Parenting

Getting baby on a schedule, Help!

I go back to work next thursday, and while i have a ROUTINE with baby, its by no means a SCHEDULE. Sometimes she wants to eat every 2hrs, other times, every 4. She is formula fed. Which is fine I suppose, BUT I NEED to get her evening routine into a time slotted schedule. By 5wks old I swear I had DD#1 on a schedule but I don't even remember how I did it!! She just kind of did it on her own. But Peyton just can't seem to get on the train right now....I need her to be in bed asleep by 7-7:30pm. But she consistently wants to stay awake until 9pm and that infringes upon what I need to do to get ready for, and be in bed by 9pm; I have to be up at 4am for work!!! I can't be messin around with her for hours in the evening and I need more than 4-5hrs of sleep a night. Any tips on how I can do this?

Re: Getting baby on a schedule, Help!

  • How stressful for you.  I agree with PMQ, though.  I think a routine is all you can really do at this point, and that will eventually lead to her being on a reliable schedule.  Do you have any assistance from DH?  Two months is the earliest any of my kids consistently went to bed at 7:30-8:00, and even then, they were often up and down many times before I went to bed.
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  • Trying to get a 5 week old baby on a schedule is futile.  Have you tried a wrap or sling or something in the evenings?  Maybe you can wear her while you get ready for the next day.  I know what you mean about needing more sleep but I'm not sure there is much you can do to get the baby to adjust.  You're going to have to be the one to adjust for awhile.  Just keep reminding yourself that this phase only lasts a short time and you will make it through somehow.  Good luck!
    Lucy 12.18.06, Will 6.21.09 & Adeline 11.2.11
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  • It's awesome that you have a good routine down already- that should really help. That being said, I think it's a bit unrealistic to expect a newborn to fit into a schedule with "time slots." Routine is probably about as good as it gets with such a young one.

    Since you have to get up so early do you have a partner or spouse who can take over baby duties in the for a couple of hours in the evening while you get some rest? 

    Congratulations on your new one!

  • At 5 weeks, neither of my kids would go to bed before 11pm. Usually later.

    I'll have to agree with the other posters-- you're just going to have to suck it up or get some help until she's a little more regular. Mine didn't have a "schedule" until 3-4 months, which is about average for the babies on this board.

    AKA KnittyB*tch
    DS - December 2006
    DD - December 2008

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  • I wouldn't worry about it so much.  Feed her when she is hungry, if  it's 2 hours fine, if it's 4 hours that's fine too.  As far as bed time have your husband take over for a little while so you can get your stuff done and still be in bed when you need to be.  Start putting her to bed around 7:30 when she is a little older and she'll get on board with that, but at her age she just isn't ready for that.
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