Forum home Babies Baby

Routine advice please!

Hi girlies
Well Lily Fay is 10 weeks old now and has no routine apart from feeding 4 hourly. I' not bothered about getting her into a day time routine, I'm really not a routine person, but should I be putting her in a bed time routine now?
At the moment she is downstairs with me and Rob and generally awake and happy or feeding (she cluster feeds alot in the evening) or dozing and we put her down in her moses basket about 10 and she goes straight off to sleep with her dummy then we take her up when we go to bed and the last couple of nights she's slept through till 6am!
Do I really need to do a routine now?? Thing is Rob and I really enjoy the quality time with her in the evenings because our time is taken up with Abby and Theo in the day.
xxx

Replies

  • I second the 'Balls to routine!' statement! My son was always with us til 10pm ish when we went to bed then he went down too, and we made the most of him being so flexible.

    Several months later he was the one who insisted on a bedtime routine, wanting to go to be around 7.30pm all of a sudden! and nowt wrong with him!
  • I agree, if you're happy with the way things are there's no realreason to change it. We let our LO find his own way to an extent, and a routien emerged in time. We kept him downstairs with us until we went to bed until he was about 4 months - this is what the HV actually advised us to do, same theory as keeping them in with you until 6 months, they can hear your breathing etc. If he was tired we did encourage him to sleep in his moses basket downstairs, which he did just fine until we went up. When we started putting him to bed at about 4 months it was fine - if it's working for you, stick with it!
  • Nope, if you're happy then why change it? Barney had a routine from tiny, because it suited him, and us, but it sounds like you are fine just as you are. If it ain't broke, no need to fix it image
    xx
  • Thanks girls.
    It was my HV at clinic yesterday, she said I was making a rod for my own back and spoiling Lily Fay with attention. Se advised me to start following the gina ford routine because she said she found it worked best for most babies and mums but I've never had a day time routine for any of my children..the idea of not going out because its nap time seems absurd to me! Not knocking any of you who do use a day time routine, but it just wouldnt work for us because of the school run etc.
    xxx
  • I agree SB - not to criticeise anyone who does follow Gina Ford, but different things suit different babies and different families - if waht you are doing works for you and yours then I donl;t see any reason to change it. I was also reluctant to teach my baby to only sleep in his cot - he does if we're in but will also sleep in car saet or buggy for a while and always has.

    I'm also a big believer in making the most of cuddle-time while they're tiny and will let you! There's plenty of time for routine when she's older, she'll get herself into her own routine in time - I have to say I only beleive in routine while they;re tiny so baby feels secure and knows rouhgly what to expect, and Lily Fay sounds perfectly secure.

    And as for HVs, mine told me not to start putting him to bed upatsirs on his own in the evening til 4 months, to reduce risk of cot death - so you could always follow her advice!
  • i think do what works, simple as that, carson is 7 months and didnt respond well to lack of routine, he has set bedtime and naps when i think he is tired usually every 2 hrs.
  • Thanks ladies. We've decided to ignore the HV and let Lily Fay develop her own routine in time.
    xxx
  • I hope you don't mind me crashing I like reading threads on baby, I feel more prepared that way lol!

    It sounds like you are doing pretty well as you are, especially if she is starting to sleep through. In my completely uninformed opinion why disrupt that trying to force her into a routine when she is clearly happy creating her own? As long as you are happy and she is happy then I say carry on as you are.

    Not to criticise the Gina Ford routine but I know someone following that routine religiously and at 12 weeks she is still trying to get it to work and won't accept that it just doesn't suit them, both of them are miserable and struggling. If you are happy then go with the flow and enjoy this time together!!
  • Your HV is talking crap!!!!

    You sound like you are happy with the way it is now and it sounds lovely to me! Carry on doing it the way you are!

    When Daisy-Mae was 2 DAYS old, I was holding her in hospital, having had an awful pregnancy and emergency c-section and needing to hold onto her to believe she was here in one piece, the midwife came in, took her off me and told me I was making a rod for my own back by holding her!!!!!!!!!!!!! BITCH!!!! When she left, I struggled out of bed and picked Daisy back up!

    I still hold Daisy loads, but she goes off to sleep on her own and is the happiest, most content, secure and independent baby I've ever seen, so bugger the HV!!!!!!!

    C xx
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions