Any suggested routine for 7 wk old?

[bramblina]

Should i just let him find his own or watch how much sleep he's getting? No idea how much at this age? Any suggested routines out there? First time mum. Loving it

my lo seemed to find her own and as it seemed to include a lot of sleep at night then we didn't do anything to it.

But about a month ago (she is 22 weeks) her feeds and sleep went all over the place late afternoon so we tweeked her routine by waking her for a feed at 10pm and now she has settled again.

At the stage now that she changes routines slightly for a few days due to growth spurt or after we have been out for the night and disrupted her bedtime but then reverts to original pattern.

But then I'm a new mum too so what do I know

Good luck

IME 7 weeks is too young for routine. I find demand feeding and letting them sleep as and when is the best and easiest route.

I wouldn't like to try to force him in to one, just wondering is there a best thing to do? I am breast feeding on demand and it seems great for him, he is very content. Do they eventually find a routine of their own? What I am aiming at is to know roughly when he will be planning a sleep or feed, just so I can plan a day away/shopping/dentist appointment! Does it become obvious in time?
2 nights last week he slept 9pm-4am, 5am-9am and I thought he'd got himself in to a perfect pattern but the next night he was 9pm-1.30am, 2.30am-6am, 7am-9am! I'm not complaining at all as I've heard some horror stories but still seem a bit confused!?

They settle into a routine gradually. I would say at about three months or so. But then teething can disrupt their routine and growth spurts can make them demand longer feeds.

I've had four. My fourth is 7 months old and is still feeding at least four times in the night. He's big though.
My other three have all been about 12 months old when they started sleeping through the night.

Many babies do it before though.

I used to beat myself up about 'routines' and reading books and watching things like 'baby whisperer' just TOTALLY confused me!! I was trying to make ds stay up after a feed when he was tired because the book told me to!

In the end, i thought sod it!!! He now feeds about every 3 hours, and goes to bed at about 8.30pm til 7 am. He's 13 weeks now and has been doing this since he was about 6/7 weeks old. We started a bedtime routine from about 4 weeks, which was bath, bottle, bed. Don't know if you do that but might be worth a go?

Have to admit, i STILL can't get the day time sleep sorted. He goes down for naps well in the morning, but the afternoons are a nightmare, and by 7pm he's in meltdown mode with constant screaming til bed!! Can't have it all ways i suppose!

Thanks everyone. Newmumhelp, do you mean ds sleeps all night, or still feeds every 3 hrs between 8.30pm and 7am?
Yes, I've tried the bath feed and bed thing, when I decided to try that as a kind of initiation to a routine, we started it around 7.30pm and he would be heading for bed around the 9/10pm hour, which worked (sort of) for about a week but today for example, he only had one daytime sleep, 1pm-4pm and was quite sleepy at 6 after a feed (demand bf). I thought this would have been too early for his bath so I tried to put him down thinking he might have an hour or two's nap but he had more wind than I realised so after 20 mins or so he woke and after I got his wind up he was wide awake! So for another hour I left him in his cot, thinking he might go off, he spent most of the time talking to himself so in the end I just got him up and gave him his bath at 8.30 and he went to bed at 10! So with him ending up not having a 2nd nap today, that's the sort of thing that's totally throwing me! I feel he's ending up with these little power naps so not needing a good long daytime nap. He isn't bothered by that, but I just think it's not ideal.
He really hangs on to his wind; after a feed he may burp once or twice so we'll put him to bed (I'm determined he will go to bed awake and so far this is going ok) but like I said, another will wake him up. I feel if we wind him for ages after every feed just to "make sure", he'll end up falling asleep on us and will eventually need that comfort to fall asleep...Am I being neurotic???!! He is a really good baby so I'm actually making a big deal out of nothing but I'd love to hear everyone's views and get the best advice! Thanx!

I don't think your baby is too young for a routine at all, but I think the best thing to do is try to combine your desired routine with watching your baby carefully and fitting in with whatever patterns are there at the time. We started a routine about the age you mention. Used "baby whisperer", basically feed baby when he wakes up, then activity, then sleep, in that cycle.

