear what others do that works!

OhBaby+2013

With DS#1 the routine was bath, pajamas, story, nurse, bed and with DS#2 the routine we are currently using is nurse, bath, pajamas, nurse, story, bed. I try to start his routine around 7:30 (which is just after I get DS#1 down for the night) and he's usually up in his crib by 8:30. Hopefully I will eventually get their 2 schedules closer together so that I can do bath and books together to make the process a bit easier.

JunkieBrewster

I'm confused, are you givinf your a bath every night? It doesn't dry his skin up horribly?

OhBaby+2013

@JunkieBrewster‌ DS#1 gets a bath every night and I'm working towards a nightly bath for DS#2 (sometimes timing is just off) and i'm in Southern Ontario (Canada) so it's very cold and dry here. They get lotion after each bath to keep skin moisturized. the nightly bath does wonders for helping them relax and know it's bed time.

Tarene

I didn't realize/think routines could happen this early I'm just trying to keep LO happy as we go day by day. he is telling me when he eats etc, I'm honestly baffled as to how you can time anything out.

he just turned 1 month, we BF exclusively, and some days he eats every 3 hours and some days every 2, others, every 4.

the only thing that makes him sleep is being fed. so with him setting the food schedule how would i manage an entire scheduled evening? Do your babies fall asleep without being fed first? Does a bath make them relaxed enough to sleep??

I feel like this is number 5689 on the List Of - I Have No Idea What I'm Doing And Here's Why

Beevol

We haven't really started a routine with DD2 5 wks) yet. She still nurses to fall asleep, so after 7:30 when DD1 is in bed, we turn out the lights, change her diaper, put on her sleep sack jammies, and settle in to nurse. Once she's asleep she either snuggles with DH or I put her in her bassinet, depending on how late it is. Sometimes she nurses for 30 mins and sometimes for 3 hours.

kelsire

We only bath our LO twice a week so it isn't really part of our routine.
I would suggest not looking at the clock as much as the cues your baby is giving you. Some nights she is ready to get swaddled and put to bed at 8, other nights it isn't until 11. It just depends on when she seems to be done nursing and ready to fall asleep.
You might do the same thing every night, but with a baby this young it might happen at a different time.

MaggieN2028

Tarene said:

I didn't realize/think routines could happen this early I'm just trying to keep LO happy as we go day by day. he is telling me when he eats etc, I'm honestly baffled as to how you can time anything out.

he just turned 1 month, we BF exclusively, and some days he eats every 3 hours and some days every 2, others, every 4.

the only thing that makes him sleep is being fed. so with him setting the food schedule how would i manage an entire scheduled evening? Do your babies fall asleep without being fed first? Does a bath make them relaxed enough to sleep??

I feel like this is number 5689 on the List Of - I Have No Idea What I'm Doing And Here's Why

I have no idea what I'm doing either! My baby nurses to sleep right now too. I just really want to get her into her bassinet or crib. I really don't want to bed share for long because I don't want her to get used to it. I'm thinking I'll give her the first 3 months to settle in but wonder if there's a way to help her get used to the bassinet. I need a night without a baby in the middle of mh and me!

mrsshour

Tarene said:

I didn't realize/think routines could happen this early I'm just trying to keep LO happy as we go day by day. he is telling me when he eats etc, I'm honestly baffled as to how you can time anything out.

he just turned 1 month, we BF exclusively, and some days he eats every 3 hours and some days every 2, others, every 4.

the only thing that makes him sleep is being fed. so with him setting the food schedule how would i manage an entire scheduled evening? Do your babies fall asleep without being fed first? Does a bath make them relaxed enough to sleep??

I feel like this is number 5689 on the List Of - I Have No Idea What I'm Doing And Here's Why

The "routine" at this age doesn't mean baby is in a routine. They will start to pick up on signals but some babies won't for a little while yet. It's mainly to ease yourself and baby into it so by the time baby needs a routine more you already have one. Right now, we don't have anything specific. LO gets changed and fed and falls asleep feeding. Sometimes I have to change her again. She usually gets a little fussy at bedtime (whenever that happens to be) and so it takes a while to get her down. Slowly but surely it is seeming more like a routine but we don't do anything special right now. Just taking her cues on what she needs and when. I will be more serious about a schedule and routine when she is 2-3mo (6w right now).

