Sleep routine and controlled crying

[purpleviolet1]

First baby - 4 weeks old. Obviously very young yet but just thinking ahead. I have medical issues which mean a lack of sleep really knocks me back and causes me to suffer from frequent infections (as I am run down). To put into context I've had 3 infections since the birth. Getting lots of help from dh and dm so we are managing.

What age should we start a sleep routine? Does controlled crying come into this? Any books I can read?

For what it's worth, currently feeding every 3 hours so he is up every couple hours. I know he is very little yet and I just need to go with his guidance so please don't flame me! Purpose of this post is so I can have something to look forward to

Personally I wouldn't bother until five or six months old - there is massive four month sleep regression that always seems to throw new parents. We did controlled moaning as we referred to it. Basically they can have a moan but a real cry we comfort.
I wouldn't bother with any Gina ford controlled crying nonsense it's actually just a bit cruel. A happy loved full baby will sleep well with time. Failing that a nice bottle of milk before bed. They don't really sleep well until they're weaned imho

Google 4th trimester.

Please don't do controlled crying. It's just cruel.

Congratulations on your baby, I have a four week old little boy too, he's my third and I haven't put him down yet 😂 He's in the sling all day and co-sleeps, they're so little for such a short time, I look at my 7 yo dd and would love to have baby snuggles with her again - in a heartbeat.

Sleep is a constantly changing thing until they're around two as they have several growth spurts in the first year, when they start solids their tummies go all unsettled (ram pooh) then there's teething and separation anxiety etc ...

So if I was you I would honestly just try a gentle bedtime routine for now. I give our newborn a bath and a massage at the same time my older kids are in the bath, he goes in his seeping bag and the he "listens" to the bedtime story (while on the boob).

Just having a starting point; if you just have a "bedtime", in a few months you might start putting him down at this time too, then if baby is unsettled from that point you can tend to him but at least with the aim of him going back to sleep, not being awake/getting up iyswim.

Mine we're all with me downstairs until I went to bed, until they were around 4/5mths. Enjoy these precious moments, they're gone too quickly, I miss the babies my big kids were!! Good luck 😉

Ps don't read anything! It all just does your head in about sleep! puts book mark in how to talk so kids will listen

Number 1 "thinking ahead" tip:

Introduce a dummy

Thanks! Titty I know about the 4th trimester, i specifically said in my post that he is very young yet and it was more thinking ahead , not looking to implement anything just now!

He already has the dummy thanks!

Controlled crying worked for us, we did it when ds was about 7 or 8 months. But like pp said, it's really around 2 years when they sleep properly, until then it's really just temporary solutions.