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Parenting

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Original poster

entertaining a new born

78 replies

jabuti · 09/08/2007 18:24

hi there! im not sure if i should be posting this here or in the post-natal thread... but let me know

we have a gorgeous little baby who is almost 3 weeks old and we are starting the gina ford routine with her. i know not everyone likes her method, but its working for us.

my question is... is there anyone out there that have done her routine for a newborn? if so, how do you keep your baby awake? thats the only bit we are having a hard time figuring out, because she keeps falling asleep during the awake times and its soooo hard to entertain a newborn.

OP posts:

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goingfor3 · 09/08/2007 18:26

It's impossible to keep a newborn awake, you can hoover right next( I imagine if you did it too close it would damage their hearing) to them and they will still stay asleep!

yorkshirepudding · 09/08/2007 18:28

Message withdrawn

NotADragonOfSoup · 09/08/2007 18:29

You can't keep a newborn awake, nor should you try.

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Kif · 09/08/2007 18:29

dressing up

but you may find she has two settings: asleep or very grumpy.

seeker · 09/08/2007 18:30

You can't and you shouldn't. Babies need to sleep when they need to sleep. And I hate to say it - but if she's not sleeping when she's supposed to then the system isn't working. And it's the system that's wrong, not the baby. Bin the book and enjoy the baby!

massivebigpantsface · 09/08/2007 18:30

i'm not sure about this but i think even gf suggests waiting until 6months. a newborn is far too young for any routine in my experience.

yorkshirepudding · 09/08/2007 18:31

Message withdrawn

Psychobabble · 09/08/2007 18:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

juuule · 09/08/2007 18:36

You are trying to keep a newborn awake? Most parents are trying to get them to sleep. The hoover usually sent mine to sleep.
Entertaining a newborn
Sorry - I know this is serious to you but I really don't think it's a good idea to try to keep a 3wk old awake. You could end up fighting to keep her awake and then fighting to get her to sleep, so making twice as much work for yourself and twice as much upset for your dd when it doesn't need to be that way.

FluffyMummy123 · 09/08/2007 18:37

Message withdrawn

foxybrown · 09/08/2007 18:42

I like the GF routine but always hold off until 6 or 8 weeks. My DC4 is 4 weeks old, and I'm just conscious of when she feeds. I'll probably start trying to structure the feeding times to fit into the routine first of all, then I've found that the sleep pattern follows.

Hope that helps.

One thing to add though, is don't try too hard, and try not to get hung up and stressed about it. Let the lo sleep when they need to, they are so little and there is plenty of time to get a routine established. Enjoy your baby!

nightshade · 09/08/2007 18:43

totally agree. newborns are still in a very immature state, requiring basic nurturing care such as touch, food and shelter. they are not aware of anything outside of their primeval instincts.

going against these needs can be detrimental on both their psychological and phsiological state.

a newborn will develop its own routine over a period of months as long as it is secure.

that means consistent care and meeting all of their demands.

Jojay · 09/08/2007 18:48

I did the GF routine from the start too. It suited DS very well, but he didn't stay awake as long as she said. i just let him sleep when he wanted to, but did wake him when feeds were due.

You'll find as she gets older she'll stay awake for longer, but in the meantime, use the routine as a guide, but if she needs more sleep than it suggests, then go with it.

There's not much you can do to keep a sleepy baby awake, so enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts!

Congratulations on your lovely girl.

WinkyWinkola · 09/08/2007 20:14

Babies need to sleep as often as they want for brain and spine growth. Let the poor baby sleep!

Bibis · 09/08/2007 20:16

I thought this was a joke

You dont 'entertain' newborns, why not sleep when baby sleeps instead

mylittlefreya · 09/08/2007 20:19

I don't keep my baby awake even at 7.5 months, it's just a path to crankiness, screaming, and motherly heartache. I wouldn't take any parenting book to the absolute letter tbh.

kevinsmother · 09/08/2007 20:20

God I hate all this getting babies into a routine lark.

The baby will develop her own routine, just go with it or you will get really stressed out.

Sunshinemummy · 09/08/2007 20:22

Yep we found this and gave up on routine. Soon found that DS found his own routine.

twoisplenty · 09/08/2007 20:25

I've got the opposite view to you, kevinsmother, but that may be because my first baby was difficult, so needed the luxury of routine for the second.

Jabuti, I used the gf method from newborn (even in the hospital!) just to structure the feeds at approx the right time, but my dd ALWAYs was asleep! I didn't worry about that, just made sure I woke her for feeds

BUT my dd was born by planned cesaerian section (can't spell!) so babies born this way tend to be sleepy (so they say) - was your baby by c section?

And newborns don't need any form of entertainment, just loads of cuddles and love.

TheQueenOfQuotes · 09/08/2007 20:28

babies by CS sleepy?????? Damn wish someone had told DS1 that! He was a nightmare getting to sleep until he was 6 months old and we did CC! He was AWFUL as a baby realy realy really really hard work.

Then DS2 came along and just slipped into his own little routine - even sleeping through at 3 weeks old!

DS3 is starting to get into his own routine now (11 weeks today) - especially in the evening.....which is nice as he's currently settled as 8pm as his "bedtime" - which means that all 3 DS's are in bed by 8pm(ish)

twoisplenty · 09/08/2007 20:39

Sorry, QoQ - thought it was an old wives tale, but thinking about it, my dd was still sleepy months later. When we put her in "active fit" nappies we were laughing because she was about as active as a sloth. Even now (aged nearly 4yo) her play revolves around her dolls/teddies sleeping! She just loves sleep! But her brother doesn't and now, aged 8yo, he still gets up early, so no rest for the wicked then.

Original poster

jabuti · 09/08/2007 20:46

ok ok ok... hold your horses the overexcited ones! we just started the routine, and it is for a newborn. also, we are new parents, still trying to figure out things.

twoisplenty, she was c-section and i just read these posts to my dh too. we are cancelling the trying to stay awake bit. but i do LOVE the structured feed part, its working wonderfully and she is not as gassy as before.

thank you for all your posts!

OP posts:

twoisplenty · 09/08/2007 20:52

Good luck Jabuti! I loved routine, and enjoyed my baby days - you've bought back some lovely memories!! Hope all goes well.

JodieG1 · 09/08/2007 20:53

I hate GF with a passion. Goes against every instinct in my body. Feeding by routine isn't good imo, feed on demand especially one so little. I've done this with all mine and still doing so with ds2 7 months and bf. Personally I don't think structured feeding and newborn should even be in the same sentance. I just think those rountines are so harsh and cold for newborns and olde babies and hate hate hate them. I couldn't bear making my babies wait for a feed if they were hungry, after all, I don't make myself wait if I'm hungry and I understand a lot more than a baby does.

I think trying to keep her awake could be detrimnental as well as she'll get overtired.

TheQueenOfQuotes · 09/08/2007 20:56

"I don't make myself wait if I'm hungry"

I was just about to post the same thing. Also think about those times you HAVE had to wait (in a restaraunt, dinner at a friends) especially when you were already hungry. It's not nice is it? Imagine you didn't know what those feelings of hunger actually were, but knew that it wasn't nice - but you had no way of telling anyone - but instead were forced to wait until a set time before eating!

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