Routines

Parma violet · Mar 5, 2011 4:49AM

Hi all,

i've not been on much recently as have been trying to get to grips with mother hood! OH went back to work this week and i have been trying to get Jude into a routine to make it easier on both of us and i love it as i'm a very organised person so when he hopefully picks it up it will help me and him to know whats expected and when - although i'm not expecting this in the very near future!

I've been using the routines from the contented little baby book that a friend has lent me and so far it's ok - admittedly i don't agree with everything in the book so have adapted some of it!!

Jude just needs to go to sleep and stay asleep at the right times haha!

he's not very good at settling himself so not sure how to get around that as according to the book you cant rock him or walk around with him etc to help him doze off but i don't know any other way as he dosent cry himself to sleep he just goes crazy instead!

how is everyone else getting on? Anyone fallen into a natural routine or have you started to inforce one ( sorry bad choice of word but i'm sure you know what i mean)! xx

MummyJC · Mar 3, 2011 1:00PM

I don't really believe in these books as all babies are different and will not conform to what these people so say they should be doing.

We are babyled all the way and Aleia has pretty much got herself into her own routine which works well with us as it avoids the school run times!! Lol!!

Aleia will self settle at night time but not so much during the day and she doesn't seem to want to sleep in her bed in the day either!! Which is good in some respects but not in others!!

I would go by baby at the mo as he is still little and work everything around him. He will get his own little way and you will prob find it's for the best.

Sorry this prob doesn't help but I am really not a fan of the books as they can make you feel like a failure when your actually not.

Take care Hun

Xx

clareabella · Mar 3, 2011 1:19PM

Hi hun.

Don't want this to sound like a lecture lol, but my advice would be to ditch the book. Sorry but I agree with MJC, I really don't like these books. My SIL tried following gina ford and she ended up very depressed because she couldn't get her LO to follow it. All babies are different and you'll find soon settle to their own routine, in the meantime I'd say don't stress too much about the housework, enjoy the cuddles because before long they are running around and don't want cuddles with mummy.

I think it can just get far too stressful trying to force a routine so young. we only have a 'bedtime' routine that we try to follow but if one night Imogen is having none of it then so be it

earwig1971 · Mar 5, 2011 4:49AM

we're not bothering trying to 'enforce' a routine either...just being totally baby-led and if that means we have our lives turned upside down, so what....that's what we bought into when we started a family, and while we are both off work, we are just enjoying every moment.

Planning for anything has gone out the window, which for me has been very difficult as I used to rule my life by the clock (being ex-military, I brought it the same mentality into civvy street with me!) and would panic if I planned to go to the gym at 3pm, but couldn't get out the house til 3:10pm....now, I think myself lucky and an achiever if we all simply get to do the activity we planned for the day, regardless of the time!!! And if the planned activity doesn't even happen, so what....we can try again tomorrow!

I am still exclusively breastfeeding, and still don't run our lives around these timings...if we happen to be out when Mia needs a feed, so be it...

Enjoy the baby's routine...if it suits the baby, it'll suit you xx

Routines

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