At night she always slept in her own room. We started a bath, bottle, bed routine. At first, we tried to get her to go to bed at 7pm. Ha! that didn't work! After 2 nights of screaming the place down, I decided I wasn't going to battle about bedtimes - I didn't want to start her having negative associations with going to bed.

So we basically watched her. We kept things low-key in the evening, she would sit in her chair and try not to talk to her too much. We could actually see her slowly getting less energetic and more relaxed. We would take her upstairs when she was asleep and "floppy". This was about 9.40pm at first, but it got earlier and earlier as the weeks went on.

Eventually I started putting her upstairs while she was still awake but very relaxed - so she was put into the cot awake and learned to fall asleep by herself (I never used a cot mobile except for daytime naps). She won't have a dummy either, so she's basically not learned to rely on any props to get to sleep.

She's now 12 weeks and her bedtime is moving towards the 7pm ideal we wanted. It's 7.30 at the moment. We still do a basic eat/activity/sleep routine all day and the bath, bottle, bed routine at night. She occasionally sabotages the routine, usually by wanting more food or by refusing to nap in one of the cycles, but tomorrow is always another day.

I know some people will advocate a looser routine, and if that works for them, fine. Personally, I found having a routine gave me some structure back to what had essentially become total chaos and unpredictability. I know my daughter will feed every four hours, so though the first feed of the day might be at a differing time, I can always plan the rest of the day once she's decided when she wants the first feed. I also know when it's best to have visitors (happy after she's fed) and I have a good idea of why she's crying at any given time.

Thanks, your attitude sounds just like mine, and since last Monday it seems like that's where we're heading.
How many feeds does your daughter take during the night, and what time does she start her day? Since last week he seems to be sleeping a full 12 hours at night with one feed almost half way through which is just wonderful. Have you noticed a big change in the amount your daughter is awake during the day at 12 weeks, (we're 8 now)? A lot of people have said don't get hooked on one routine because as soon as you do everything changes. So I wonder if we were to establish a bedtime as early (in life, not daytime) as you have do you aim for that to stay and the day changes around it? Then when the weaning atarts does the night feed stop and they get up earlier in the morning?

my dd got herself into a routine from the start although she had a nightmare few hours between her 7-11pm feed turned out she was still hungry once we sorted this she has been fam and last night slept from 9 till 7 then back to sleep till 10.30 shes 24 weeks now want another but have a feeling id end up with a monster

brambolina -

Our daughter is now 13 weeks. She also went through a period of sleeping from 8pm-6am roughly, when she was about 10 weeks old. We thought all our birthdays had come at once!

Unfortunately, she suddenly started adding an extra feed at about 1.30am...just as we were getting our sanity back (this happened about 11 weeks). At first I thought it was because the milk wasn't satisfying her - I thought she was getting ready to wean in a few weeks (she's a big baby). We tried to get round the problem by giving her more milk in the day (increasing each bottle from 6 to 7 ounces) but that didn't work, so then we tried adding an extra bottle at teatime, but that meant she didn't take her 7pm feed, so didn't make any difference.

Eventually we decided to feed her before we went to bed. I was reluctant to do this because it means you can't get an early night, but so far it is working.

Over the last week, she has been feeding at about 11pm and sleeping through to 4am (taking 7oz at that feed) and continuing until.....about 8.30am . However, this had it's own problems. For some odd reason, she was taking all of the 4am feed but messing around with the ones we gave her during the day, so she was becoming dependent on the very feed we would like her to drop . We realised we needed to break this pattern, so earlier in the week I started offering her only three ounces at the 4am feed - she didn't like me for it, but she did eventually settle back to sleep

Are you still reading??? I'm rambling so hope it makes some sense to you!

I do think it's true that things change from week to week. We came to the conclusion she was having a growth spurt at 11-12 weeks, which was why she started adding the 1.30 feed.

Anyway, friday night we went out for dinner and I had a bit of booze. My husband suggested he do the 4am feed and I should sleep in my earplugs. I woke at 3.45 am, I could hear her talking to herself but she sounded ok so I went back to my vodka-fuelled sleep. Hey presto, she slept until 7am . My husband didn't wake up, so we both assume she didn't ever break into a cry.

