Advice on books to introduce routine

[Lynn5]

Hi, first time mum have 10 week old baby. Usually feeding (ff) between 3-4 hours and taking between 3-6 ounce each feed. He normally sleeps after each feed between 30mins to 2/3 hours during the day. And from his 9pm ish bottle he does about 5-6 hours. I'm not having a hell of a time and I really just feed him when he wants and let him sleep when he wants. I'm not having a hell of a time but I'm aiming to try and get into a bit more of a routine, I see some babies going longer at night. I don't necessarily need him to be in a rigid routine but any advice on good books to read. Thanks

[Heirhelp]

My nearly 8 month old slept through last night for the first time, I expect it is a one off. It is perfectly normal for your baby to wake every 3/4 hours for a feed and a routine will probably not make a difference.5-6 hours at night at that age is very good. Babies are not thought to be physically capable of sleeping through until 6 months but only 16% do. Sleeping through is considered to be sleeping from 11 to 6.

I found the easy routine helpful. I am sure other people will help with a routine but if you tell us about what you are finding difficult we maybe able to offer other tips.

[welshweasel]

At 10 weeks I started evening routine. Upstairs for bath at 6-6.30ish. Long bath, cream and massage, into sleeping bag and bottle in dim room. Next feed would usually coincide with our bedtime (1030ish) and in time this became a dream feed. The night feed gradually got later and later and stopped within a couple of weeks. Daytime routine took a while longer to sort though!

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

It's not a routine book as such but with dc1 I swore by 'Your Baby Week by Week'. It gives fairly relaxed advice on how many naps your baby might be needing at a particular stage, how you might introduce bedtime routines etc. Also helpful for weaning. It wasn't prescriptive but helped me get a rough idea of a routine that worked for me and ds.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

It does sound as though you both have a routine at the moment but if you are after a book, I can highly recommend Babycalming by Caroline Deacon.

Unlike a lot of other authors of baby books, Caroline Deacon has had children herself and the book is evidence based and works however you feed your baby

[Lynn5]

Thanks everyone for the advice, some good stuff there and just confirms what I thought. Think it's more a routine for me I'm looking for, as I said im not having a hellish time or anything I just feel like I'm going from one feed to next losing track of when he's slept and how much he took last feed etc, I'm just working round what he wants to do which I'm fine with. But it's just when you hear people saying, "oh mine where in a routine from 8 weeks..." I like the idea of bath then creams massage and bed time story. Even if he's not down for the night it helps me make sense of Day and night time, I look at the clock sometimes and it's 11pm and I've not had dinner yet! I suppose this is what it's like with a new born.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Lynn if you are losing track of feeds, I think you can get a tracker for your phone? Another poster might be helpful and post a link .

If it's regularly getting late and you've not eaten, have you tried a slow cooker? You could try bunging in your tea in the morning if you get 10 mins? My DS loved a swinging chair. He would go in in for about 10 mons before crying, which gave me just enough time to eat my tea

[Chlandy]

I have an 8 week old (well 8 weeks tomorrow!) I would never say we have routine as he is far too young in my opinion and during the day it is just a wing it kinda thing feed him when he wants and let him sleep when he wants, but I second the other poster with evening routine, I take him for a bath between 6 and 7, have a longish bath as he loves it, then we go into the bedroom and I do a bit of a massage with talc and he has tummy time whilst I do his back, then when I put his babygro on I put him in his sleeping bag and bring him downstairs but only have the lamp and tv (for me) on and this will usually settle him and he'll sleep on me for an hour or 2 then he wakes between 10 and 11 has a bottle and we go up to bed and he then sleeps till between 3 and 4 but I've found with this feed he barely opens his eyes once I've got the bottle he has his bottle, winds even stays asleep whilst I change him the he sleeps till between 6 and 8 most mornings! I expect this can change but the bathtime has definitely helped get some structure, he's been like this a while now! Good luck :) xx