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Original poster

10 week old baby - a routine?

27 replies

NaatQ968 · 27/12/2022 22:05

Hi all.

It seems our 10 week old baby has gotten herself into the routine of sleeping at midnight till 0830... which is great I guess!

But I've tried to put her down earlier etc and she doesn't seem to have it.

I'm thinking at this stage I don't need to worry about a routine, but older family members are making me worried that I should have an earlier routine... she's such a happy baby and sleeps like this every night. Is it fair for me to just try and change it?

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ShirleyPhallus · 27/12/2022 22:07

Best advice I can give you is do what works for you. Ignore everyone else.

Good luck with your baby,

Original poster
NaatQ968 · 27/12/2022 22:08

ShirleyPhallus · 27/12/2022 22:07

Best advice I can give you is do what works for you. Ignore everyone else.

Good luck with your baby,

I've found the older generation expect so much more and kind of shame you a little...

OP posts:
fairgame84 · 27/12/2022 22:09

Leave it for now, especially if it works for you. They go through another growth spurt at around 12 weeks so it will probably change then.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

0-3 months old Babies & sleep Children's sleep Families
AnneLovesGilbert · 27/12/2022 22:10

“We’re following her lead and doing what works for us”. Repeat as needed. And stop telling them things. If they ask be vague.

Your baby is doing great, you’re doing great. Trust yourself!

Lcb123 · 27/12/2022 22:10

Sounds great, whatever works for you and baby.

Starcircle · 27/12/2022 22:10

I currently have a 10 week old baby too! He is my 4th and I have never bothered trying to impose a routine on them until around 16 weeks/4 months. It has just always worked well that way and I have to say I’m rather envious of the big sleep your LO is doing!! Mine is still waking every 3-4 hours. Around 4 months I work towards bedtime at 7pm and then get my evenings back, which I love I must admit. They change a lot in coming weeks and become more active and more predictable so definitely don’t worry about it

ToddleToddleToddle · 27/12/2022 22:13

If it's not broke, don't fix it

Original poster
NaatQ968 · 27/12/2022 22:24

It is certainly working for us to ensure we get a longer stretch of sleep.

Just out of curiosity how would you even attempt (at a later stage) to get them down earlier?

I just feel it's cruel for her for me to just up and change things when she's happy the way things are at the moment.

She still naps throughout the day too and I either sleep too or get a few things done.

A bit of background, had an hard labour and she's our little miracle... at ten weeks I'm still stressed and upset when she cries, which I've been told is normal. But anything to keep her smiling, I wanna do...

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WeightoftheWorld · 27/12/2022 22:29

They probably don't even remember what it was really like when their babies were 10 weeks old tbh. I don't know anyone who had a 10 week old in an early bedtime routine! And my DS was in an early bedtime routine younger than most, maybe even by about 3 months I think it was. Not on purpose though, he just did it himself. My DD wasn't going to bed at an earlier bed time until she was about 7 or 8 months old and we did nudge that along by gradually putting it back a bit. But then she was a pretty good sleeper and DS at 14 months still wakes multiple times a night screaming his head off, often for a reason that we can't figure out.

So that's a long way of saying, you're getting a decent amount of sleep at the moment, babies are all different, enjoy the sleep now as it could change at any time and don't be worrying about routines!

Moonshine160 · 27/12/2022 22:42

I have a 14 week old and I’ve attempted the magic 7pm bedtime and he just treats it as a nap. He doesn’t doze off for the night until around 10pm still. He’s my second child and DS1 was the same. As they get older I find that they gradually shift towards an earlier bedtime. It sounds like you’re doing great and that’s a brilliant stretch of sleep. Ignore the advice from your family, as PP said if it isn’t broke don’t fix it.

maryberryslayers · 27/12/2022 22:44

Sounds perfect, both of mine did that. It worked well for me as I'd go to bed at the same time and we'd both get a full nights sleep.
Babies must be in the same room as you whilst sleeping until 6 months so if you put them down earlier before 6 months it means you'd need to be up there too.
From around 5 months I start a little bath/feed/cuddle routine around 9pm then slowly start to bring it earlier so around 6/7 months they are going down about 7:30/8 then it's easier to come back to 7 as you wish.
You'll likely get a wake up around midnight-2am until their little tummies get used to going through without a feed. Mine stopped this around 12-13 months. We had occasional periods of waking during growth spirts but from about 18 months both reliably slept through unless poorly.

DelurkingAJ · 27/12/2022 22:47

If it’s working for you stick with it (I’m am beyond jealous…neither of mine slept more than three hour stretches at that age…your concerned relatives have either forgotten or maybe are exaggerating?)

