Need a routine for newborn!

wmpdd3

Hi, I have a 9 week old. First I have no routine at all, my excuse is, she had colic. This is now under control but it's still a disaster. She is now totally bottlefed. Takes about 2 oz every 3 hrs! She usually sleeps solid from 8pm to 12am but then stays away from 12am to 6am.

I have been looking for some sort of book to try, like:

The Complete Sleep Guide For Contented Babies & Toddlers by Gina Ford (Paperback - 6 Apr 2006)

or anything.

Does this book have controlled crying?

Has anyone had no routine and managed to turn it around? Anyone i talk to says their little one just drank a 8oz bottle was changed and went back to sleep. After 2 oz my little one is sick of the bottle and needs a rest, but 30 mins later she's starving.

Grawns

I wouldn't do controlled crying with a 9 week old :eek: You need to buy the gina ford book and read it and don't be listening to what other peoples kids did. They're all unique. Don't be stressing too. If you're bottle feeding get someone else to do a few feeds and give yourself a rest The feeds will settle down sooner or later.

Das Kitty

Most babies fall into their own routine around 3 months. 9 weeks is still early days, don't listen to people who tell you that you need a routine at this age.

I know you probably don't want to do controlled crying but I just want to post that even those who advocate it do not recommend it before 6 months. Babies have very little sense of object permanency prior to that, which means effectively that if they can't see you you don't exist.

If it were me I'd watch what the baby is doing and respond to it. If you want to encourage night sleeping offer more bottles during the day with a nice big one at night (possibly still waking at midnight now?)

lynski

i'd take a look at the baby whisperer if i were you, better then gina ford any day.
9 wks is not too early for a routine, i had mine on a routine from a few days old.

Das Kitty

lynski wrote: »

i'd take a look at the baby whisperer if i were you, better then gina ford any day.
9 wks is not too early for a routine, i had mine on a routine from a few days old.

It's not too early but you don't actually need to enforce one this early.

metrovelvet

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Hi, I have a 9 week old. First I have no routine at all, my excuse is, she had colic. This is now under control but it's still a disaster. She is now totally bottlefed. Takes about 2 oz every 3 hrs! She usually sleeps solid from 8pm to 12am but then stays away from 12am to 6am.

I have been looking for some sort of book to try, like:

The Complete Sleep Guide For Contented Babies & Toddlers by Gina Ford (Paperback - 6 Apr 2006)

or anything.

Does this book have controlled crying?

Has anyone had no routine and managed to turn it around? Anyone i talk to says their little one just drank a 8oz bottle was changed and went back to sleep. After 2 oz my little one is sick of the bottle and needs a rest, but 30 mins later she's starving.

Mine was like that too. At that age their stomachs are the size of walnuts so I dont know what these people you are talking to are talking about and how they got eight ounces into such a tiny stomach. And their metabolisms are very different at this age.

I think they all have their own pace when they grow out of being nocturnal. Mine just napped throughout day and night for a very long time. It was like a fourth trimester.

RIRI

I'm going to straddle the fence here OP and say that while your 9 week old doesn't need a routine the sooner you get some kind of structure in to their day the better for all of you.

I read both Gina Ford & Treacy Hogg, we found the baby whisperer (Treacy Hogg) worked really well for us. While I'm not a fan of the contented little baby book myself I do know many families who have used it & it has worked really well for them.

I will agree with others regarding the controlled crying, your baby is way too small for this in my opinion.

Would you try the baby whisperer's EASY method?
E= eat, this means both you & baby
A=activity, at this stage this will be maybe you & babs having a 'chat' or
your daughter pying on the baby gym looking at her toys
S= Sleep, nap time for babs
and the best bit
Y= you time

Then you just rinse & repeat

Good luck

R

miami2007

my baby is 9 weeks today too!

i try to do a routine but it seems to change a bit everyday....im lucky enough that she knows when its night-time now and does most of her sleeping at night. i got her into this by feeding at ten, two and six and by keeping her awake in the evening untill bathtime. she takes about 5 oz each feed, now it might take her an hour - 90 mins to get the 5 ozs in but a few weeks ago i stoped offering the milk after the 90 minutes and if she seemed hungry before the next bottle i gave her cool boiled water in a size one teet (she had to work harder to get that out). now she just takes her feeds and realises she needs to drink up!

