7-7 routine question!

[MtnBikeChick]

Hi there, my 6.5 week old is thriving on a 7-7 feeding 3 hourly during the day routine. He has just started sleeping through from his 11pm feed to about 545-6am, which is obviously great! However, i am struggling to know what to do at 6am. I am giving him a small feed (20mins) and putting him back down until 730 am however he isnt too happy with this and cries on and off. Should i start the 7-7 day earlier? That doesnt seem right to me. Thoughts and advice very welcome! Please no opinions on my routine tho....it works for my son, who is fat and happy! :)

[pigleychez]

Well your routine obviously doesnt work for your son as he is ready to start the day at 6am.

Sleeping till 6 is great and he has had enough sleep and wants to start the day so no wonder hes crying about being out down again. 7-7 sounds lovely but with Babies it just doesnt work that way im afraid! Can I ask why this is so important to you?

If you dont want to rise at 6 then just lay him in bed with you and have a little play with him.

[strawberrycake]

My ds follows a similar rountine (of his creation, 7pm or just before he conks out and he likes to great the world around 6/6.30am). We find he's in a great mood at this time if with us, but cries if left. We just stick him in bed between us and he'll happily kick around and stare at us until way past 7. My ds though does have a feed around 2 rather than 11 so he's not so hungry at that time, I don't do 11pm feeds. The bonus is though he'll have a little nap around 7.30 after a feed so I can shower/ get dressed/ eat breakfast easily.

[MtnBikeChick]

Thanks for the really helpful response pigley. Did I say the routine was so important to me? My son has fed on a 3-4 hour routine since day one, without me instigating it, and despite me being very ill and in hospital for the first two weeks of his life, then coming home and getting another infection followed by mastitis. I have managed to continue BFing him throughout this, and he is very happy and healthy, and gaining 6-7ozs a week. Routine works for us both - he has dropped his 3am feed this week so of course he is waking up a bit earlier!
I posted on here hoping people in the same position as me (i.e. people working with a routine) might offer some helpful advice.

[MrsC2010]

How does this routine work? My DD doesn't have a routine, but I want to start introducing one. Sorry for hijsck and short message...one handed typing!

[Orissiah]

We also used (still do use) the 7-7 routine which our DD thrived on even as a newborn. If she ever woke at 6am (which she obviously did alot as babies are not robots!) then we popped her into bed with us but kept it quiet and dark and I sang softly to her and played (gently). When 7am hit then it daytime (coffee, milk, curtains drawn back).

[cheeseytoastie]

Ds2 is on a 7-7 routine, but quite often wakes much earlier. Recall this with DS1 too. I just leave him and he yabbers to himself, we bring him in if he's crying, and I feed him if he doesn't stop! If he gets fed early I usually then try and sort it out over the rest of day - often doing a split feed around 5/6.30pm to bring us back on track for bedtime!

[bigchris]

I'd feed at 6am and then snuggle in bed together until you feel like getting up

[pigleychez]

Bikechick-
Surely it is important to you if you dont want to start the day till 7 or you wouldnt of posted.. Anyway.....
Fine if you wish to stick that routine but think you need to be abit flexible within it. I did suggest as others have about having quiet laying down play.

Both my DD's found thier own routines which usually is around 7-7 give or take an hour either way.