How to Establish a Routine for a Newborn

If you've just had a baby, her schedule may feel unpredictable. She wakes up after two hours demanding to be fed, and then next time isn't till four hours later. You don't know what to expect from this new arrival, and you're not getting any sleep yourself. Establishing a routine can help get your household back on track, reduce your stress and make it possible to plan activities for the rest of the family.

Instructions

    • 1

      Observe your baby for the first few weeks and keep a log of her eating and sleeping habits. At first they may seem very sporadic, but a pattern should begin to emerge that reveals the best times for feeding her and putting her down to sleep. Even when traveling or visiting friends and relatives, it's important to keep her surroundings, her sleep and feeding times as consistent as possible.

    • 2

      Plan a schedule for the infant based on the log. If she is eating every three hours at first, set the times that she needs to be fed accordingly. Increase the hours between feedings and the amount of milk or formula as she grows older. She should also begin sleeping more as she grows and matures, so nap and bedtime schedules will also need to be revised on an ongoing basis.

    • 3

      Establish a nighttime ritual to help your infant differentiate between day and night schedules. Activities such as a warm bath, a soothing massage, soft music and dim lights before bedtime eventually become signals to her that it is time to sleep. Late-night and early-morning feedings should be done in a calm and quiet environment so she will quickly go back to sleep.

    • 4

      Allow her to fall asleep on her own. Do not wait until she falls asleep in your arms in a or baby seat before placing her in her crib. According to the authors of "The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5," "it is absolutely critical that your child goes to bed awake so she can learn to be a great self-soother."

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