Routines & Sleep Secrets
Routine is a funny word. For some people, it has connotations with strict timetables and on-the-minute activities. But that’s not how MummyandTummy routines are.
Think of your routine. Even as a new stressed out mum, you get up in the morning, you have breakfast, you deal with baby, you throw a load of washing on, you have lunch, you deal with baby, you sleep, you cook dinner, you deal with baby, you realize you forgot to hang out the washing, you go to bed, you get woken, you deal with baby….. and around it goes (and don’t worry, it gets better!). The dad will get up, have breakfast, go to work, have lunch, work, come home, have dinner, watch the news and go to bed. These are examples of routine. Whether you have lunch at 12 or two is irrelevant.
Your baby’s routine is the same. She likes to know what is coming next, and to feel safe and secure. A routine will help prevent her from being unsettled and overtired. But it doesn’t matter whether she goes to bed at 12 or ten past 12, does it? Going to bed when she displays her tired signs is more important.
A flexible routine that is adapted to meet the needs of the family should work well. This section should help you find and establish one for your baby.
THE SECRETS
Shhhhhhh! I have a couple of secrets to part with you!!!!
The first one is EPR – that’s right, just three little letters that may change your life!
The second one is called the Golden Hour. It was my sanity saver and it may be yours too!!
Why are these secrets? I have no idea. Perhaps, quite simply, because noone seems to know about them, even though they are priceless little tools for helping when a little newborn arrives in the house!!
EPR. Three little letters. Little glittery shapes of E P and R’s should be birthed with your baby to remind you!!!
EPR stands for Eat Play Rest (damn, and you thought it was something astounding!). EPR is astounding. It is a simple routine that can keep babies content and mothers sanity intact.
Babies thrive on routine. When they know what is coming next, it helps them feel secure. The thing is that it can take a few weeks to get into a routine. But following the EPR is a great way to start introducing a routine that will suit you both.
When your baby wakes, feed him. Then change him (bath him?) and let him play. Then put him back to bed. That is EPR – eat, play, rest.
The Golden Hour works with EPR.
From the time your newborn wakes to the time your newborn is ready to go back to bed, should be roughly an hour. The Golden Hour.
So many new mums don’t know this but it could save their sanity!!
(The Golden Hour begins to extend some time around 3 months, so that around the time he is 6 months old, it becomes the Golden HOUR & HALF! By 9 months old, your baby may be up for TWO HOURS!! And so on. The Golden Hour is a flexible guide and should be used in conjunction with reading tired signs).
And what about the dreamfeed?
The dreamfeed is giving your baby a feed before you go to bed, at around 10pm, which will help them sleep through the night. Some people absolutely SWEAR by it!!! Some dont! As always, what works for one doesnt work for another – but maybe you could give it a try!
For more information on this, see www.thesleepstore.co.nz
THE FIRST SIX WEEKS
Now that you know our two secrets, you can begin to watch your baby and pick up on her cues. The first week is getting to know your baby, building up your milk supply (dealing with that milk supply) and coping with lack of sleep. The second week may not be much better.
So for the first few weeks, just follow those secret tools. When your baby wakes, feed her. This may take over 40 minutes. By the time you have changed her, it will be time to go back to bed. You can rock her to sleep, use a bouncer or hammock, gently push a buggy if it has a bassinet in it, use a sling (I strongly recommend a sling). And then you go to bed yourself.
By the time your baby is approaching six weeks, your head will be feeling clearer. Feeding may take only 30minutes, leaving you with a few minutes to enjoy that first smile. And then its back into bed! (newborns sleep lots!! And so should you. You should spend the better part of the first 6 weeks with your feet up).
At the 6 to 8 week mark, try keeping a diary for a couple of days. This will let you see how often your baby is feeding, and approximately when her nap/wake times are. You can use this to start planning for your life to come back. Knowing when she is awake and asleep will let you plan for trips out, visitors to come, washing to be done, and your own sleep times. And you may feel ready to get your baby to learn to self-settle. But don’t worry if you don’t. Some people don’t try this till their baby is three months or older.
These are routines thta have worked for real mums! Feel free to email us yours!!
4 Month Breastfed Baby Routine
8.30am Wake and Feed
10am Bed
11.30am Wake and Feed
1pm Bed
3pm Wake and Feed
4.30pm Bed
5.30pm Wake and Feed
7pm Feed and Bed
10pm Feed
BottleFed Six Months
7am milk
8am breakfast
9am sleep
11am milk
12pm l unch
1.00pm sleep
3pm wake
4pm dinner
4.30pm poss. sleep
5.30pm wake
6pm bath
6.30pm milk
7pm bed
Short Daily Routine (for 12 Months)
7am Wake
8am Breakfast
10.30am Morning Tea and bottle
12pm Lunch
1pm Sleep
3pm Wake and Afternoon Tea
5pm Dinner
5.30pm Bath
5.45pm Bottle
6pm Bed for night
16months
7am wake and milk
8am breakfast
9.30am morning tea
11.30am lunch
12.30pm milk and bed
3pm wake and afternoon tea
5pm dinner
5.45pm dessert
7pm bed
17 Months
7am Wake and Milk
8am Breakfast
12pm Lunch
1pm Sleep
3pm Wake
5.30pm Dinner
6pm Bath and Milk
7pm Bed
17 Months While Sick
7am Wake and Milk
8am Breakfast
10.30am Sleep/Rest
12.30pm Lunch
1pm Bed and Milk
3.30pm Wake
5.30pm Dinner
6pm Bath and Milk
7pm Bed
Baby Routines 18 Months +
