Hi I was just wondering if anyone had set routines for their babies??? I only ask as i bought a book the other day which outlines a 7am - 7pm routine for babies which for an 9 week old (which is what my little boy is) goes like this:

7am wake and feed
make sure baby stays awake till 9am
9am sleep
10.00a, wake and feed
awake till 12 noon
sleep 12-2
feed at 2.30
awake till 4.15
sleep till 5
small feed at 5
bath at 6
feed and bed at 7pm
feed at 10.30

the aim is to get baby sleeping from 10.30pm to 7am. I am trying this but find it hard to stick to the routine as i follow a-idens ques instead letting him sleep when tired and eat when hungry. He does go to sleep at 7pm and i give him another feed at 9.30/10 but i am worried that as i am not propoerly sticking to a set routine each day he will end up being really unsetttled. At the moment he will go a night of sleep for up to 8 hours then the next he may only do 3 or 4 hours.

Anyway the point of my babble is that i was curious if anyone had routines and if so what they were.

Thanks :)

laura

my dd is 4.5 months old and she is pretty much on a schedule of having her last bottle at 7pm and in bed around 8pm and first bottle around 7am....

the schedule does get thrown off a bit because she eats every 3 hours but sometimes she sleeps (takes longer naps) but I let her - because she must need it. I have never woke her up to feed her... but at night if you want to wake her on the last feed at that age 9 weeks - go for it.

I think that it's important to create a routine, but not a schedule Does that make any sense? When ds was that age, he was just starting to take a morning nap at around the same time, give or take an hour. He ate ( nursing ) on demand, but it was a pretty regular 3 hours. I never kept him up for the sake of a schedule. If he was sleepy, he slept, hungry, he ate. I don't really see how someone can write a book on what to do with your baby all day, when they don't know you! It took me a while to get a sense of what he wanted. Sometimes I still don't know, and he's 13 months! Just remember, every time you think you've gotten into a routine, they change! So go with the flow, you'll know how to plan your day.

I highly recommend a schedule, but remember each baby is different. I've gone with a loose schedule in the first few weeks, until they show you their preferences (and the definitely do). I also see how they fit with the rest of the family's schedule as well, and adapt theirs to fit that. It's easier to adapt the baby than it is everyone else. Example - if you have older kids, work, whatever and a lot that goes on in the mornings then getting the baby on a later morning nap would probably work out better. Or, say you have activities in the late afternoon, it would probably work out better to have an early afternoon nap, later lunch/snack before those activities started.

Once I seem to have a schedule that makes everyone happy, I STICK to it, this is the most important part. I gradually change as they get older and their needs change. I find babies are very content when they have a normal, consistent routine they like.

I am absolutely fanatical about bed time and the routine. I do the same thing from day one as much as possible and always put to bed at the same time, in the same way, in their own room. I can honestly say, I've had very few bed time issues with any of my kids because of not bending on the night time rules.

ha ha you brought the same book as me. i do look at mine from time to time but don't stress by thinking your baby should follow this routine or it is easy to do. for a start my ds does not wake a t 7am wishful thinking and he is 14 weeks, so how could i follow this routine i have just got to the point were ds is in bed for 8pm and up at 5 i feed him put him down to sleep again he is then up between 6 and half past. he naps when he needs to and feeds every 4 hours in the day. also i give ds baby rice now this is not in the routine, besides which having a life is not considered important by this particular book. my advice use it as a reference but not a bible. i bet you will find like my ds they do put them selves in to a litltle routine you just have to give them a little nudge in the right direction :)

Who is writing these books? I have never heard of such a strict regimen for a baby. Like other people have said-all babies are different. Don't stress yourself out by reading what other people think your baby should do. I have always followed my babies ques. I don't know about you but sometimes I am hungry at different times of the day and sleepy at different times of the day and I'm an adult. I think you are doing the right thing by listening to your baby-there is nothing wrong with a schedule, but all schedules are flexible. :)

plus who would wake a sleeping baby and risk having a cranky crying baby all after noon same goes how do you make a baby who is wide away sleep? when i first read this book i thought omg mt baby is not normal lol see how these damn books feast on our wories as mommies really these books should go in the bin. i know routines can be good but life is not all one big routine things change all the time, plus i bet you don't want to stat in the house forever except for the 2 hours of the afternoon nap when don't forget you must ensure baby sleeps the full 2 hours in his pram/car seat lol. to think how much money us mommies have given this woman who writes this crap.

I totally agree with the comment about the difference between a schedule and a routine.

I think the hardest thing for me in the beginning was understanding what it means to take your cues from the baby and just "going with it". I could not not comprehend that well.

I started with a detailed schedule...and that was the best thing I ever did because it taught me how to understand DD's cries, needs, and wants easier. When I stuck to my schedule, I could see what DD had a tendency to do and want differently than I established...and I was able to deviate and alter the schedule, observe DD easier, and develop a daily rountine after some time. After the routine was developed, I was able to be more flexible and relax.

That's how I did it.

Our daughter is 2 1/2 months and she has always slept at night since she was born. I don't have too much of schedule for her during the day. She eats and falls asleep between 10:30 and 11:30PM and wakes usually 6 hours later for feeding and sleeps a couple more hours. When she is up at 8AM then she eats, plays and falls asleep when she is tired throughout the day. I am a stay at home mom and I usually leave the house at noon to do something whether it is going to the bookstore, for a walk, shopping or driving around she goes with. Basically everyday for her is different but we have no problems and other than the time she sleeps at night, we have no schedule, or at least a strict one. As she grows and will need one, one will be there but she is an awesome baby on her own.

Thanks for all of your opinions and advice. Weepy - thats hilarious we have the same book and yes i agree i cant belive how many of us are paying this woman for her 'routine'!!!

I will follow a-idens ques instead as i noticed since i tried this 'routine' he has been really cranky, unsettled and not slept well at night at all so bugger it i am going back to how i started and just keeping his bath and bedtime the same. But he does seem to sleep from 7pm - 10 then sleep again after a feed till 4 or 5 then sleep till 6.30/7. So that suits me fine and keeps him happy and you are all right how can you make an awake baby sleep or a sleepy baby stay awake!!! It doesnt make sense!! And considering i ate like a pig tonight on cheesecake and chocolate as a i felt like a snack why shouldnt my little man feel like a snack between feeds too!!!

No more book reading for me - its doing my head in!!!! TOO much info i think!!!!

Anyway ..........................I must go as my little man is awake (how rude as this isnt his 'scheduled' time to wake up!! lol)

Cheers again

laura