Are you struggling to get your new baby into a routine? Perhaps you have already tried and nothing seems to be working? Well, you have come to the right place. So why don't you go and stick the kettle on, stay a while as I will share all my secrets with you in how we got our daughter into a routine at just six weeks old. I must say, it will be hard at first, but once you establish a routine it will be a good thing for everyone.
After what seemed like forever both my husband and I were finally holding our baby, our beautiful miracle baby. I want to say it was love at first sight, however as soon as I found out we were expecting we completely fell in love. Now, with tears streaming down our faces, we were finally a family, a family of three. Welcome to parenthood. A few days into parenthood we both began to feel overwhelmed. The emotional roller coaster that you go through in those early days are tough. Our daughter came into the world and turned our life upside down and right side up again, we didn't mind of course, but this little person depends on us. Being a first time parent can take some time to get used to, but one thing to considered in those moments of sheer exhaustion, lack of sleep and emotional roller coaster is that the baby is probably feeling the same as you. With a little time you will adjust to all the change and wouldn't want it any other way.
But I do need to be completely honest here, after all that's one of the main reasons why I decided to start a blog is to be completely honest. There are things that, I'm afraid that don't become easier and that is sleep. It's tough. It's draining. Broken sleep is awful. Some of us new parents are lucky and get a great little sleep who can sleep through straightaway, you lucky people! Whilst others get a night owl who is awake for the best part of two years and never wants to go to sleep. Now if you are one of those parents who have a little night owl, I feel for you, I really do. However, things can change. Trust me. Our little lady started to sleep through at six weeks old and it took a whole of of hard work and dedication, believe me as soon as you can get them to sleep through, establishing a routine is so easy. Being the good person I am I want to share all my secrets with you. I have written a complete guide for you to use in order to establish a routine with your little one, and one that actually works. So if you want to sleep again, then please read on...
Why should you get your baby into a routine?
Before we even get into the great ways to get your baby into a routine, there is one major thing that we need to ask ourselves. Why should you get your baby into a routine? Apart from the MOST obvious answer - to get some sleep. A shocker, I know. There are actually some many great benefits in getting your baby into a good routine as soon as you can. If you actually sit there and think about it, us parents, would really struggle without some kind of routine in our daily lives. So for instance, think about if your alarm does go off, how do you feel? If you're anything like me you will feel completely out of sync all day, mood swings are a given and you will probably feel that the day has been wasted due to that alarm. Babies are the same. They like a routine and they like to know what's coming next. As soon as you establish a routine, you will begin to understand their needs and actually give your babies a sense of security and in a way give them some comfort.
Not only with establishing a routine as soon as you can be good for you, your lifestyle and your sanity, but it will also be a great thing when it comes to leaving your precious bundle of joy with your family or friends. With a good routine your friends and friends will be able to soothe and comfort your baby and make them feel at ease in new surroundings. As the babies will understand the difference between day time and night time, they will know what to expect and hopefully, without too much excitement sleep though. Even when it comes to travelling or going on holidays you still need to try and keep to some kind of routine in place, as not all babies are as resilient as others. With my daughter she was just shy of her first birthday before we decided to go on a big family holiday, before this we had never used a cot bed or anything and in our case she didn't cope too well being away. However, we still kept to a routine and by day three she was more than happy to sleep in the cot bed and I could tell she felt more settled and slept through.
When Should You Start Introducing Your Routine?
Like with most things, time is all you need. The early days of parenthood is hard enough, doing it for the first time can be even harder as you have never done it before. You, you partner and your new baby are just getting to know one another, in some kind of way you're trying to figure out ways that work for you all. Even though trying to establish a routine as soon as possible is pretty important, I am in no way saying you need to put any kind of extra pressure on top of of everything else, no new parents needs that. If you do try and establish a routine so early, it may not work. The early days are a time to figure out what it's like to be a parent, being in complete awe of your new baby and to catch up on any broken sleep. Sleep deprivation is awful. Personally, start think about establishing a routine when your baby is between three and six weeks old.
So now that you know when you should start establishing a routine, it's now time to think about ways to try and establish that routine. It is going to be hard work, you may feel at times that it's not working bug whatever you do, don't give up, hold out because soon enough you will see the benefits. So what do you need to do?
Teaching Your Baby the Difference Between Day and Night...
As soon as your baby is welcomed into the world, your life is pretty chaotic. You have friends and family coming to meet the new addition, you have appointments to go to, all whilst trying to figure out feeding times, nappy security and sleeping. But even though this may be the chase in the first few week, around the third or fourth week you will all begin to feel a little more settled. So teaching your baby the difference between day and night is a great place to start in establishing a routine. When your baby wakes up change their clothes. keep their feeds and nappy changes lively and fun. At night time try to make all nappy changes quiet, feed with just a night light only and give no eye contact as hard as that will be. Who doesn't love to get lost into those beautiful blue eyes? A purchase that I have never regretted is getting some black out curtains, they have literally been life saving as dramatic as that sounds.
