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Whats your routine for a 6 week old?

4 replies

Newbeginning1 · 07/02/2010 00:37

I'm just wondering what patterns everyone elses 6 week old DC's are in as i'm wanting to try and put some structure into our day but need some guidance.

DS is bf but will EBM as required but has got into the habit of falling asleep feeding but in the last few days when doing this he's only been sleeping for about 45 mins at a time and really fights sleep. The only other way to get him to sleep is by taking him out in the pushchair. We also co-sleep as it's the only way i get any sleep but would love to get him in his moses basket or cot.

What time does everyone elses day start and what time do you start your night time routine and what does it entail? How many naps does DC have and roughly how long for? Also, whats worked for everyone else around putting a 6 week old in a cot? I dont want him to feel lost in there.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
teaandcakeplease · 07/02/2010 20:26

I think I've suggested stuff to you before. Your name seems familiar, I suspect I've suggested things to you before. You can take or leave my advice, but I personally think it's a bit early for a routine still. Keep them awake for no more than 2 hours at this stage and watch for sleep signs i.e. decreased activity, slower motions, less vocal, quieter, calmer, eye lids drooping, yawning, eyes less focused, appears disinetrested in surroundings etc. AND then start the soothing to sleep.

They do often only sleep for 45 mins at a time by this point at each nap time. However when they get bigger and move onto 2 naps a day, they will be longer naps. So try not to worry about them only being 45 mins right now.

Two hours of wakefulness is about the maximum a baby can endure without becoming overtired. Sometimes babies may need to go to sleep after only being awake for an hour, this usually occurs first thing in the morning. Try to soothe them to sleep before they become overtired. It's OK to soothe to sleep at this age, they're so little, you won't teach them bad habits, BF to sleep in a darkened room in the quiet, rocking, swaddling etc. And then gently laying down in the cot should be fine. Putting an item in the cot that smells of you can help too.

I'd leave them in the Moses basket personally until they start to get too big. Then put the Moses basket in the cot and once they get used to the view over several days then move into the cot alone. Hope that makes sense?

You could place a cot with the side down beside your bed and then overtime move them into that and then each night move them further and further away from your bed in the cot and eventually into their own room if you no longer wish to co sleep at night.

All these ideas come from a book I use and trust, this one which I suspect I've recommended before, but I do find his advice spot on.

Your baby is more likely to protest sleep if overtired, they can fight sleep for the pleasure of your Company as well, keep a log or diary and you may see a trend or if an improvement occurs. This can help in the sleep deprived fog of a new baby.

You cannot spoil a baby at this stage, I think personally I'd still co-sleep at night until a little bigger, they will latch on and off most of the night as they will smell your milk. As long as you don't mind, carry on. I never really co-slept but used a Moses basket in the early days and then a cot. As long as I soothed to sleep in the early days and then lay them down it was all ok. Once they started to wake up at about 4 months I then had to use the Baby Whisperer pick up put down method from her book to sleep train them once they started to resist naps. This is a gentler form of sleep training. Which worked for both my LOs.

Sometimes if they have wind it can cause problems with settling to sleep. So try to use infacol or gripe water and wind them well at every feed as well.

I've been writing this message for half an hour as my mum called so hopefully by now you've had a few more tips.

Sending you a virtual cup of tea and a hug x

Things will get easier x

Rachiesparrow · 08/02/2010 15:33

Hi there,

My DD is just six weeks old, and I'm just starting to get used to her patterns (or lack thereof). Since we put her in the nursery about 2 weeks ago, the routine has been like so:

Usually I give her a bath around 6/7, then a feed, then put her to bed. She takes a little while to go down, but usually then sleeps until 11/12. My OH does the feed with expressed milk/formula at that time, then she's usually awake again at 2ish, then 4ish, then 6ish.

She seems to sleep better, and frankly so do we, since we put her in her own room. I put radio4 on in the nursery so I can listen to it when I get up for the feeds, and we have a night light that throws shapes onto the ceiling.

I get her up at 8 or 9am, depending on my mood, then she either stays awake ALL DAY, or takes regular 30-45 minute naps. I've learned to just take it as it comes, and to try not to second guess her. If she seems tired, I bounce her to sleep, if not, I play with her, or put her in her swing or play gym until she gets fed up and/or wants feeding.

days are much more enjoyable now that I try not to get het up about a routine.

Of course, sometimes this doesn't work at all, and she's awake all night, or every hour, or has a growth spurt and feeds all the bloody time, but I know that things will settle back down again, so can get through it much more easily now (although still have tears and days when I want to just give it all up).

Good luck - I've no advice, but you asked about the routine and that's ours!

x

Newbeginning1 · 09/02/2010 15:59

teaandcakeplease - i'll have a look at that book, any help is good right now!! About the 2 hours of wakefulness, DS takes about 2 hours to breast feed and falls asleep on me so that fits in with the times youve said.

I'm glad that the fact he only sleeps for about 45 mins is ok as i was just concerned that he'd gone from having a 2 hour nap to a short one but im sure if he needed more he would have it.

OP posts:
teaandcakeplease · 09/02/2010 17:48

2 hours to breast feed? Hmmmm maybe you should go to a BF clinic for a chat as that basically means you spend your whole day with them on your boob. Which is nice for bonding but I suspect there are ways for you to cut the feed down. And give your boobs a break between feeds! The kellymom website is good as well for advice on breastfeeding: www.kellymom.com

Or maybe I'm misunderstanding you here...

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