Also, my LO gets worked up with a bath so right now that's not an option for bedtime. I have started using lavender essential oil and putting aittle on her feet and then rubbing some on my chest. The EO on her feet will help calm her longer and the stuff on my chest she can smell as we cuddle up to eat. Helps soothe her when she gets really worked up.

Point is, do what works for your family. If all you can manage right now then do that. There is no "right way" or "wrong way". Eventually things will get a little easier at LO sleeps longer and eats more regularly and then you can breathe a little and start making a routine

Kmm1023

I bath DS daily and follow it with lotion. No problems with his skin.

mrsshour

MaggieN2028 said:

Tarene said:

I didn't realize/think routines could happen this early I'm just trying to keep LO happy as we go day by day. he is telling me when he eats etc, I'm honestly baffled as to how you can time anything out.

he just turned 1 month, we BF exclusively, and some days he eats every 3 hours and some days every 2, others, every 4.

the only thing that makes him sleep is being fed. so with him setting the food schedule how would i manage an entire scheduled evening? Do your babies fall asleep without being fed first? Does a bath make them relaxed enough to sleep??

I feel like this is number 5689 on the List Of - I Have No Idea What I'm Doing And Here's Why

I have no idea what I'm doing either! My baby nurses to sleep right now too. I just really want to get her into her bassinet or crib. I really don't want to bed share for long because I don't want her to get used to it. I'm thinking I'll give her the first 3 months to settle in but wonder if there's a way to help her get used to the bassinet. I need a night without a baby in the middle of mh and me!

We cosleep. I plan to try and transition LO to her bassinet around 3mo but we will see. It just takes practice and patience. Placing her in the bassinet for naps or throughout the day while you run to the bathroom or fold laundry. Just to get her used to it. She will probably fuss at first but just stick
With it. Our LO hates the bassinet, RNP, bouncer...anything that keeps her away from us. However, after working with her she will sit in the swing (if she's fed and dry) and sometimes nap for about 30-60 min a day! She is learning to be ok with that. Once we are consistent with that I will work more on her bassinet. (I'd rather get things done during the day rather than not cosleep)

I don't love not being able to sprawl out and cuddle with DH at night but I know it won't last forever. We will have our bed back to ourselves (for now...till she can walk and come in on her own in the middle of the night ) soon enough. Right now I just cherish the cuddles and keep working with her

nolanova85

LO is 5 weeks 2 days today. I just started trying to establish a bedtime routine a few nights ago since we were trying to transition him into his crib in the nursery. Our LO is bottle fed, so that makes it a bit easier, I think. Right now i'm not watching the clock much. He usually feeds around 9 or 10pm and then we start routine. Over next few weeks I'm going to try to move bedtime earlier and earlier to about 7:30. Here's what we do:

Bottle
Change
PJs
Book
Rocking

He's usually still awake when I put him in the crib but thus far he just chills till he falls asleep (first sleep stretch is normally 4-5 hours).

I also have the white noise already going during the whole process.

OhBaby+2013

@tarene my LO is 8 weeks and we only started the routine about a week ago; but like @kelsire said it's about following the cues. My little guy is ready most nights between 8 and 9 so as soon as I start to see he's tired I start the routine. I do find the bath helps him relax though, he always sleeps better after a bath so I now do it every night.

damerida

So the last couple of days my LO has been falling asleep really early 4 or 5 and then waking up really early! We were on a good roll, going to bed at 9 or 10 and then sleeping 4 or 5 hours in the first stretch. He's only four weeks (11+ lbs) so nothing seems to last for long so maybe I shouldn't worry? Any suggestions?

vrae0606

@Tarene‌ I feel the same way! Great suggestions in this thread though. I've kind of started a bedtime routine although with our LO it isn't a set time yet. And it seems she cluster feeds smaller amounts in the evening so I feel like I am constantly feeding her from 6ish until 9 or 10pm. Usually after 11 or 12 she settles down for sure and goes 2 1/2 to 3 hrs between feedings. Like another mom said, just have to keep working at it and as our LOs get older it will get a little more consistent. Hopefully!