from about 7 to 9 every night she used to scream the house down. last weekend i realised she was just hungry - i had thought it was colic. so i fed her as much as she wanted and then at 9 (religiously every night) i give her a bath to relax. she has a lavendar bath and she has a little massage with lavander baby oil when shes dry. then a nice warm bottle at ten. and she's dead to the world for a good sleep.

so while the feeding through the night differs everynight, she rarely wakes before 2 - sometimes she even gets to 4.

id highly recomend bath time. it seems to be a bit like a bedtime story, she knows its relax time and night time now. i reckon if you can start doing that and try to keep her awake in the evening, change her nappy and let her kick her legs to stay awake the rest will fall into place in no time.

wmpdd3

What is it about girls and taking an hour to drink a bottle? My sister's little fella swallowed full bottles in 20 mins!

That's great advice, sometimes she's only finished 1 bottle and she wants another 1/2 oz 20 mins later. I'll def try the water, and i'll try the bath and bed at 10pm tomorrow.

No way could I manage the controlled crying not till there at least 9 months.

seabre

Just a thought but if your baby's wakening and feeding little and often you could step up her formula to the next step. She may be hungry but unable to take large amounts, are you still on the newborn stage? I know both my 2 were stepped up around this time and started sleeping through at this stage too. My 2nd had colic too so like you I hadn't managed as good as a routine as I had for the first but both mine were hungry girls and needed stepping up before the recommended time.

If she's not taking large amounts it really won't be a concern as regards too much weight gain etc.

Hope it works out for you - but I'm sure it will you seem to know the No1 tip : Ask for advice and talk everything through no advice is as valuable as other Mum's opinions

LashingLady

What size teat are you using on the bottles? If you're still using the newborn size then she could be getting tired of sucking so hard to get the milk out. I would move up a teat size if you haven't already.

Try to keep her awake as much as possible during the day (well if she needs to nap just don't let her sleep for ages) and stimulate her as much as possible. At night when she wakes keep the lights off and don't talk to her or make eye contact, so that she starts to differentiate between night and day.

My baby is 6 weeks old and just fell into her own routine, but I don't know myself with her cos her big brother didn't go inot a proper routine until he went onto solids. But we did have a defined bedtime from about 8 weeks and although the days were always different we aimed for bedtime!

I wouldn't go to hungry baby if she's only taking small amounts to be honest, as it might fil her too much to look for another feed when she needs it.

sineadc1984

Hey

My little one was like that for weeks and spitting up bottles the whole time!!! I took her to a cranial osteopath.I was really sceptical at first all he did was hold his hands over her and it cost €45 for half an hour!! Anyway, he asked me about the birth and all that and said she had a lot of shock and that he had to clear that. Since that week she was like a different baby kept all her bottles down and was sleeping much better.I took her again last week and he asked me if she was sleeping all night i said no but she was only waking once looking for her bottle I was delighted with that even. He did his thing again and no joke since that day she has slept 7/8 hours every night apart from one!!!

I know some people think its a load of crap but it worked for us!!! He was saying 4 visits will get her right. Its all about the energy in her body he says they look at a baby as a drop of water and he tries to get rid of the blockages and get her energies flowing all in one!!!

Personally I think he's been well worth the money.

miami2007

wmpdd3 wrote: »

What is it about girls and taking an hour to drink a bottle? My sister's little fella swallowed full bottles in 20 mins!

That's great advice, sometimes she's only finished 1 bottle and she wants another 1/2 oz 20 mins later. I'll def try the water, and i'll try the bath and bed at 10pm tomorrow.

No way could I manage the controlled crying not till there at least 9 months.

no i dont really think controlled crying is a go-er - at this age i think they cry cos they need you for something, anything from hunger to comfort.
yeah the water was great, she copped on quick enough that she better get the milk in!

let us know how you get on with the bath and try and keep her awake from now till then, itl be worth it tonight!

crazy cat lady

I found that every time we got into some sort of routine, it'd change! I think we're in a routine now at 10 months but even that doesn't always go to plan and just missing one nap can throw her.

