schedule question while out on maternity leave

my LO's are about 2.5. they have a good schedule but now that I'm out on leave, i am no longer waking them up at 6am. however....when i was home on christmas vacation, the kiddies went to bed much later and while they slept later, my DH and i spend less time together and while i love my LO's, i love my alone time with him as well.

my new baby isn't due until the end of february but i was wondering if i should keep them on a schedule of sorts or let them wake as they please.
or
is it all going to to go to hell so to speak when the new baby comes, lol.

 

As a SAHM I thrive on routine & schedule. My girls usually wake up around 7am but if they're still sleeping at 7:30am I'll wake them to maintain their nap. If they sleep past 4pm for their nap, I'll wake them to maintain their bedtime. They go to bed at 7:30pm pretty much every night although they don't usually fall asleep until 8/8:30pm. They just play quietly in their room until they fall asleep. I need that break in the evening that's just me & hubby.

It was a bit tricky when Emmett arrived to maintain the schedule & some days it did go to pot. But now, at 6 weeks out, I feel it was definitely worth the effort to maintain as it seems to have helped Emmett settle into a good, fairly predictable routine too.

Things that were very helpful for me were having my husband home for the first two weeks so he took over care of the girls while I focused on Emmett & also hiring a postpartum doula who came a couple of afternoons a week for about a month. Being able to bounce ideas off of her & seek her advice on scheduling was a huge asset.

 

I'd vote for keeping them on a schedule. The one thing DH and I vowed to do when our new LO arrived was maintain the boys' schedule for everyone's sanity, and we have.
It'll only go to he** if you let it.
Just 20 minutes ago my DH commented that we seem to be two ships passing in the night these days. We both feel like we have more of a co-parenting partnership right now than a marriage... we're lucky to get 20 minutes a day to chat (since our baby's birth, I have pretty much taken complete care of him while DH looks after the older boys--he recently went back to work).
When our older boys go to bed, I try to spend QT with the baby and still get to bed early-ish so I can get up early with all 3. So, there's not much time for DH and I. I just always say that there will be soon enough. Hopefully come summer all 3 will be going down between 7-8 and DH and I will have our evenings back.

 

I'm on board with keeping a schedule.
I'm just not sure what time i should wake them/put them down, etc.

when I'm working it's wake at 6, nap at 12, bed at 730, asleep by 8.
im contemplating waking them up at 7???

thoughts?
i can't wake them at 6, lol....im still sleeping. this pregnancy is draining me.