rizitos1216

My LO is 3 weeks. Is it too early to start a bedtime routine? Most of the time his first night feeding is around 9:30 but he stays wide awake after burping and if I put him in his crib he starts crying hysterically.

lana22

3 weeks is not too early imo. we did baths every night with my younger two, but haven't been doing them w/ this one. in the past we did bath, recite good night moon and sing same songs while nursing/feeding, then swaddle and put in crib. it's not about time as much as cues that it's "bedtime". the time will change, but the routine won't. we started about 6 weeks with the first and closer to 3-4 weeks with the second. once my 3 week old wakes up from her last nap i dim the lights, and start doing everything more softly. it's usually around the time the older guys go to bed so it works out. 

alanier18

I'm back to work and working between 3-10 so our "routine" is a little different than most. I only bath her twice per week. I usually put her down between 10pm and 12am. I usually put her in her pjs at her 7/8 pm feeding/change. Then I feed/change her between 10-12pm, then swaddle her and put her in her bassinet and play music and turn on the vibration. Sometimes she falls asleep immediately but sometimes she doesn't but I let her fall asleep on her own. She was sleeping in about 4-5 hour stretches. The past few days...a miracle has happened. She has slept between 8 and 9 hours each night.

BK0186

alanier18 said:

I'm back to work and working between 3-10 so our "routine" is a little different than most. I only bath her twice per week. I usually put her down between 10pm and 12am. I usually put her in her pjs at her 7/8 pm feeding/change. Then I feed/change her between 10-12pm, then swaddle her and put her in her bassinet and play music and turn on the vibration. Sometimes she falls asleep immediately but sometimes she doesn't but I let her fall asleep on her own. She was sleeping in about 4-5 hour stretches. The past few days...a miracle has happened. She has slept between 8 and 9 hours each night.

How does she fall asleep on her own? What age is she?

alanier18

She's a calm baby. She just stares around until she starts closing her eyes more and more and then passes out. Every now and then her Binky might fall out so I keep checking on her and put it back if it does. I make sure she's tiredwhen I put her down but not too tired bc then she cries. I don't let her cry it out so I try to make sure I don't wait til she's tired/angry. If she cries I pick her up and rock her until she feels comforted and sleepy and then put her back down. I haven't had to do that twice yet. She'll be 10 weeks tomorrow.

BK0186

Not going to lie, I'm a little jealous. My lo is 5w2d and I have to help her to sleep.

Tarene

Yes for sure I totally see the cues. I wish mine liked bath time but it is his least favorite thing so far, next to changing his clothes and cold wipes. That being said I have to rule out the bath for now, as part of any relaxation routine.

He hits the hay around 8:00, up again at 11, then down till about 3:30 or 4 am.

We are trying to get a routine down now, starting yesterday he is sleeping in his crib.

alanier18

@BK0186‌ lol I'm sure your LO will be sleeping longer before you know it. I delivered early that's why I'm on this board but she's technically a November baby. She's a great baby. She definitely has been a little fussier lately during the day but the sleeping thing is awesome right now. However I know it's only the first week that she's been sleeping this good so I'm fully aware she could go back to sleeping poorly any night now.

OhBaby+2013

@alanier18‌ sounds like our babes are very similar. I too try to-be out him down drowsy hut awake. I've been doing that since he was born for the most part, save for some mandatory cuddles with his mama! And yes @bk0186 your LO will be there in no time! Then the 4 month wakefuls will hit and you start again. LOL!

happymama1214

Our LO has been in the crib since day 1. Obviously she hasn't been sleeping through the night since day 1 but we have made a point to get her used to it from the get go. She is now sleeping through the night .. Gets up for one or two feedings. As far as bed time routine goes I like to start with bath and then I get her swaddled and we do bedtime stories with big brother and then I put him to sleep and then nurse her and she is generally in bed at 930pm. Good luck!!