Feeding & snoozing during the day

[Floopyandtired]

I have an almost 8 week old. He’s rubbish at napping. The best to get and keep him asleep during the day is to sit on the sofa and let him feed and snooze on me all day. I don’t mind this at all - it’s better than all the over tired screeching we had been getting - but at what point should I stop doing this and try to get out more/get into more of a routine? Bar the odd bad night he generally sleeps well: in his own cot and waking once or twice a night for a quick feed. I don’t want to mess up his night sleeping but I’m also aware I can’t live like this forever!

I'm just here to follow the responses my little boy is 9 weeks Wednesday and I'm in the exact same position

Congratulations

It still is very early days.

Personally I would try to note down any natural patterns that migh be emerging and try to work round that to begin to structure your day. There are apps that can help you track their natural sleep & awake time rather than you trying to get them into a routine from some random book.

Mine was something like:
Up at 7 for feed
Nap in cot around 9am (i get showered and dressed)
Feed then go out somewhere; could be a walk/ trip to shop, baby group.
Home and nap (i have lunch)
Chill out at home in the afternoon
Etc etc.

One thing I would say is try not to be a slave to the routine too much. I always tried to be flexible so that if a nap was a little bit earlier or later to enable us to do an activity then it was all fine. My sister is so rigid about her baby's nap time and it can be quite annoying trying to plan anything with her tbh!

Congrats @Babydust13 😊 how does your little one sleep at night? I feel like I spend all day with my boobs out eating biscuits.

@MrsTophamHat thank you for responding, I feel like I’d get obsessive with an app but you’re right I should be trying to work out when he’s naturally feeling sleepy. Right now I know it’s all about meeting his needs but at what point is that replaced with forming bad habits… that’s what I’m struggling to work out

Yeah, i found apps helpful in the first few weeks as I found i sometimes couldnt remember what time he fell asleep or woke up so it helped me get a picture. I only did it for maybe a week or so and that gave me an overview. Then i'd leave it for a few weeks amd track again if i felt that things were changing.

I don't think you can form bad habits as such at this age, but it's as much about you feeling free to get out and about as it is about promoting good sleep.

Maybe set a goal to get out once a day. Or to get one nap that isn't on you. Or for him to have a few minutes awake in his cot each day to help him get familar with it? Just whatever feels right for you.

It depends what you view as bad habits really, feeding to sleep is perfectly normal and you aren't going to damage your baby by doing it. There's a great Sarah Ockwell Smith Instagram post about it....

www.instagram.com/p/CRgiYx9sM0s/?utm_medium=copy_link

@Floopyandtired so I'm bottle feeding as he's on special protein milk so I'm lucky in that respect but I can only get him to burp on my shoulder and falls straight asleep there. Whenever I move him he will not settle and wakes up pretty much straight away

He sleeps ok at night I put him down at half 10 and then I have to wake him up at half 1 for a bottle then he goes back to sleep and was sleeping until half 5 then having his next bottle but he's had really bad wind lately so is waking up at half 4 and not settling back done