The Baby Sleep Plan for Newborn

[bettieblue]

I have a week old baby and am following Alison Scott Wright- Baby Sleep Plan. I know lots of people don't agree with following routines this early but am asking those of you who are doing some advice.

Im feeding every three hours and putting him down after his feed for a nap. I always try and put him down whilst hes awake (not always possible). He goes down, is quite settled, doesn't cry or fuss but isn't actually sleeping. He stays awake for quite a while then eventually drifts off, however he may only then get an hour nap before hes due his next feed. (We wake feeds to make sure he feeds every three hours). Is he getting enough sleep?

Congratulations :)

Firstly, whether he's getting enough sleep or not is impossible to say as their needs vary between babies. But if he's being woken before he's finished sleeping then of course the possibility is there that he's not getting enough.

More concerning to me is how you are feeding him. 3 hours is an awfully long time for them to go without a feed at a week old. If you are breastfeeding it could screw up your supply quite quickly.

He's formula fed (tried BF and had a terrible time...). I feed him when's hungry (which is sometimes 2- 2.5 hrs after last feed) but wake him at 3-3.5 hrs if hes not stirred to make sure he feeds during the day. Midwife told me he should feed every 3-3.5 hrs). At night i feed him when he wakes which varies at the moment so I think/ hope hes getting enough. What concerns me is that between feeds hes awake quite a lot and when I wake him if hes asleep to make sure hes feed at 3 hour interval he sometimes has only just dropped off.

I can't help re the feeding,I don't know much about formula, sorry. My view re sleeping babies is that sleep is too vital to their development (and their parents' sanity) to disrupt unless there are weight gain concerns. But you feel differently so not much point me advising you to go with the flow! I guess I'd simply add, having been through that newborn bit twice now, that they can and do change overnight at that age and so don't beat yourself up if he has other ideas about the form a routine should take. :)

I would not wake a newborn for the sake of sticking to a routine. Even with FF you should when feed them when they are hungry and let them sleep when they are tired. TBH your routine sounds like it could set you up for problems as your baby will get used to short naps in the day which will lead to overtiredness at night. I'd ditch it now.

I think at this age they don't really have naps and night time sleep. They just have about 18 hours divided into lots of smaller sessions. And they're awake in between, sometimes for a while, sometimes only for a short amount of time. You might find it easier to lay him down to sleep when he's tired. When he's awake just spend time with him. It might be easier to start a routine when he starts to differentiate between night and day and is having naps and night time sleep :)

Hello

Im very confused...there seems to be so much conflicting information about. I thought it was important that they feed regularly (3.5 hours max) thats what midwife told me. He obviously sometimes wakes before that and i feed him but i do wake him once he gets to 3.5 hrs. I also thought it was important that he eats enough in the day to assist sleep at night......What age do they start to know night from day? I really feel like I don't know what im doing!

Hello - seriously, follow your baby and not a book. Feed him when he is hungry nad put him down for a sleep when he is tired! You are correct a newborn should not go too long without feeding - yes 3 hours is about teh max but if you feed when hungry and sleep when tired he should demand a feed by himself, you don't need to watch the clock. Yes, if it has been over 3 hours then perhaps consider waking him, but I would not do this religiously, e.g. if you notice it has been three hours and he is asleep maybe give him half an hour more and if he is still asleep then wake. He will figure out night from day around 6-8 weeks on average, giving him plenty of daylight in the afternoon can help with this. He will probably need night feeds for several months yet regardless of what any book says! Good luck and enjoy your baby.

This time with your gorgeous newborn will be gone in a flash. I agree that you need to relax, enjoy the time together and let your baby eat and sleep when he wants to. You will need to learn to sleep when he does so that you don't get too tired but soon enough he'll fall into a pattern of his own, and start to sleep more at night....except that just as you get used to it, he'll have a growth spurt or start to teethe and it'll change all over again. So relax, go with the flow and enjoy if you possibly can.

AND, may I add, trust your instincts, and your baby's needs. It's difficult if this is new and you're a bit (!) exhausted, but he will change every so often so it's best to understand him and to use books and the advice of others as guidance, but not the only word. The routine will happen soon enough (then change, and a new routine may start!) Enjoy!

ZOMBIE THREAD @JolyRichard the OP's baby will be 6 or 7 now!

Hahaha , I didn't notice the date, I came here through google, anyway, may someone find it useful