Introduce a Bedtime Routine...
A good bedtime routine is everything. It's one of the best ways to end the day in a calm manner for both you and your baby. We all know how it feels to wind down, have a hot bubble bath, a cup of tea and read a book. This is exactly what you need to do with your baby, it's also some extra bonding time with them too. You can introduce a bedtime routine around three to six weeks. This is the routine that we live by today and it's never failed us, yet. Remember the three B's!!! Bath, bottle or boon and then bed! Live by that mantra. My husband and I decided to leave it a few weeks before trying to introduce our new bedtime routine and at four weeks old it started to work a treat. And from that day we haven’t looked back, bed time is fairly smooth. When my daughter was a little older we added our own fourth B – Book.
Understanding Your Baby’s Cues...
Now this is something that comes with time, but it's still something you should try and figure out when establishing a routine.Your baby’s cues, or non-verbal language, are their way of trying to tell you what they need. It may take a few weeks to get to know your baby’s cues. But if you do sit back and watch your baby, you will be amazed at how even very young babies can give clear signals that they want to interact, tired or hungry. By responding to their baby cues will help your baby develop a sense of trust in their ability to influence his environment. Not only that, it will also help them build a secure attachment to you. At first it was so hard to understand our daughter's different cries, but it did get easier. Another thing you could try is set cues for your daily activities, so you baby will understand what to expect. So, for instance, putting a bib or muslin on will show then that it's now mealtime. As I mentioned earlier behaviours such a dimming the lighting in the room, or getting your baby in their pyjamas will let them know that it's bedtime and soon enough it will come naturally.
Growth Spurts Can Changes a Routine...
During a growth spurt your baby will put on weight, length and head circumference more quickly than usual. They may also hit a developmental milestone, or master a skill that they may been working on for a while. But in a nutshell, growth spurts are awful! Just when I thought I was actually getting somewhere with a routine, dare I say, nailing it she would have a bloody growth spurt and we would have to start again. Just before and during a growth spurt, your baby may seem sleepier than usual. Waking up less at night, having a lie-in, or taking more naps. All signs that you baby is getting ready for some growing. During a growth spurt your baby may be more restless and super clingy where they are wanting to be held all the time or cry if you put them down. So what should you be doing during a growth spurt? Basically try and respond to your baby's cue and try to give them what they need whether it's an extra feed, a longer nap or a cuddles. Be patient with them growth spurts can make babies sleepy and out-of-sorts
Don't Expect Perfection...
Whether you like it or not, your baby’s routine won't always run like clockwork. Although babies like consistency, you can expect changes from day to day and as your baby grows. But always put your baby's needs first. If your baby starts to get fussy, but isn't due for a nap or a feeding for another hour, follow their lead. Their needs have the utmost importance on any schedule or appointment you may have in place. Life will get in the way too. Holidays, siblings and plans with friends and family will all play a part in daily life with your baby. So take a breath, relax and take a minute. Each baby is different and it won't always run smoothly and there will be a few bumps along the way...but I think it makes it fun, right? Okay not so fun when you don't sleep but the extra cuddles and kisses at night will make up for it.
When establishing a routine try and have fun with it. A routine doesn't mean you have to make it all work and no play. Everything you do with your baby is a bonding experience, so also make time to sing songs, cuddle, and play. These are the little ways that have really helped us get our daughter into a routine, it was hard work, lots of late nights and we had no social life for some time. But soon enough our daughter got into a routine that fits us, her and our lifestyle.
Good advice. A routine is so important for baby's develop and for mum and dad's sanity too! #bestandworst
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Oh my days...so much so. I have seen some of my friends still struggle to get their routines mastered. It can be difficult to begin with but I found if you keep at it - the little ones soon realise. My Mimi is like clockwork now. She knows when its nap time and bedtime. I just hope the growth spurts and clock changes don't mess us around too much! :) Thank you for you comments x
DeleteI´m checking out all the sleep routine posts I can now that number two is on the way. I had a hellish time with my first who had his clocks the wrong way around and suffered from growing pains even as a small baby that kept him crying all night. I´m hoping baby number two will be easier and I know now that the routine needs to start as soon as possible rather than once they´re not sleeping well. Great post! #bestandworst
ReplyDeletewww.rockingmummysworld.wordpress.com
When baby #2 comes along you will be an expert especially if you read lots and lots on sleep routines. Even though those first few week are pretty much hell - it will all be worth it when they sleep through. I know each baby is different but you can help them in the right direction! Thank you for your comments and good luck with baby #2! :)
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ReplyDeleteFour days old...WOW...how great are your babies. I would have loved to have got them into a routine at that age. I take my hat off to you lovely. Routines are just so important for both babies and parents! Thank you for your comments and thank you for hosting!!! :) x
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