We never really tried to enforce a routine and the routine we are in now has really been dictated by our lil ladys needs.

There have been days and nights where i've wanted to either throw her out the window or throw myself out the window but you just have to remember that your baby is exactly that, a baby! They cry for a reason, they sleep when they are tired, they eat when they are hungry. They don't know any different than 'hunger, thirst, pain, cold, hot, tired' They don't know anything of day and night and that mummy and daddy need food and sleep too. Enjoy your baby while she is a baby, a routine will come eventually

I had both the baby whisperer book and the contented little baby book. Took a dislike to the contented little baby book as soon as I read that there is no harm in putting your baby into its own room from birth. Er, hello! Ever heard of SIDS?? Anyway, found the baby whisperer nice to read and reassuring, however didn't use any of the steps to try and get into a routine

wmpdd3

miami2007 wrote: »

no i dont really think controlled crying is a go-er - at this age i think they cry cos they need you for something, anything from hunger to comfort.
yeah the water was great, she copped on quick enough that she better get the milk in!

let us know how you get on with the bath and try and keep her awake from now till then, itl be worth it tonight!

Bit of a disaster, OH brought her off yesterday visiting relatives, came back at 19:00. She had her bottle and I got the bath ready.

At 20:00 she fell asleep, couldn't be woken so I cancelled the bath and put her up in her crib. She woke at 21:00, like a briar, too tired to drink a bottle. Brought her back down stairs, got her back to sleep and kept her there till 12:00. She woke just as I was bringing her back up stairs and stayed awake till 06:00.

She had 5 oz at 01:00 and 03:00 and 06:00.

She then slept from 06:00 till 08:30, had bottle, slept 09:00 - 12:00.

So tonight I'll try bath her at 09:00 and then to bed.

miami2007

its hard to keep them awake i know. changing her nappy and letting her kick sometimes does it for my little one.

dying to see how you get on, it will work out im sure!

ani_mal

I tried routine but each baby has his/hers own routine.
My baby got into good sleeping habits when he turned around 3 months old. Now he sleeps through most of the night.
he has pattern 21:00 change for sleep (pyjama) and feeding (every 3rd day bath at 20:30) then he goes to sleep and wakes up at 3-4am for feeding. then falls asleep again and wakes up between 7-8 for another top up.

during the day he is awake for 2-3 hours then sleep for 1-2 hours.. he is more or less regular himself and because I'm breastfeeding it is challenging sometimes, but he just now started to be regular on daily life on his own.

wmpdd3

OK not great,

bathed her at 21:00, brought her upstairs and gave her the bottle. She was kinda sleepy, so I put her down and she slept from 22:00 to 22:20.

Then she woke up, when I picked her up she brought up all her bottle! Change of clothes.....tried to put her back down.

23:30 I gave up and brought her back down stairs, went back up at 0:00. wide awake till 05:30.

Slept in our bed 05:30 till 07:30. Drank a bottle, awake till 10:30 so I got up!

So after 2hrs sleep, I'll try all over again tonight!

ani_mal

my son was bad sleeper too so first 3 months he was sleeping with us, he loves heat and now he doesn't mind seelping in his cot.
If your baby sleeps ok with you and you have a bit of space in bed, try it, maybe she needs to feel you close to feel safe.

implausible

wmpdd3 wrote: »

bathed her at 21:00, brought her upstairs and gave her the bottle. She was kinda sleepy, so I put her down and she slept from 22:00 to 22:20.

Then she woke up, when I picked her up she brought up all her bottle! Change of clothes.....tried to put her back down.

My wee man often conked out during a feed, but I eventually realised that my mother was right - it was wind that was putting him to sleep - he'd wake again about twenty minutes later screaming and/or throwing up the entire feed (and I'm breastfeeding:eek:). The only way to make sure he fed, fell asleep and stayed asleep was burping him regularly. For particularly bad 'bubbles' I would put him down on his belly so the wind would work its way out one way or the other. I'd flip him over again later.