When to start a schedule...

Hi,

I've had people here helping/visiting for the past 3 weeks so I haven't had any way to get the babies or myself on a schedule. Monday will be my first day alone. I'm sort of looking forward to doing it on my own for a while - just to see how things shake out. I was planning on starting some form of a scheduled routine (taken from Baby Whisperer) at around 4-6 weeks. I will not let them CIO that young and I will feed on demand in case of growth spurts etc. for a while. So, with that, when do I start a schedule? When did you? Any helpful tips on getting started?

Thanks!

 

I started a strict feeding schedule from the beginning. I tried to feed on demand, but then one would eat and the other wouldn't, so I was feeding allll day long.

A bedtime schedule fell into place around 4.5 months and a good nap schedule started sometime between 6 and 7 months.

 

In the beginning, I always fed them at the same time, or one right after the other - that's your best shot at having them sleep at the same time.

I dislike "by the clock" schedules. Nobody I know gets hungry or tired by the clock - why should my babies? I feed them on demand. But as they get older, their demands get more and more predictable. Even early on, I always had a rough sense of when they'd want to eat next. (Though of course they'd sometimes throw a curve or two just to keep me on my toes! )

There's a lot I dislike about the Baby Whisperer too, but one of the basic ideas - eat, play, sleep - works well for us. See how it goes with your babies - they may prefer play/eat/sleep instead.

Anyway, as you get to know your wonderful babies and their needs, a routine will emerge without you doing anything. So I say don't sweat it! B) Just feed them when they're hungry, and let them sleep when they're tired. (That young, they'll probably be ready to crash after 1-2 hrs awake max.) And whatever you do, don't worry about "spoiling" them or creating bad habits - just soothe them and love on them all you want.

Good luck going solo on Monday! Hope it goes well for you.

 

I am pretty much going by her cues. I feed on demand, which is every 2-3 hours. So far she eats, gets changed, and goes to sleep. She does stay awake every once in a while for about an hour or so... but quickly gets tired easily. As far as a 'schedule' that is pretty much it.

 

I noticed the start of a routine around 3.5(DS)-4(DD) months. I too read The Baby Whisperer and took a bit from that, but as they grew their needs changed, so I couldn't be rigid about the 'EASY' thing... Mine liked to play before and after feeds so I went with the flow. I have always had them on the same feeding schedule and still do. I carry out the same day to day routine as much as I can when I am home and so does my DH when I go to work 3 days a week (we have alternating schedules). I felt like it took forever for them to get on the routine thing but now they seem to thrive for it... I used to write EVERYTHING down mostly b/c I couldn't remember who ate when or who pooped/peed, etc and I stopped around 4 months which saved me so much time just doing our day to day thing. When they started sleeping through the night it got so much easier! Enjoy them while they are small, it flies by so fast!

 

I don't think you need to worry about schedules for quite awhile! From my experience, it would be useless to try at that age. I fed (breastfed) on demand until they were over 6 months, but especially at 3 weeks old I think that is the best thing to do. I definitely wouldn't go by any clock, they are too young.

If it helps, you could at least try to do the same things, in the same order, each day. But I'm pretty sure mine were mostly just sleeping at that age...

I hope you enjoy your first day alone! That brings back memories....very sleep-deprived, blurred, memories

Jennifer

 

We started our boys on a schedule as soon as we got home from the hospital. We followed a modified Baby Wise thing. I found it to be easier to feed them every three hours at the same time or one right after the other. Once we started an earlier bedtime and bedtime routine at about 4 or 5 weeks, things got a little easier so I was a beliver in schedules after that!
Good luck on Monday...you have a great outlook and you'll be awesome!

 

I always did a strict schedule from day one - in fact two of mine came home from the NICU on a 3-hour feeding schedule which made it much easier. I'm a schedule nazi - i say schedule schedule schedule from day one. worked out great for us - so far so good. My children were also sleeping through the night at 7 (singleton) and 10-11 weeks (twins) and have never looked back.