Newborn Baby Schedule – Eat, Play, Sleep…Repeat
This was the blanket I had started making for Baby S before he was born. It was a design I came across before I was pregnant and I absolutely loved it. I knew it was something I wanted to make for my unborn baby, little did I know then that this was the key to my sanity.
The first month of Baby S’s life is a blur. When he was hungry I fed him. When he was sleepy I attempted to sleep. When he cried we would check his diaper. There was no order. Most of the time he would fall asleep while he was feeding. Then…I would just sit there and not move a muscle because…you don’t want to wake a sleeping baby! And if you moved…he would wake up! If he woke up he would cry and the guessing game of what-is-bothering-him would begin again. So, I sat there uncomfortably while he slept. Life felt very unpredictable.
At week 5, we were back home and ready to establish a routine.
How do you go about establishing a routine with a 5 week old baby? I was barely able to manage my own eating and sleeping schedule.
Initially, at week 3 and 4, I tried sticking to a time based schedule. That doesn’t work for a newborn who wakes up when his stomach is empty or when his bladder has been emptied. There is no time associated to either of these actions. It just happens.
I did some research and most articles and blogs focused on establishing a routine but not enough detail to help me. I was already doing “routine-like” things. Prayers, distinguishing day from night, sponge baths etc but none of them gave me the predictability I needed.
I stumbled upon a blog which focused on the “EASY” routine: Eat, Activity (aka Play), Sleep, You Time (or Repeat) routine. Who knew this was actually a routine? I thought it was just a cute slogan mocking the leisurely life of these cute little beings.
But it actually works! We’ve been doing it for the past month and it’s brought back my sanity. I can now better plan & predict the day. Here’s a break down of how we implement it.
E– Eat…as soon as Baby S wakes up I feed him. This pretty much aligns with his own biological clock too. Of course I feed on demand if he shows signs of hunger in between too. But this works great because once I feed him he is ready for anything…daddy time, visitors or going out. I change his diaper either before or after his feed depending on the damage.
A – Activity or Play…once he’s well fed he’s full of energy and in a really good mood. Usually towards the end of play time I squeeze in another diaper change. He is usually awake for about 60 to 75 minutes at a time.
S – Sleep. After all the activity/play time Baby S usually tires himself out. It’s brilliant because naturally he’s ready to rest after this and usually he just knocks out as soon as he starts showing signs of sleepiness. He naps anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes with one long stretch in the late afternoon. Every kid will have their own stretches but I was able to pick up that pattern in just a few days of establishing this routine.
Y – You time aka Repeat. This is the time slot where YOU get to do whatever you need to do. I always joke with hubby that this is the time to “reset”. Get everything back in place so we can start over (repeat) once baby is awake. But this is also the time to take a nap, catch up on house work, have that cup of tea or just take a moment to relax. Because…in just a little bit…it will be time to start the “routine” all over again.
This routine has been great for me since I know exactly what to expect throughout the day as does Baby S. It’s also been really helpful in somewhat planning the day. Of course we’re still not able to pinpoint timings but I’m a-ok with that and I believe it may be a bit to early for that. All in all, I really believe this schedule has been wonderful for us and it really is EASY :).
To predictability and sanity!
