Will my baby sleep through with no strict daytime routine?

[Newmummy9]

I have tried following Gina Ford but with very little success and it's really stressing me out and I'm wondering if I should just abandon it.

Keeping her awake is just torture when she's tired, then she gets over tired and won't settle.

My daughter is 10 weeks and weighs about 11.5lbs. She had quite a small appetite and I struggle to get her to take 4oz at every feed.

Before I started the Gina routine I started the following routine myself which I'm happy with.
I start the day at 7am
I start her bedtime routine at 6:30pm every day, she's in bed by 7:30, I wake her at 10pm for a feed. She's recently started going until 5-6am.
I never let her go more than 3 hours between feeds.

I find it hard to structure the bits in the middle as she's so unpredictable, sometimes she's sleepier in the morning, sometimes the afternoon and sometimes neither.

My question is: if I keep with the above structure (7am up, 3 hourly ish feeds, 7:30pm bed) and just go with the flow during the day will it impact her night time sleeping?

Has anybody be managed you get their baby to sleep through with no routine?

When do you think it'll be easier to have a routine?

When do you think daytime sleep impacts night time sleep?

Look your baby didn’t read the book.

My kids always needed a LOT more sleep than GF allowed for.

Also why don’t you note your baby’s routine and then use that as a guide instead of an artificial routine that is imposed on her.

I can’t guarantee that she will sleep through. No one can guarantee that.

Your baby is 10 weeks old. 10 weeks. Dont worry about them sleeping through the night, reallyZ

And don’t keep her awake when she is tired. Think of how awful it is an adult to have to stay awake when you are exhausted. Put her down when she is sleepy or hold her till she sleeps and feed her when she is hungry.

Are you waking her at 7am? Dc1 & 2 slept through at 6 months with no strict routine apart from bed at the same time roughly each night. Dc3 has just started to sleep through at 9 months, he naps when he likes for as long as he likes, although if he looks like he needs a nap an hour or so before usual bed time when I push through and keep him awake.

I have never woken any as babies - either for a dream feed, or in the morning. They wake when they wake. 10 weeks is so very tiny - what happens if you don’t give her a 10pm feed?

I don’t think (IMO) routines work before 6mo - babies are unpredictable.

10 weeks? She will be unpredictable. She’s tiny!

I think she's doing really well at the moment but interested to j ow whether that's just luck and the way she is, or whether it's because I've tried to stick to a bit of a schedule.

I would like to chill out a bit more through the day but don't want to back track on what she's doing at night.

She seems to wake at 6:30-7:15am anyway.

I only introduced the 10pm feed as she was waking at 1-3am to feed and then 4-5am ready to start the day. Feeding her at 10pm seems to have settled her a bit.

That's a good idea about going with her rhythm for a couple of days and then sticking with that.

If I catch her at the right moment she is pretty good at settling in her crib for naps (until about 4pm, after that she's just generally grumpy and I tend to take her out for a walk to get her some sleep).

My baby has just started sleeping through out of nowhere at 6.5 months. She doesn’t have a set routine as I find every day is different - both what we’re doing and what she’s like - some days she’s really sleepy and some days she’s not. They’re changing all the time so I’ve never been able to see how a set routine can suit them.

I started to see a pattern emerging about 4/5 months - e.g. she’d need a nap 2 hours after waking etc and her bedtime naturally came forward in this time too until it was always 6:30 we’d be taking her up based on her cues

I definitely believe in following their lead and letting their own rhythm develop naturally. Just do your best for them each day and think logically about when and how they might nap around what you’re doing. You’ll soon identify the good gaps between naps to go out and make plans

I only do one thing a day though - one class or social thing as I also think it doesn’t suit my baby to be carted around to my schedule all day - got to find the best balance for you

Thanks for all your replies.

Are you talking about sleeping through as 7-7 or 10pm-7am?

She seems to be happy awake for about 1h15 in between naps, this isn't much awake time in a day if she wakes at 7am and I put her to bed at 7pm!

Roughly 7-7 yes - might vary by 30 mins here or there

It was a nice surprise when she started doing it - I hadn’t really expected it - it’s not every night but most nights although I don’t expect it to last when teething hits!

She’s nearly 7 months though much older than yours - I definitely wouldn’t expect anything like this at that age and not much awake time is more normal too!

I would take a massive step back and just enjoy your baby. Its great she is sleeping so well at this age but I actually don't look back and remember the lack of sleep I remember the happy memories we made, long afternoons at the park, baby groups, wandering round the shops while she napped in pram etc. I know lots don't agree but I don't think a 10 week old needs a routine dictated by a book from my experience they settle into their own in what works for you all as a family.

Your baby should still be IN you.

Fucking Gina Ford.

That's really good advice georgiadronea, thank you.

I would love her to do 7pm-10/11pm and then 11pm-6/7am reliably. We're almost there. I am very bad on a lack of sleep and feel I enjoy her much more when I'm not exhausted. I don't mind a lack of structure to our day, I am just much happier with a bit more sleep (i.e. terribly grumpy if I have a very disturbed night!)

I will stick to the 7am waking and bedtime routine but go with the flow during the day. I'd be interested to see how much she chooses to nap.

