Babies: 0 - 3 Months

How do you even attempt...(Long)

...to get LO on a schedule?  His feeding is still unpredictable, especially at night.  He passes right out after a bottle most times so that EASY routine wouldn't seem to work.  Also, he's almost always sleeping during the time it would make sense to do a bedtime routine.  If I wake him when he's sleepy, or make him wait too long for a bottle he screams bloody murder.  It also seems like most people's schedules I see on here would be ruined by an afternoon of errands or anything other than sitting at home all day.  I'm just so overwhelmed by all the methods out there and I have no idea how to even determine which strategy is right for me, never mind actually implementing it.
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Re: How do you even attempt...(Long)

  • We had no schedule at 3 weeks. A loose schedule just now at 10 weeks. I try to be consistent with bed time.

    I also wonder how people can stick to those strict routines.

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  • don't worry about a routine at three weeks...many babies take much longer to get into anything resembling a routine!

    ps...our DSs have the same birthday :)

     

    not really sure why some mamas feel like they need to establish a routine so early, not trying to pick on anyone...it's just not necessary at this age, and not to mention pretty close to impossible in many cases lol!

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  • For us it's more about the ritual than the time.  We start bedtime routine (bath, bottle, bed) anywhere from 7:30-8:30 depending on him.  His naps aren't on schedule.  He usually cat naps during the day and takes one good 3 hour nap for me.  This nap occurs whenever.  So it's flexible with errands, I can't stand staying home.  If he naps in the car, stroller, etc sometimes this nap will be from 4-7pm.  Yet he still goes to sleep for the evening fine.  However, he's not even close to sleeping through the night.
  • I don't really have my LO on an exact schedule.  He is usually up anywhere between 6am-8am.  From there he usually feeds every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  He just started sleeping through the night last week, so I usually put him to bed around 9 or 10.  Before bed though we have a bath, if it's bath night (we do baths every other night) and then I feed him right before I put him down.  Some nights he will fall asleep right after feeding other nights when he's awake and I put him in bed he will be asleep within 10 mins.
     
    Different things work for different people.  I run a lot of errands during the week and we visit Grandma a lot so I don't keep him on too tight of a schedule.  If we're out and it's feeding time I will feed him while we're out, either with a bottle of BM I bring with me or nurse him in the back on my car.
     
  • We don't have LO on a schedule; it's more of a loose and flexible routine.  At this age we don't feel a need for a tight schedule.  Sometime midday or early afternoon LO has a longer nap (1.5-2.5 hours).  When that nap is depends on when he last ate (I nurse him to sleep for the long nap and at night) and what I have to do that day.  At night, LO has a bath some time between 7:15 and 8, and then I nurse him to sleep afterward, so he's usually in bed between 8:15 and 9.
  • I couldn't imagine setting a schedule with LO until she was 5/6 weeks old. And then she sort of set one herself. Now that I know her schedule, I can make minor adjustments to it to get it to fit into runnings errands, etc.

    (She STTN: goes to sleep between 8-10 and wakes between 5-7 and eats every 3.5-4 hours during the day.)
  • We don't have a schedule at 11 weeks! Her last bottle is always around 8pm and she STTN, but her naptimes vary from day to day and my errands usually revolve around her schedule :)
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  • As a mom of a 10 week old...I just wanted to share.  While schedules are important (to me esp.) you will only frustrate yourself and baby if you try to force one at that age. 

    That being said, we started routines around 3 weeks. During the day, I would feed him, play with him for an hour or so then down for nap. The "last" feeding of the night (some where between 8-10) we would do a bath, feed, book then bed.

    I believe this has helped us get to his current routine which is

    7PM- Bath, Bottle and bed by 8

    He is now sleeping until at least 2:30, if not 5 (hit or miss) Then we eat and it is back down until we leave for daycare at 6:15.

    He takes an early morning nap (30 min.) eats, plays then late morning nap (around 90 min.) then eats plays.  Late afternoon nap (around 90-2 hours.) then eats and plays until I pick him up at 4:30. Then cat nap (15min.) eat play until bath time.

    He set this himself and there is no set time for his naps or eating during the day, just general flow of the day. If he isn't ready for a mid morning nap, I don't force it.

    Hope that helps. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

  • We don't have a schedule per se, but we do have routines.  We got there by just watching DS.  He started falling asleep around 8 every night and staying that way for 4-5 hours, so we decided that was bedtime and we make sure he's had his bath and his pjs are on by then.  I know that if he's awake for more than 2.5 hours all hell is going to break loose so I make sure he gets a nap before that much time passes.  You can't force anything on them (well, I guess you could, but it probably wouldn't be very nice) so just watching their rhythms is how you get some predictability.
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  • imageStarfish113:
    We don't have a schedule at 11 weeks! Her last bottle is always around 8pm and she STTN, but her naptimes vary from day to day and my errands usually revolve around her schedule :)

    This at 12 weeks except it's a nursing around 8 and then we sleep til 9 with 2 feedings between.  I hesitate to even call it a schedule.  LO sets it.

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  • I am under no impression that I'll be able to put DS on a schedule for many weeks. Right now I am feeding/pumping every 2 hours, but he sleeps when he wants to sleep, awake when he wants to be awake. As he gains weight and is able to go longer stretches between feedings I figure he'll fall into a pattern and I'll help support that so it continues.

  • It's way to early IMO to impose a schedule on a 3 week old, and you'll just make yourself crazy, like pp's have said. We don't have a schedule, just a routine. DS wakes up usually b/w 7-7:30, but sometimes it's earlier and sometimes it's later. He'll eat, be up with me playing or fixing coffee or whatever, then nap. His first nap of the day lasts anywhere from 45 minutes-2 hours. Then the routine starts again - Eat, Activity, Sleep. The whole process is usually 2 hours long. He set that time frame himself, and some days he'll take a long nap, but other days his naps don't last beyond 45 minutes. His last feeding is around 7:45/8ish, and then he's asleep sometime b/w 8:30-9, but tonight he was super tired b/c we were out in the afternoon and he only catnapped, so he decided he wanted his last feeding at 7:30 and he was asleep by 8:05. Then we'll start over again when we wakes up in the morning.
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  • It's too soon IMO.  DD put herself on a schedule of sorts at 6 wks.  It's still not timed to the minute or anything though, just more of having somewhat of a time frame for her 2 naps & a bedtime.

    DD1 born 5/24/10.

    Missed M/C at 14 wks Feb 2012.

    DD2 born 5/14/13.

    Missed M/C at 9 wks July 2015.

    Expecting someone new 4/17/17.
  • imageashnoelle:

    We had no schedule at 3 weeks. A loose schedule just now at 10 weeks. I try to be consistent with bed time.

    I also wonder how people can stick to those strict routines.

    Ditto.  Except we just went through the 3 month growth spurt and even our loose routine went out the window!  If you don't feel a need for a schedule it's not necessary, really.  I would be way more stressed trying to follow a bunch of guidelines and always watching the clock.

    ETA: DD started STTN around 6 weeks and now sleeps 12-14 hours a night with only 2 or 3 feedings.

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  • DD is 7 months and other than a consistent bedtime (and we're even flexible on that depending on what we have going on), we follow her cues. She eats when she's hungry and naps when she's tired. Hasn't posed a problem yet.

     

    image Lucy, 12/27/2009
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  • Most newborns don't get on any schedule until they are about 3 mo old.  At this stage their belly is so small they have to eat on demand.   I would just relax a bit and realize this is only for a short time.  They eventually get on some sort of schedule I promise.  Oh and some kids come out of the womb on a schedule but they're not the norm.
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