Routine?

For the last 12 wks I've been doing what ever, when ever. Now I'm thinking as DS is getting toward 3mths a "routine" might be a good way to get a bit of a life back. Currently the only thing that happens at a remotely consistent time is his bath/bed time at night. (bath 6.30, bed 7 give or take 1/2 hour).

At the moment we both get up when he wakes which can be anywhere from 6 to 9am, then the day just goes though a random cycles of eat,sleep, play depending on how his temperament is going.
I tried the plunket recommended eat-play-sleep (repeat) but that didn't seem to work when he naps for only 45min the feed times ended up too close.


I just have no idea where to start. Any suggestions / timetables that have worked for others?

If he doesn't wake/sleep to my schedule do I just select a wake up time and either leave him in bed till then, or wake him if he's still sleeping? That sounds a bit mean, and I doubt he'll understand the difference between a planned short and long nap.

I can't remember the exact timing of day feeds/sleeps from DS, but we started bookending the day first, so awake at 7 regardless of the night, down at 7, and dreamfeed at 10.30.

I'm pretty sure DS was routinely fed 3-hourly, then 4-hourly so I just worked around that. I won't feed a baby unless they need it, them waking is not a sign they are hungy, just that they haven't sleep through the change of sleep cycles.

We've been in a routine since DS was 3do (other than nights), and same with Ava. It's necessary for us, as I used to work nights and now work 2 days, so the carers and DH need to know what's going on.

I have never had a set routine for DS, I used to just go with how he was at the time, if he was hungry Id feed him, if he seemed tired, then down to bed it was.
In saying that though, he did seem to have his own pattern, like, he usually would always go down for a sleep at 10ish cos he got tired at that time everyday, but if the enxt day he wasnt tired until11 then thats when he would go to bed.

I dont really believe is strict routines, cos I dont like to put my kids to bed when they are not tired etc

These days Caden has a sleep at 11 or 12 and sleeps until round 2-2.30 sometimes later, and he is in bed by 7-8 at night.
Isabella, I just go with how she is, just like I did with Caden.

Edited by Sheza

And to answer your other question - the only nap I ever woke Jake from was the last one - he needed to be up by 5pm to be in bed by 7pm. He was more likely to wake earlier than feed time - in which case I held him out as long as poss, then fed him when he was getting really hungry. There was the odd arvo when he needed an extra feed though, cos all feeds as been a little early. I'd wake Morgan if she slept after 5.30pm I think - cos she goes to bed a little later and can be up longer. also she can go 5 hours between feeds if she has a huge nap, so I'd wake her at that point, cos it means another night feed usually!! (but these days she does more short naps anyway).

I personally think its too hard to have a very strict routine with young bubs - I just like to have times to aim for, but if it doesn't happen I go with the flow and try to keep the end of the day always the same. But if you do want to encourage a longer nap at a certain time, you can try resettling (rocking, shushing, dummy, feeding) for a few days to see if it becomes habit.

Yeah Caden always has a set bedtime at night, I think it was 7.30ish, even if he didnt look tired, he still went to bed at that time, even now, bedtime is anywhere from 6.30-7.30, and he often chats to himself and plays in his cot for an hour or more until he fall's asleep, but at least he is in bed lol

I agree with babe -- I based our routine very loosely on Gina Fords routines, but they didn't really work for Jake, so we sortof adjusted it to what he was doing. He also has always been a great sleeper and still has a very good nap at about the same time (up to 3 or 4 hours!). I think he settled so well when he was younger cos of the routine.

With Morgan I'm just basing it on what she is doing, and trying to keep it consistent. She is settling without any noise now on day 3!!!!!