DS is 4 weeks old, should I be aiming for a bedtime routine yet?

[onehitwonder]

For the last 4 weeks, DS has slept during the day time and evenings downstairs either in his moses basket on one of us or in a bouncy chair. We haven't really tried to settle him on his own upstairs in the evenings, we have kept him downstairs with us, and after his 10pm feed I have gone to bed and DH has stayed downstairs (with lights down very low although telly is on ) with DS until he wakes for his next feed, then he brings him up to me in bed and I settle him in his moses basket next to me after that feed (normally about 12 or 1am).

Should I be trying to get him to sleep upstairs in his moses basket from early evening? I haven't so far as he seems to cluster feed from 6pm to about 9pm (every hour or so) and I don't want to be up and down constantly or stuck in the bedroom all evening.

What age did you introduce a 'bedtime' and how did this work out for you?

You can always aim
seriously, with DD1 she was older (about 3-4 months) until I started putting her down about 7

With DD2 she was about 3-4 weeks and I fitted it in around DD1's bedtime routine so they were both asleep by 7. (she would still wake up in the evenings but once she was in our room, I went to her and fed her rather than bringing her downstairs. IYSWIM

I needed it with DD2. To have some time to myslef in the evenings.

You'll probably find that as DS gets older he may become more disturbed by things around the moses basket (although if you're lucky he may not) and at that point I'd be trying to start settling him upstairs.

Enjoy him and don't worry - these things evolve

As soon as dd came back from hospital when she was born we had a routine in place! In her cot, in her own room , bathed and fed by 6.30pm! She never slept in our room and has never wanted to. I look back and think it seemed harsh but she was happy and has always been pretty good a settling. She's 9 now and still likes to go to bed early.
Do whatever suits you. We wanted the evenings to ourselves and she was ready for sleep anyway.

if what you have currently is working, leave it.

There is plenty of time to get into a routine.

Enjoy your baby while he is so tiny.

We started putting DS to bed when he was about 8 weeks old. I seem to remember spending quite a bit of time up and down the stairs in the first few weeks but it worked for us as we got to relax and have a meal together.

I remember sitting for a few hours as DD fed from 7 til 9/10 ish. Then I'd put her up to bed and have an hour on my own before going to bed myself. She'd then sleep through til about 2 or 3. That was my routine and suited us. Her bedtime was dictated by her and after a few months became about 7pm. No point in trying to force a routine on him that won't necessarily suit him or you.
Do what suits you, that is your routine!

No

Thanks for all the replies. Mostly it is working ok, and i am getting about 6 hours sleep a night allbeit in 2 - 3 hour stretches.

I do want to enjoy him whilst he is so tiny, as he will be my last (I am 42 ). He just seems too tiny at the moment to be left on his own.