Routine

[an1997]

Does anyway have any advice on getting babies into a routine, night or day? My baby is 8 weeks and exclusively breastfed and I'm really struggling to get into any patter with him. He has no routine at all, he just sleeps and eats when he wants really.

I'm really not coping with the no sleep and was wondering if anyone has found anything that helped with the sleepless nights?

Also does anyone have an suggestions on what we could do to get out the house. I'm worried he's bored as we don't go out much at all. I don't drive, really hate public transport and it's freezing so I'm feeling pretty stumped about getting him out the house and occupied.

I can't help with the routine as my baby is 1 month and I'm in no man's land with that right now but with regards to getting out do you have any groups nearby you could go to?

I don't drive either but have a couple of sensory groups about 15 min walk away that I've enrolled on. We went to our first one on Monday and dd seemed really intrigued with what was going on. They're £7 a session and I had to pay upfront for a block of ten but well worth the money. Can you check your local children's centre to see if anything is on? I found a group just down the road which is a sort of sensory meet and play and that's only £1 a session so I'm gonna check that out next week too. It's good for me to get out as well as the baby and it's a bit of exercise too. Other than that could you wrap up and go for some short walks? Are you in the UK? It's not that cold yet depending where you are but a bit of fresh air will do you both good x

We are a bit behind you as well (4weeks) so routine yet it don't remember my eldest settling into a routine until 12weeks at earliest.

Your baby won't be bored with staying in at this stage, life itself is new and just adjusting to it will be enough to keep them entertained. However it's good to get out for your sanity. Do you have a local library, they tend to have singing sessions. Local churches might run a playgroup? Or as pp says children's centres have groups and are a good place to start.

Local Facebook groups are a good source of info for groups if you are on FB.

Other things to do are just going out for a coffee for a change of scene or many cinemas run baby screenings (films aimed at you but with brighter lights, babies can be fed\ sleep during screening)

Thank you both. I go along to two groups a week just now I'm really enjoying one but not so sure about the other. I may have a look and find some more.
Yes I live in Scotland and it's just been pretty rainy and horrible recently but I do just need to force myself to get out you're right. X

Hi. My baby will be 8 weeks old tomorrow and isn't in a routine. I asked my health visitor and she said he is too young at the moment and allow him to do what he needs at the moment. I'm used to be busy all the time with work so I've been making sure we go out. The health visitors in my area run some classes so we've been going to a music class which is basically nursery rhymes but is free, I've also tried baby sensory and baby massage. I plan on taking him swimming once I feel I'm ready. My plan is to do something 2 or 3 times a week to get out of the house. I get everything ready the night before so all I have to do is shower and dress myself, and feed and change ds. I give myself two hours to do it all so if he is being difficult I have time to deal with it. The rest of the days I make sure I go for a walk. The staff in Tesco now recognise me but it gets me out. Also someone recommended an app called Hoop which you can use to find activities etc in your local area. It's free to download so you might find something on there. Good luck x

he just sleeps and eats when he wants really. yep! It’s defintely too early to establish a hard and fast routine, when my LO was that young we’d go to groups but some weeks we wouldn’t make it if we had a bad night. In terms of your day, even just taking them to the supermarket is an activity, talk to him- tummy time and a play mat is plenty.

It isn't too young to begin a routine, have a look at The Blissful Baby Expert. It won't be a 'hard and fast' routine but will allow you to get some structure to your day so you can get out more easily.

I started implementing it when my son was 4/5 weeks old and he started sleeping through at 9 weeks - EBF also.

He's now 6 months old and has a good overall routine.

Try a routine if you want to, but don't be disheartened if your baby doesn't take to it and doesn't start to sleep through at 9 weeks. That is very unusual, have a look at Durham University's Infant Sleep studies (www.isisonline.org.uk) for information about normal sleep for babies.

If a routine works then great, but if you find it stressful or upsetting then it's not you or your baby, you're not doing anything wrong. These things just don't suit everyone.

I found that a pattern began to emerge from this sort of age onwards. Getting out in daylight will help, if you can.

Thanks for the replies everyone! It's nice to know that I'm not abnormal with the way in doing things. I'll have a look at that routine idea but I'll not get set on it, I'm sure I'll get him into a routine one day!😂

In the first year with my baby the “routine” changed constantly, be it because of a growth spurt, weaning, breast to bottle, formula to milk- all day napping to no naps to twice a day naps...it changes constantly. Even this week I’ve just changed her nap from before lunch to after lunch (15months old)- you can’t be rigid and just when you think you’ve cracked it, it will all go to hell again