As this had happened on friday, last night I decided to deliberately ignore the 4am wakening. I wore the earplugs again - she woke at 4am, grumbled for half an hour and slept until 7am . It was a lot easier to handle because the earplugs meant I couldn't hear her properly (what a terrible mother I am).

This passive approach to parenting meant she stopped messing around with the feeds we give her in the day and actually took full bottles for the last 2 days.

So we are now going "cold turkey" . I'm planning to take a bottle of water to bed the next few nights, so if she does really start to cry, I'll offer her that rather than milk.

Another positive effect of ignoring the 4am feed has been this - because she hasn't had a night feed, she won't sleep past 7am before waking up hungry. So because she is getting up earlier, she is going to bed at 7pm, which is the time we had been aiming for

Of course, this could all go tits up next week. And if it doesn't, we still have the problem of dropping the 11pm feed, which I suppose we will do by gradually bringing it forward.

Aaaah! That is so interesting! I decided to do as you said and watch for his cues- and I did notice obvious signs which we followed and it's seemed to work well. i've been confident putting him down for a nap awake when he's ready as I know he'll happily give in, and every time I've done that he's asleep 10 mins after I check him.
He had his first lot of injections on Monday- isn't that just the worst thing?- we did the normal follow his cues etc and after a bath feed and bed at 9.30- he slept till 8.30 am! Couldn't believe it1 He had stirred at 6 and 7 but like you said I ignored them for 5 mins and he fell back to sleep- he does talk in his sleep a lot- so we thought this was all down to the jabs...until last night he slept from 9.30-8.30!
I better not count my chickens....

You have some really interesting stories, and as you are 5wks ahead of us I'm going to be very interested in them! Thanks for that last one, your smileys have me in fits!

Only just got back to this thread, but i meant, he feeds every 3 hours in the day, then once he goes to bed at about 8pm, thats it til 7am ish. No feeds.

Oh, and day times are sorted with us now. He suffered with wind alot. Which seemed to get worse as the day went on. Now, this phase is going, its pretty easy getting him to sleep, and he has a big nap in the morning (about 11am-1pm), then a 45 minute nap at about 3.30pm, and then about an hour and a half at about 5pm. I'm starting to see the joys of being a parent now his wind's going!!

Last night we had the third night of 9pm till 8am, it's heaven, and I'm even starting to believe this may continue after what you said! He'll be 9 wks tomorrow.

Sounds like you've cracked it!! After having so many weeks of ds sleeping through, i think i'd die of shock if he didn't!!

Have faith...sleepless nights are a thing of the past (i'll probably curse you now! SORRY)

Just hope and prey they don't get colds...then it'll be back to being sleep deprived

my goodness!

something I said on mumsnet was useful!

I'm glad you've cracked it, but remember, it's likely he will start waking in the night again, at which point you may want to consider a late night feed (we dreamfeed our daughter, she doesn't wake up but takes 7oz on autopilot - I wonder whether I could eat bacon butties in my sleep?!). I say this because just about everyone I know had a baby that started waking up in the night after a period of sleeping through.

Our daughter is 14 weeks, she really needs that last dreamfeed, which we give at about 11pm

If she doesn't eat much during the day, she will wake herself for a feed about 9.30-10pm. I've made the mistake of thinking this will take her through the night, but it doesn't. I have to stay up and top her up about midnight, when she'll take about 4oz to see her through

In the meantime, I hope the extra sleep gets you some sanity - ccome back and let us know how you get on

meant to say, yes, the vaccination thing is awful. That scream is unlike anything you've ever heard, isn't it?!

Thankfully, my daughter was fine after the 8 week jabs. Everyone warned me the second lot would be different. I forgot to give her calpol before hand and then set off for a long walk in the park with some friends an hour after the jabs. She screamed like a banshee for half an hour! I had the calpol with me, fortunately

So...moral of the story, get the calpol down your baby immediately before the next set of jabs!