Put the books down.

Let your DD sleep when she needs to sleep. Please, stop trying to follow any kind of rigid routine. A basic structure of a day is fine. You'll find that she will gradually fall into a routine of sorts with regard to naps and nighttime sleep, but not yet. She's only 10 weeks old! You'll look back one day and wonder why you were stressed out when she was so tiny - trust me, it will seem crazy to you in the future.

Don't worry about the impact on her nighttime sleep. It will change anyway (Google 4 month sleep regression as an example). Never get too used to a good thing! Just enjoy her sleep as it is right now (which, by the way, sounds very good!)

Waaaay too early. You're doing the sleep equivalent of leaving a ham sandwich across the room and expecting your 10 week old to crawl over to feed herself.

At this age something like 1 - 1.5 hours awake is normal. She's still very little. I'd keep at it with the bedtime routine and sleep cues, and her nighttime sleep will be fine even if you are less rigid during the day.

FWIW I had two Gina Ford'ers in my various antenatal groups. Both babies were sleeping 10/11pm (after a "dream feed") to 5am at 3 months... they're now eight months, both are battling with terrible sleep issues.

How do people do a strict routine?! My baby just varies so much each day. By all accounts lots of people have huge success with it. Who are these people?!

What's the general consensus on when daytime sleep starts to impact on their night time sleep?

About 2.5 years for DD.

By all accounts lots of people have huge success with it. Who are these people?!

I'm trying to understand that really contradictory statement!

How do people do a strict routine?! My baby just varies so much each day.

One friend who did GF would just be as rigid as anything on timings. So baby would be howling and she'd offer a dummy instead of boob because it wasn't noon yet and the book said she should eat at noon, that kind of thing.

I think sleep begets sleep at this stage. I'd do a routine that works for you, tbh. So plan to get dressed and out the house each morning, even if it's to mooch around Tesco. Make sure you eat three meals a day etc.

You baby won’t sleep through yet as they have a tiny tummy and need lots of calories so your baby must wake up for more milk. Babies often need milk at night up to about 1 years old. Children are not expected to not need a parent durring the night until they ar 7 years old.

A strict routine will make you and the baby very stressed. If you really want a routine then maybe look at the baby whisperer but remember that babies’ needs are constantly changing so when you think you have the hang of something they change everything.

You're doing the sleep equivalent of leaving a ham sandwich across the room and expecting your 10 week old to crawl over to feed herself

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Have you got the wonder weeks app? That is the best thing you need & to know there’s sleep regressions at 4,6 & 9 months.

Just keep up the daytime naps & night time will follow.

Babies are not supposed to sleep through.

Also Gina Ford hasn’t had a child so i would think about that.

I stopped reading your post when I saw Gina ford and 10 weeks. I’m afraid there is no magic involved in making babies sleep. At this age and for the foreseeable you just need to go with the flow. Keep her tummy full and let her sleep. Both of mine just fell into good sleep patterns when they were ready. The more you relax about it, the easier it will be for everyone (I wish someone had to me that when my first was born).

1h15m is a long time for a 10w baby. Instead of routines if you want to read look at books about a baby’s development and how much sleep and rest a baby needs.
My kids all have had a good routine but one that suited them. DS1 woke up at 7 but really needed to nap by 8/8:30 so a short early morning window. This nap would be 40 mins with a longer afternoon nap. DS2 wakes up between 6:30/7 but can easily last till 9. He then sleeps till 10:30/11 and has a shorter afternoon nap.
Create good sleep habits that will last beyond the baby stage. A baby sleeping at 10 weeks may be up and down from their bed aged 2.5. So for now just focus on good sleep habits- a familiar routine, sleep cues, a relaxing bed time routine which will last you a long time.
Other than his breastmilk DS1 who is 6 still has the same rough routine he did as a baby. Bath and now teeth. Come out and change. Read stories. Go to bed where he reads Ana switches his lights off with zero fuss and goes to bed. At 10w we would do a short massage,warm bath, story, milk and in a dark room till the morning.

For god sake people she wants a routine and would like her child to sleep through its not a crime. I read GF and roughly tried to follow it after 8 weeks in the sense of trying to ensure they had enough formula wise and to try and structure naps. I had to wake the second one at 7 in the morning or we would have never done her feed and winding before the school run. Both mine slept through 11 till 7 at about 4 months then 7 to 7 about 8 months. Weaning is a massive help with that. They still sleep through now 5 and 17 months I also have a 16 year old who never slept still doesnt but he has ASD. My day at 10 weeks was roughly.
7 am wake up feed and usually back to sleep soon as she wenr in the car for the school run at 8.30. Slept till 10ish woke up another feed awake till about 11.30 till 12 then a longer sleep till about 2ish if possible. Another feed and stay awake till 3.30 then a sleep shortest one till about half 4. Feed about 5 split feed bath at 6 then rest of feed at 6.30 down at 7. The period between 4 and 7 normally grottiest but will get better. The sleep then should hopefully go till maybe 10 or 10.30 full feed at that time and down for the night.
Its clearly not popular but worked a dream for me TWICE.