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?

tootired I would argue that your child sleeping through at 8 months was more likely because it was developmentally appropriate for them at that time and not because of anything Gina Ford had said. My DD did the same and we didn't follow any strict routine.

No one is saying it's a crime to want to be in a routine with your baby. The fact of the matter is, the internet and books are full of 'advice' about when your baby should be waking/sleeping/eating and, whilst their intention is to make parents feel good about their babies getting into a day-to-day routine, it actually does the complete opposite. This thread proves it. You simply end up with countless new mums wondering why their two day old babies aren't sleeping then eating then playing because that's what the book said would happen. Let's face reality - the babies don't read the books. They do what they want when they want and will all get there, when they are ready to do so.

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.

Research suggests otherwise.

Listen you dont agree with me fair enough im not overly fussed. I dont think having your child sleep through is a reflection on how good a mother you are but I do know that I am not going to guilt or shame anyone who wants to try by making them feel that they shouldnt.
I have been that sleep deprived mum and it isnt nice to suggest its something you need to put up with to earn your badge of motherhood either. Just as babied are indibiduals with their own needs so are mothers. Some may choose to accept sleep deprivation and let their babies choose their own routine and it will work some will live to regret it.
Its about giving OP the advice she asked for not passing judgement on what you think she should or shouldnt do.

I am a big fan of routines and I see no reason why they cannot be followed at 10 weeks (I started at 8 weeks and my sister has recently started on day 1 with her baby number 3 after mixed experiences with attachment parenting approach). However the issue with Gina Ford is that her awake times may not always work for small babies. Quite a few 10 week olds can only stay awake for 1-1.5 hours.

For a 10 week old baby, I would follow an EASY routine (wake - feed - "activity" (burping, smiling, singing, putting the baby down on a play mat) - sleep. Repeat as many times as needed between 7am and 7pm (or during a different 12 hour "daytime" period that works for you and your family).

At 10 weeks, DD "slept through" (7pm to 7am with one dream feed) every other night. At 12 weeks, she "slept through" consistently. I was pretty strict with following a routine but I constantly tweaked it here and there aiming to maximise night time sleep. In my opinion, routines do work but you may have to use trial and error to come up with a schedule that is optimal for your baby. Generic schedules in baby books can be a useful starting point as long as parents remember they will need further adjustments to suit their babies.

Gina Ford is awful and doesn’t take into account that babies aren’t robots. Let baby sleep when tired, it’ll all fall into place and you’ll be a LOT happier

Thanks for all your thoughts.

My baby was doing quite well on a routine, sounds very similar to what tootiredtospeak suggested. Much shorter awake times and much longer naps than GF suggests.

But recently she has started to need feeding more often (sometimes every 2 hours) and so I'm finding it harder to have the same pattern every day. I'm really pleased with how she's sleeping at night so don't want to change anything too much!

I find a routine helpful in planning my day, its useful to know vaguely when she'll need feeding so I don't get caught up in an inconvenient place at that time and can plan to go shopping when she's sleeping etc.

Tootiredtospeak - pleased to hear your LO is a bit grouchy at 4-7ish, mine is exactly the same so I tend to take her out in the pram or sling dr a walk at 4/5ish so I don't have to fight her to nap in her crib!

Wintertravel1980- I had read about the EASY routine and that's vaguely what I'm doing now she's become a bit more unpredictable as often feeds more frequently. I tend to feed her, then play with her until she starts yawning (can be anything from45 mins to 1.5 hrs) then I put her down for a sleep (varies from 30 minutes to 1h45) but this often means that she wakes up and isn't hungry yet so I then play with her and feed her later and then she goes straight to sleep as she's been awake before feeding. I've become a lot more relaxed with her schedule and trying to go with the flow a bit more until I can spot any pattern that suits her. I do get a bit tetchy if she sleeps for too long a block in the day or if she sleeps too much, as I worry she might then not be tired at bedtime or might wake early, but I don't know if this holds or not.

I looked at GF and EASY - EASY is a bit more relaxed - allows for a pattern rather than by the clock routine. I found following EASY loosely, but going with the flow too helped us find our own routine, which has been tweaked as needed as time goes on and DDs needs change.

I actually posted for advice when DD was a similar age saying I was doing more of an EAEASY due to her nap lengths. You will find your own pattern, but sounds like you’ve got great sleep habits etc.

I also love routine - DD is one this week and our day runs like clockwork. Pre-baby the idea of a set routine horrified me, but she naps perfectly and sleeps from 7.30-7 every night, so it’s obviously working OK!

10 weeks?! No.
Your baby wakes for a reason.
You just have to deal with it