Too early for routine??

[Katiekoo123]

Hi all I'm new here but have seen various discussions on here when I have googled different things...
I have recently had a baby, he is 8 weeks old today. My husband and I keep trying to get him into a routine of bath bottle and bed and have been doing this for at least 2 weeks now but he still doesn't seem to settle very well, he cries and cries (we don't leave him for longer than 5 mins) one night he will settle fine and the next he will cry on and off for hours. He sleeps really well once he finally settles, usually around 9/10pm.
Last night I left him downstairs with us in his swing and he slept till 10 but then I was bathing him at 1030pm and it was a bit much really.
Anyway my question is do you think it's too early for a routine or should I persevere? He had a bit of a rough start, was 3 weeks early and quite poorly in NICU so I don't know if this makes a difference?
Thanks in advance for all replies. X

I have a 14 month DS and not managed a routine yet. His naps and feeds haven't really fallen into a clear enough pattern yet but its starting to. I wouldn't worry there's plenty of time. Just relax and go with the flow.

P.s there will always be some clever clogs who has their newborn in a routine from 3 weeks. Good for them. All babies are different. Its not a race. You will find it falls into place in the fullness of time.

Hi OP!

I don't think it's ever to early to try a routine, it just depends on your parenting style and your baby.
We did a bedtime routine from about 8 weeks as well & it took DD until she was about 14 weeks to benefit from it. (This was also when I started doing a daytime routine as well, it worked like magic!)
but persevere because it will fall into place. Eventually your baby will learn to associate everything you do with bedtime but it might take a while. It was worth it for me!

I don't think 8 weeks is too early to start a routine but it might take the baby a while to take to it. Good luck!

The daytime routine smallbee what do you do? Put her in her cot for naps etc? At the min he just naps wherever he falls down lol. And feeds 2 hourly but only takes about 70-80mls at a time, he was only 4lb when born and is 9lb now so I'm guessing he doesn't have a big stomach to take lots of milk in one go but today has been 3 hourly so here's to hoping that's going to continue. I know routine isn't everything but we have a 5 year old too so need some sort of order on an evening, I initially put baby to bed at 6 so I could have an hour with my older son but he seems to settle better around 9pm so will stick with that for now and try and get him to bed earlier as he gets older x

Tonight he went down at 8pm and is still asleep now but then tomorrow he could scream the house down lol.

DD1 settled into a bedtime routine from around 6 weeks. DD2 didn't until 14 weeks or so. Try not to stress too much about it. It will happen.

Keep sticking to the routine. He will soon recognise it. My DS is 9 months and we still do the same routine (now includes teeth brushing). He still sometimes cries when put down too.

Thanks for all your replies. I will stick to it. x

Another vote for not too early.

My baby came out of the NICU on a 3 hour routine 4 weeks before her due date. I can't take much credit for it but early routine is possible.