8 week old routine

[mrshadders]

Hi all. Hope this is the right category for this.

My baby girl is 8 weeks old and in general sleeps really well. I've read a few books that say by now she should be in a routine but I'm struggling to understand how I can do this when we feed her on demand (she is formula/bottle fed).

She goes to sleep around 11pm then wakes twice in the night around 1 or 2 then again at 3 or 4 and takes approx 60ml each time. She's never been a big feeder and rarely finishes a 120ml bottle. She is gaining weight and a happy baby so not worried about this but just wondering if I'm doing something wrong for her to wake up twice? The other babies in my NCT seem to be either sleeping through or waking once only.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You are not doing anything wrong. Please get that idea out of your head.
I wonder if increasing feeds during the day might make her less hungry at night. That's my first thought.
Easing into a vaguely "same time every day" feed schedule might help. Emphasis on "vaguely ".
Are your sharing feed duty with your partner so that you get some rest?

I started my babies routine by bathing every night at the same time before a feed was due at 7pm the rest just followed. I fed on demand but didn't allow comforting

Honestly that sounds bang on for an 8 week old and I’m sceptical that so many of your nct class have babies sleeping through at that age! (It happpens, but not that commonly!)

I would just keep doing what you’re doing tbh. Keep it dark and quiet and boring for all wake ups and they’ll decrease as she gets older and able to drink more milk.

Thanks all. @bellinisurgethis is my thought, but I don't know how to increase her feeds during the day? She will pull away from the bottle when she is full and purse her lips if I try and put it in when she is done. My husband does help so it's not the lack of sleep bothering me, I'm a stickler for routine to my own detriment!

@mrshadders , I know she's still too little for much activity but fresh air and a walk (however exhausting and hateful that might be for you ) might help with appetite and tiredness. Or some sort of busy-ness with her like singing to her, showing photos and telling stories, reading books and showing her the pictures. You probably do all these things anyway but throwing in a game of peekaboo or whatever can't hurt. And do it at a sort of regular time.

I wonder whether your lo is actually hungry when she wakes up and whether she’s feeding for comfort, especially at night. I would try for a couple of days sticking to a 3 hour feeding rountine, like others have suggested, keep day stimulating. Have the telly or radio on when she sleeps (my ds2 loves the static noise from the radio- really settles him), put her under a baby gym or read to her after winding her. Add tummy time. “The baby show” on CBeebies and iPlayer is great for ideas and just structuring playtime. She will eventually sleep less in the day and have this quiet alert state when she’s taking the world in.

Hope this helps