Follow "wake windows" to avoid an over or under-tired baby: (Why avoid a feeding-to-sleep association? Findings from the 2004 National Sleep Foundation “Sleep in America Poll” found that babies who fall asleep independently for naps and bedtime experience better sleep quality and longer sleep duration.) 3. An activity for a newborn can be as simple as a diaper change or a brief walk around the neighborhood. Establish a feed-activity-sleep schedule:Ī feed-activity-sleep routine is a great way to help your baby get energy out before their next nap while also avoiding a feeding-to-sleep association from developing. If you are breastfeeding or your baby is not yet back to birth weight, a 2-3 hour feeding schedule combined with feeding on demand may be best. By feeding consistently throughout the day, your baby will quickly adapt and be hungry enough to eat a full “meal” rather than “snacking.” I typically recommend feeding newborns every 2.5-3 hours during the day. Feed at approximately the same time each day. Knowing how to establish a routine can be daunting, so I broke down my process into seven easy-to-follow steps: 1. (And for those of you with older babies struggling to keep a routine, this advice also applies to you!) My 7 Steps to Establish a Daily Routine I recommend starting a routine around 2-4 weeks after birth, once your baby has surpassed their birth weight and is steadily gaining weight. Ultimately, babies are creatures of habit and very quickly find comfort in a daily routine. The good news is that by establishing a daily routine in the first few months, you can help your baby work towards a more predictable day-to-day, eventually making a clock-based schedule very doable. The “bad” news is that a clock-based schedule is typically unrealistic until your baby is about 5 or 6 months of age. Well, I have both good news and bad news for you. What You Can Expect from a NewbornĬhances are, if you’re reading this article, you are also a parent of a newborn and desperate for more structure in your day. Many parents feel like they are simply surviving and begin to crave more predictability. During the newborn phase, every day can seem like a blur of feeding, pooping, and crying (for everyone involved!). It is no surprise that this is a common concern among parents. As a former night nanny, I can’t begin to count the number of times a new parent has desperately asked me, “How soon can I get my baby on a schedule?!”
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