Day Care/schedule Questions

AbbySeiden · July 2014

My LO is currently 4 weeks old, but at 11 weeks he'll be starting daycare (I have to return to work). I'm trying to start some good habits now so that we'll be able to fall into a manageable routine once work/daycare start. Any ideas on what I can expect schedule wise by then? Right now he's so good, we feed him and do bedtime routine starting between 8:30/9 and then he sleeps until about 2/3am and then wakes up again around 5:30/6:30. During the day he usually he's on a 2/3 hour routine (dictated by him) no sceduled naps, but he'll frequently sleep between feedings.

tbmadeamistake · July 2014

With c I found that early on daycare did a baby led schedule, and as she grew they started to put her on a schedule that worked for the toddler room she'd be going into. We stuck to their scheduleon the weekend because it made sense for us (two days a week) to follow them (5 days a week). Your current schedule sounds fine if he keeps that up for getting you out of the house in the morning after he wakes up. I also saw plenty of parents dropping off sleeping babies, so of hes drops that midnight feed by then and sleeps with a different wake up time, that will be fine, too.

Initially, C was awake around seven, bottle at home, daycare at eight (its super close), her day there, home at six, bed at eight. That shifted around a few times as she grew older.

purtz · July 2014

Wow, that's an impressive schedule for 4 weeks- I think most moms here would be jealous!! Don't be surprised if it changes a few times before 11 weeks. I would relax and enjoy your time with LO and focus on the schedule closer to when you actually go back to work. You could start thinking about how you'll manage your schedule and the last feeding before drop off/after pick up; those were the most challenging parts when I went back to work with my first.

Katieluc106 · July 2014

We have the same schedule at 2 weeks over here. I worked in daycare for over 10 years. I can tell you, they won't have a set schedule it will all be dictated by baby. All they will need to know is when he was last changed and fed, if by then he has a bottle every four hours then they will go from there. As lily said once they start eating solids/ hit a year old they will prepare for a more toddler friendly schedule ( ie breakfast lunch snack 1 nap). If you're nervous ask when you go in to see what some of the other babies are doing. Daycare providers are a complete wealth of knowledge.