Newborn Days

unaveragejane · July 2012

My LO is almost 3 weeks old, and I'm hoping to start getting into a sort of schedule soon. Right now I feel tied to his feeding/napping/diaper needs. How long before you were able to have a sort of predictable routine?

Frequent Flier · July 2012

Ugh, I feel ya! LO is 3 weeks 1 day and I can't wait for some predictability in our lives....all the books I have say that they self-regulate more between 6-8 weeks. A friend of mine started schedule feeding (every 4 hours) when her baby was one month old. My MW was pretty against this idea but I guess it's all a balancing act between your needs and your baby's. I'm debating moving more toward a schedule because I feel like a zombie!

snicksnack · July 2012

With Both DD and DS I followed EASY. It is great because it kind of moves you towards a schedule. Basically everything is done in roughly three to four hour sessions starting off with eating. for example say at 9 I feed DS, then he has his diaper change, does a little tummy time (activity what the A stands for) then he sleeps and while he is sleeping I would have me time (the y stands for you) then by 12 he is ready to eat again on average. I never let DD go more than 4 hours without eating DS on his own eats every 2.5 to three hours. The nice thing about this is I start to form my day around him. So after he eats at around 6 am I put him right back down like I would at night and I get a shower and get ready for day. He eats at around 8:30 or 9 and I feed him and then get DD up. Basically I know that everything revolves around his meal time. If I do need to go out and leave him with my mom I can plan around when he eats and leave a bottle of pumped milk just in case. It also allows you to learn your baby's cues vs. feeding everytime LO crys. If LO has just eaten within the hour unless it is growth spurt time more than likely your LO is not hungry. With DD this turned into a three nap a day routine with eating every three hours by the time I went back to work when she was three months.

unaveragejane · July 2012

I love the EASY idea. About how long does the activity usually last? I have noticed that my LO is awake for a long time after his 4:30 AM feeding (much to my dismay). Do you do the activity at night as well -- or how do you get them to fall back asleep quickly? I've been rocking and patting him, avoiding talking, and occasionally using quiet music.

snicksnack · July 2012

unaveragejane:
I love the EASY idea. About how long does the activity usually last? I have noticed that my LO is awake for a long time after his 4:30 AM feeding (much to my dismay). Do you do the activity at night as well -- or how do you get them to fall back asleep quickly? I've been rocking and patting him, avoiding talking, and occasionally using quiet music.

EASY is from the Baby Whisper book and I can?t remember if there is a set activity time. With both DD and DS I follow their cues and tried not to be so strict about it. In the book she explains how to classify your baby and meet your baby?s needs based on their type. DD was an Angel baby I have not answered the questions about DS yet but he is not as easy going as DD was. Right now I feed DS then I change his diaper and do some tummy time. Once he starts to fuss, sometimes after ten minutes or so, I hold him, talk to him etc.. when I can tell he is starting to doze I put him down to sleep. Sometimes he sleeps longer than others. He is three weeks today and I am already noticing that after his 8:00 am or so, depending on when he wakes, feeding he Is starting to sleep longer, which makes sense because with DD once she went to three naps a day the first usually around 9. This morning he ate at around 7:45, and was asleep by 8:45 and slept until 10:30. Ate at 10:30 and he is still awake at 11:25. I highly recommend the book. It is mostly common sense but has worked wonders for me. At night there is no activity you want your baby to have as little stimulus as possiable. Feed in a dark room etc.. Both of my children ate, had diaper change and go right back down. DS started doing this in the last week or so maybe a little longer. I think swaddleing also helps. Some babies need a little more attention. In the book she talks about a shush/pat routine to get them to go back to sleep. To be honest as parents of newborns we don?t want them crying so at night you may need to rock your little one etc? The goal eventually, once they are older around 4 months or so is to not have them associate sleep with eating so I stoped having DD nurse right before bed. Her night time routine started off with nursing, then book and she went to bed awake. It was great because I did not have any bad habits to break and she still ate within 15 minutes of going to bed. I highly recommend the book. Right now with DS I start counting nighttime from his 10 pm or whenever it happens depending on when he is hungry but usually around 10. Once he eats after 10 he is down for bed. Normally he is asleep by 11 and lately has been sleeping 4 or so hours waking and doing another 4 or so. He is over 10 pounds so that may be helping him sleep longer. GL

jillane513 · July 2012

We are also doing the EASY routine. Again we're not super strict about it but it really helps to have some predictability to the day. Some days he follows the 3 hour schedule that is outlined in the book like a champ other days (like today) he's a little more fussy but it helps to know what is going on with him and what he needs. I highly recommend it.

unaveragejane · July 2012

Thanks for the advice. I am so ordering this book tonight. It seems like the LO is just getting fussier by the day (in the evenings mostly) and I hope this helps to settle him down. (We've tried gas drops, but I honestly think part of it is him fighting sleep.) I'm also anxious to find out more about what to do during "activity" time. I can entertain 5 and 6 year olds for hours, but I feel a bit out of my league when it comes to engaging a newborn!

sam19 · July 2012

I don't think my first got into any sort of consistent schedule until she was around 3 months old.

I'm the opposite of you though. I kind of prefer not to have the schedule. Right now I just do what needs to be done and Hannah typically sleeps through it. Once the schedule starts I have to make sure that I'm home for her to be in her crib for naps.

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