Bottle feeding & routine.

[Mum2Millie]

My baby is 7 weeks old and having read about establishing a routine early I am keen to start, however as her feeding patterns are still not regular intervals in the day (we seem to have been successful on the day/night difference as she often sleeps 5-6 hours at night) I am not sure how to go about this.

I would be interested to hear of any successful experiences of a routine, also would like to give a daily bath in the evening but.. do we wake her up to do it, do it after a feed, or do before a feed ? can?t imagine the last one would go down well!!

hmm i have never had a routine with ds although at 5 months he is KIND OF getting into one on his own,

if you do a bath in the evening you should leave it an hour after a feed.

Why do you think it is important to establish a routine early, MumtoMillie?

Just go ahead and bath her when you want - doing it at more or less the same time is a useful way of helping you plan your evening. I don't know why starlover suggests leaving it an hour after a feed....I know sometimes people think it could make the baby sick with the movement, but I can't see that that applies to every baby, esp if you handle the baby gently. Am I missing something, starlover?

oh dunno tiktok... that's just what the midwives in hospital told me. also re-iterated by my health visitor

Hmmm...my fave sort of healthcare professional advice: given with no reason for it

I loved the babywhisperer book, I found a very loose routine useful for figuring out what on earth my ds wanted at any point. Works on a very rough four hour basis, will definitely use it again with our next.

oh they may have backed it up with something tiktok... i just never asked!

tbh I think you are doing pretty well with the sleep at night, I wouldn't try any sort of routine, as she sounds to be doing pretty well by herself - and if you try and do a set routine, she might start waking up wanting bottles in the night (I was very much a feed on demand type tho, never into this routine stuff!!) I would do the daily bath say 1/2 hour after a feed if possible).

Doing the bath in the evening gives your own routine a little structure - but personally at this age I'd just do the bath when she does the right up the back poo!

Totally agree with the routine thing. Got DD in to Gina Ford routine at 4 weeks (after 4 weeks of having no sleep) and she slept through the night from 8 weeks. She knows exactly when she is getting fed, bathed, put to bed. It works well for her and for us. After 7pm DH and I get the evening to ourselves which is fantastic. Have heard that people have said Gina Ford is cruel and too regimented, rubbish. As Gina Ford says my DD is the most contented little baby in the world.........!

i do a mix of gina ford and baby whisperer. found bw v helpful in the begining as it lets bubba do as they want within a routine. i always do a bath b4 a feed as ds is more sleepy after his feed and goes down better. true when they say babies find their own routine imo