Original poster
NaatQ968 · 27/12/2022 22:58

Thank you for all your posts.

We had a bad 4 week start with our girl, she didn't like the milk she was on and was crying in pain for weeks, I'm a new parent and I felt I needed to get the ok from a doctor or something before we changed her milk. Now she is on Kendamil and is a new baby, happy as can be. But I feel in this day in age when you are pregnant and a new parent, people have negative things to say to totally shame you or make you feel bad. It's distilled a complete fear and anxiety in me still and I worry like mad. But I'm getting better at deciding what's good for my baby instead of listening to crappy advice from people I couldn't care less about. It's stressful. You see all these videos about signs to look for in babies that are unwell and I'm constantly looking over making sure she hasn't got this or that.... because of these videos I've taken myself off social media etc because I feel it's ruined my first few wks with her as I was so worried and paranoid... I just want her to be safe and happy.

OP posts:
fairgame84 · 28/12/2022 03:39

I don't get the obsession with the 7pm bedtime. DS was an amazing sleeper but never went to bed at 7pm. He used to do something like 8 or 9pm until 6am.
He's 18 now and still has never gone to bed at 7pm!
DD is 11 weeks and goes to bed at 10pm. I doubt I'll get her down earlier anytime soon because she has a feed at 9pm. She has a feed during night then gets up between 8 and 9am usually. It works for us.

Whatifthegrassisblue · 28/12/2022 03:50

Wow that's amazing! I would stick to that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Also that's probably too young for a routine anyway so just go with the flow

Clymene · 28/12/2022 03:54

She's a happy baby and she sleeps all night! I'd call that winning.

Starcircle · 28/12/2022 03:55

@fairgame84 I suppose the obsession with 7pm bedtime (for me anyway) is that if they didn’t go to bed around then I’d never get a break/time with my husband/time for a bath etc which would send me round the twist! I have 3 other children as well and need some down time by then. I can manage 4 months without a routine with a newborn but after that it’s nice to know that some peace is on the horizon at 7pm

Tina8800 · 28/12/2022 06:35

My baby slept from 1am till 9am around 10 weeks. I was also hoping that she will go to bed earlier; she did around 13 weeks, slept from 7pm till 7am. They propably still figuring out their longer sleep at this age, but she will get into her own rutine (she seems like a good sleeper!). The only thing I remember helping me that I took her upstairs after 6.30pm, our bedroom was dark and quite so she started to get used to being more relaxed early own.

KangarooKenny · 28/12/2022 06:36

You work out a routine between you and baby. Do what works for you both.

Summer2424 · 28/12/2022 06:41

@NaatQ968 wow that's great! Does your baby have a feed in between or sleeps for the whole 8 hours?
I have a 12 week old baby

babyyodaxmas · 28/12/2022 06:48

ToddleToddleToddle · 27/12/2022 22:13

If it's not broke, don't fix it

This, especially with the advice that they need to be in the room with you- sounds perfect.

IAmDeborah · 28/12/2022 07:02

@NaatQ968
Congratulations on your miracle baby Flowers

I have a 4YO and honestly cannot remember what we were doing when he was 10 weeks, so there is absolutely no way that your older family members can remember having a 10 week old.

Always just go what is right for you and your child. Strap in though, the advice will be plenty and will probably never end!

Out of curiosity, do you have any friends with babies the same age? It might've time to get out there and make some if you don't. The babies will all be different and so will the routines (if you can call the ever shifting landscape of motherhood a routine!) but you'll probably find that the Mums are all facing the same level of advice/ judgment and it'll help to share!

Original poster
NaatQ968 · 28/12/2022 08:26

I don't really have friends with babies, I was added to a group of mummy's when we were all pregnant (antenatal class) and they all seem lovely. But getting a meet up is difficult... I am however starting a baby class with our girl just after the year so that'll be good!

So lastnight she slept from 0000 roughly to 8am. She does this without waking up for a feed or even so much as a cry, she stirred a bit at 7am as my partner went out for work but she didn't fully wake.

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WeightoftheWorld · 28/12/2022 17:59

I feel so jealous of your 10 week olds sleep haha. My DD was sleeping almost as well at that age. My DS on the other hand is 14 months and my God are we exhausted. He went to bed last night about 7.45, up at 10, up at 12, up at 6 for the day. And that's not even one of the worst nights tbh. Enjoy the sleep while you can!

SouthLondonMum22 · 28/12/2022 18:44

I think that sounds great!

I have a 3 week old and he currently does a 5 hour stretch followed by a 3-4 hour stretch. His 'bedtime' is usually 10-11pm.