When do babies start to have a routine? Pls tell me urs

[Newmummee]

My 7 week old doesn't really follow a routine day to day... Is that normal?

My dd didn't have any sort of routine until at least 3mo, at that point I suspect I could have got her into something more rigid but it suited us that she was quite flexible and didn't have to nap at precisely x o'clock or have a screaming fit. I think both approaches have pros and cons but don't expect much this early he /she is still tiny and not ready to learn routines yet.

Your baby, your rules.
My first didn't have a routine for a long time, but seemed to settle into her own routine eventually, then every few months it would change again, as she grew. The second was different, he had to settle into our routine, he was being settled to bed at 1830 with the first from a few weeks old.
At seven weeks you only have to get a routine if you feel you need it, as they grow routine becomes more important.

Agree with MrsCF - up to you!

Routines don't suit everyone - it's really a personal choice and what suits you best. Your baby should (as much as possible) fit in with you.

We 'fed on demand' the first 4 weeks or so as that's what we were told to do. It didn't work for us though as our DD was unsettled a lot of the time. So we decided to implement a rather regimented routine and within just a week we noticed a considerable change for the better.

My personal opinion is that a baby will naturally be happier and more content if they know what's coming next.

X

We have only just settled into a bedtime routine, I bathe dd about 6.30, then feed her in the bedroom in the dark, then into bed, sometimes I have to settle her a bit, sometimes she's straight to sleep but I'm usually back downstairs by 7.45. I then give her a dream feed about 11, and she will then wake up about 6 for a feed then back to sleep till about 8.30ish when I get her up, dressed and fed again.

The daytime we don't really have a routine because I like her to be flexible, she naps when she wants to and is happy sleeping in her bouncer chair, cot, pram, carseat, wherever she is at the time.

She's 11 weeks.

I started a routine when she began eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. This was same time as giving up bf and going onto formula. Around 7 months.

It's perfectly normal, but equally if you feel that you or your baby would benefit from a routine, it's also perfectly normal to try and introduce one.

We started a vague routine at about 4w old as we just weren't coping very well. By routine I mean we started trying to put her to bed at roughly the same time, so she started waking at roughly the same time in the morning, and then bottles and naps were offered at similar times. It suited her and she was much more content when she was given food before she was starving and encouraged to nap when she was tired.

If you feel like you'd like a bit of routine, I found keeping a note for a week or so of her average day helped me see a pattern emerging naturally. But if you're only thinking about routine because other people have one, there's no need.

I started a routine (bath/bed/milk etc) around 7 months once I'd noticed that DS usually had his long sleep around 730pm, so totally led by DS. I used an app called total baby which is brilliant for tracking sleep, feeds etc and it shows you the timeline/graph so you see your baby's natural sleep patterns emerging and adapt accordingly.

DS is 5mo and we don't have a routine. He has vaguely fell into one by himself in regards to bedtime but he naps and eats when he wants throughout the day. It works for us as i wasn't keen to be tied to a routine whilst he is small and its working for him too although not all babies are the same.

Do you think your baby needs a routine yet or are you worried that its something you SHOULD be doing rather than want or need to?

She finally gets into a routine, shortly before the routine changes...

You think you're getting into a routine, then bam! A new phase commences and you have to encorporate new routines I'm afraid. Your routine is what you make it, your baby will get used to it, just as you get use to your baby. I found it good to have mum friends with children of the same age, we swop tips and sympathise when things go wrong, a brilliant support network. It's hard to talk to other mums at first, but it gets easier, as does parenting. Good luck

Not till about 6 months for us!

It's only now at 7 months that he has a routine - even that is a flexible one and can change. I try not to pressurise myself too much and try best to keep bath time around the same time so that sleep time will hopefully follow after that.