Should I start routine with 7-wk-old? If so, what?

[SouthernComforter]

Realise I sound a bit dim here. DS is 7 weeks today, on the 95th percentile, healthy. His night sleep isn't bad, he generally settles around 11.30pm (even if I take him upstairs earlier), sleeps until around 4am and then from about 4.45 until, well, 8 and often again until 11ish. It depends on his big bro, who is often awake and LOUD by 6.30 and whether it's a nursery day for big bro as we have to get up and leave the house early. Anyway, DS2 often has long sleeps in the day and his most awake period is afternoon/evening (when he dozes for short periods and can get a bit grizzly).

Anyway, I read about routines on here. Should I get DS2 into one? I'd like him to start his good night sleep earlier. Should I lie him down awake? What time? I woke him at 4am to feed this morning, should I let him go longer if he doesn't wake? Im not expecting him to go through the night. Also, he slept for nearly 5 hours straight today (12-5pm). That's not usual (we had visitors this morning). I must've done this with DS1 but honestly can't remember what we did! Advice appreciated...

I think it's much too early to try to force a routine. By all means follow your baby's cues and build on them, but at this age they change so quickly.

Sounds like you already have a routine really - best approach, especially when they're young, is to be flexible. Trying to be more strict with it will just stress you out more than anything else.

They are still in the "fourth trimester" until 12 weeks - like an extension of the time he were in your uterus and so he still thinks he is part of you.

So while it's a great idea to begin some good habits from early on, there is no point in doing anything other than following the baby's lead at this age.

Great, that's what I thought, thank you. I haven't read up on 4th trimester but am enjoying small baby stage and don't want to rush it. Just wondered if I'm misreading some of his cues and assuming he's hungry when actually he's tired in the eve. Suppose I could always bring the sleepyhead down in the evenings. Anyway, thanks for the advice x

Your routine seems to have almost begun. Our two were fed at 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm, as this fitted in with our daily schedule as a family (one of us was able to feed them at 8am and the other at 4pm, both of us at 8pm, nanny for the midday feed) and also that once they were eating solids and older these are the times of day they´d be eating, roughly (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and supper). Your son seems to be in a similar ish routine already.

To get him to sleep earlier in the evenings, yes, you can lie him down awake, but take into account that at the moment he wakes up at 8am which is presumably quite convenient for you? If he sleeps earlier in the evening he will be waking earlier in the morning...

Personally, I wouldn´t wake him at 4am if he doesn´t wake up himself. Ideally, you want to get getting him eventually to sleep through; it could be that he can manage it without too much effort on your part (hurrah!)

All sounds good to me and if he is a happy baby I would not mess with the status quo.