Well I was either counting my chickens or yes you cursed me- he woke at 3.30 and 7.30 that night! Took a good feed though so at least it was worthwhile. I thought that was us back to normal but then the next night (lastnight) he slept till 6 (though his bed time is getting later, lastnight was 10 and the night before that 9.30, but that's due to the fact that he's started having his longest nap around 5/6pm instead of 2/3pm which we had earlier this week- must change that soon...)...so I gave him one side (our norm had been one side, nappy change, other side and back to bed) and as it was 6am I thought I'd put him straight back down so he'd prob wake around 9am for the day and we could stay with the 9-9 thing- hubby said you might as well change him as he's already up- at this point I should either of handed him the baby or ignored his suggestion- as the second feed came back up while I was winding him- all over me and the carpet...he obviously only needed a top up and would have woken at a good time, instead he slept till 10.30 and it's pushed the day even later!!! AAAArghhh!!
So tonight's plan is try as much as poss to get it back, I was delighted thismorning as I know now it can be done and it wasn't a one off, I'll just have to try and get as much down his neck in the eve and I'm sure we can stretch it...will update tomorrow!
As for the injections, I feel sick when I think of next month's

bramblina - I know exactly what you are going through. I would describe our first ten weeks with Stripe (her nickname) as three novices in search of a routine! Even now it changes slightly every day. Stripe is such a poor daytime napper that she's knackered by 5pm and is currently going to bed about 6.30, but she's very objectionable between the hours of 5pm-6.30pm.

Don't worry about your next set of jabs, baby will be right as rain next day, just don't forget the calpol. At least it's the HV making baby scream - I got her thumb with the nail clippers this morning - she is now wearing a blood-stained Winnie the Pooh romper suit and I need a brandy. The scream was exactly the same as the one she did when she had the jabs

BAD nail clippers

Ooooohh, you pair of poor things! Pain for her and guilt for you! I was petrified to cut his nails, so did it while he slept, no chance of wriggling and that worked fine. Everyone else I know seems to have caught finger ends though so prob just a matter of time before I'm at it too. The worry we have is hair- he was born with so much that his sideburns were down past his earlobes! He's got a ponytail going on down the back of his neck, too!!! How can we cut the hair of a 9 week old baby?

And on the sleep thing- Last night was 9pm-1.40am, then back up again at 7.30am so I think we're back to square one. He'd had a good feed before bed, too, so can't see any other solution. Just let him do his own I guess...

..or feed him at midnight and try to ignore him if he cries later, like we did?? Get drunk and wear earplugs?!

PMSL at idea of baby with sideburns...Dave Lee Travis!! I'm sure you could give it a little trim??!

meant to add, the bleeding finger kept bleeding cos she kept chewing her fingers. We had visitors this afternoon and I had laid out a lovely blue dress and white tights, but had to swap them for red dungarees to conceal the blood spots....what sort of mother AM I????

Can't bear to cut his hair, it's adorable! Also, can see problem bigger than trimming top of finger- howabout scissors in eye??? Though can see that having a 6month old baby boy with hair down to his elbows almost constitutes child abuse so must consider this seriously...
Today he had 1 hr nap at 11am, then good long one 2-4.30 so was needing one at about half 6 but I was having none of it so faffed on getting him ready for bath and managed to put that off till half 7 so he went to bed at 8 tonight, zonked. All good timings but now I wonder will he just be classing that as a nap and will be up to play at midnight?!
I read a thread about dreamfeeds and at the time didn't need to consider (I remember a time when my baby slept 12 hours you know...) but a friend of mine has a baby a week younger than mine- she wakes him at 11 for a feed, which sees him through till 7am, this works for her as she has a 4 yr old too. She also plans going back to work which I don't so I thought no need for me to consider it...I like my day starting around 9am, don't need 7am...do you think that is better for trying to stretch their night time sleep right through the night, or shall I just continue as it's changing so much anyway?
I tried to ignore him thismorning but he was determined- I even went so far as to swaddle him tighter- just incase! {blush]

Oh can't even type now !!!