But, of course, show yourself grace, as you’re figuring it out and working through hiccups and disruptions.Īccept change: Just when you feel you and baby have finally gotten the schedule down, they may get sick or go through growth spurts and change the whole thing. Being flexible will help you build a schedule that’s actually helpful rather than a hindrance. “The best thing a parent can do is to learn to read their infant’s cues regarding hunger and sleepiness,” Scott reiterates. It’s important to understand that all baby schedules look different from family to family-and even from day to day. Each baby is different and each baby schedule will be different depending on their age, sleeping and feeding needs, personality and your individual family structure. “If you’re at your wit’s end, bring the information to a person who’s not as affected by how your child is sleeping as you are.” Together, you and the doctor can come up with a plan to create a schedule that’ll work for both you and baby.īe flexible: This is perhaps the most important thing you can do when building baby’s daily schedule. Ultimately, the best way to create a baby schedule is to figure out what works best based on baby’s natural cues and your existing family routine.Ĭonsult your pediatrician: If you’re totally stumped about what baby’s schedule should be, or how to get them there, you can bring your notes to baby’s pediatrician for some help. For example, some families may choose to do bath time before bedtime to help calm baby down, while others may choose to do it in the morning as a way to start the day. “Parent-led schedules require ‘training’ baby to feed at certain times, sleep at certain times and play in between as desired.” Baby-led routines tend to be easier on baby and easier to make happen-you’ll just have to make room for more flexibility from day to day.Ĭonsider your family: Much like each baby is different, every family has a different daily routine they follow. “Baby-led schedules mean that parents follow baby’s cues for feeding, sleeping and play,” Raoji says. “After the first couple weeks, I’d recommend logging feed and sleep times every month or two for a few days just to see if baby’s schedule is still the same or changing.”Ĭonsider baby’s personality and cues: Baby’s personality will also clue you in on whether to implement a baby-led routine or a parent-led one. “You also want to make sure baby’s feeding, peeing and pooping enough,” Raoji adds. That way you can pinpoint patterns in their day, and plan their schedule around those. Follow baby’s feeding and sleeping cues, Scott says. But in the beginning, when you’re developing your baby schedule, it’s helpful to write down when your child eats, plays and sleeps. Keep a daily log: Wondering how to figure out what baby’s natural routine looks like? Keeping a log of baby’s day-to-day every day for months is simply not realistic (and will make you completely insane!). So when’s the right time to establish those baby schedules? And how should you go about it? Read on for all the answers. “Once baby adapts to the set schedule, you can make plans accordingly knowing that during certain times baby will be sleeping or will need to eat,” Raoji says. Plus, getting into a daily routine can help you stay sane. “When the same thing is done at approximately the same time interval, baby quickly learns the sequence and will anticipate the next step.” The sense of familiarity that results from a baby schedule can be a big comfort. “Babies come into the world as a blank slate, and they depend on you to teach them routine,” says Nina Vaid Raoji, RN, MSN, APN, author of Raising Baby: A Pocket Guide to Baby’s First Year. But as your little one gets a bit older, you’ll settle into some semblance of rhythm-and it’ll help you both feel more settled. There’s no rhyme or reason to anything, and you’re following the orders of a fussy, tired, hungry newborn. The early days of parenthood are chaotic.
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