My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Parenting

DS Randomly changed his routine... Confused!

8 replies

SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou · 24/02/2013 05:39

DS is 12 weeks old.
He started sleeping through at 6/7 weeks (10pm -7am).

As he got older his bedtime got earlier so his natural routine became something like;

Wake 6am
6oz bottles at 6, 10, 2, 6, 10/11 (df)
Bedtime 7pm

We've been doing this for the last 5/6 weeks.
In the last few days he has been getting restless at half 4ish, just soothed him a bit and managed to get him through til 6. Then he started waking up at 5am so I had to get him up then, did all the morning routine etc, changed times of feeds accordingly and he fell asleep by 6:15am! (Slept until 8:15am).

So for the last couple if days I've added an extra bottle and done feeds at 5:30, 9:30, 1:30, 5, 7, 10:30 (df)
He still wakes up at half 4/5 though.

My main problem is that when I go back to work he needs to get up at half 6, so I'm not sure what to do about this new routine or what bottles to give.

He seems happy on 6oz in the day and he only took 4oz of the additional bottle.
I'm wondering if I should drop the dream feed and just do a night feed when he needs it (assuming he will wake earlier)? DP reckons we should carry on as we are but wake him up at half 6 as usual and see if he goes back.
I hate waking him up, I always feel sorry for him!

Has anyone else had this? Is it a phase?

OP posts:
Report
rubyslippers · 24/02/2013 05:41

They change all the time

It's normal

Things will be different by the time you go back to work

His sleep pattern sounds amazing for a 12 week old

Report
ZuleikaD · 24/02/2013 06:31

What ruby said - they rarely keep the same pattern for more than a few weeks until they're much older.

Report
Tee2072 · 24/02/2013 07:02

When do you go back to work?

Report
SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou · 24/02/2013 09:59

I go back to work in 6 weeks unfortunately.
I'm not bothered about his routine changing really, just worried about how many bottles to give and what to do when I go back.

I'm thinking maybe he will just naturally adjust when the time comes?
What do people think about the bottles? Carry on with the dream feed? Drop it and feed him whenever he wants it?

OP posts:
Report
MyHeadWasInTheSandNowNot · 24/02/2013 10:05

Don't wake him up & just feed him when he's hungry - he will tell you when that is if you let him and don't worry about feeding him to a strict schedule

Think about what to do when you go back to work, when it's time to go back to work :) He's 12 weeks old, 6 weeks away is a long time for him.

Who is looking after him when you go back to work?

Report
Tee2072 · 24/02/2013 11:23

So much will change with him in another 6 weeks. I wouldn't do the dream feed unless it's obviously helping him sleep later and it doesn't seem to be.

Also, if he needs to get up at 630 in 6 weeks, then you'll wake him up at 630 in 6 weeks. He'll protest and probably fall back to sleep, which makes him easier to haul around. Grin

Report
waterrat · 24/02/2013 20:09

your ds will change many more times in the next few months - the way they sleep at 12 weeks is not really in any sense a routine - its just the way he happens to be sleeping right now - lots of babies completely change their sleep pattern several times in the first year.....as they grow/ develop/ etc....

I would echo the above posters - dont worry about it now - 6 weeks is a long time away for a wee baby - you can deal with that when you are there...

Report
SmileAndPeopleSmileWithYou · 24/02/2013 20:53

Thanks for that everyone.
I'm sure you remember what it's like worrying, he's my first one and I often feel like I have a lot to learn.

Today he has wanted more feeds and been very fussy so have not had a schedule at all. I'm just going to go with the flow and see if he finds a new structure to his day. I think we may be at the beginning of another growth spurt so will slowly up the amount and see what he wants.

I'm stopping the worrying about work after the advice, it is a long time for him. He will be with DP's mum 2 days and nursery 2.5 days! I'm sure it'll take him a while to get into that confusing arrangement Grin

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.