Rhythm to routine

A flexible routine can be a vital tool to having a content baby. What does this look like?

Your every conscious thought seems to be totally ruled by this tiny bundle who has entered your life. You may be feeling anxious about establishing a routine as soon as possible, but the reality is that days that fly by (and nights that don’t) in a blur of feeding, burping and nappies have become a way of life. Your baby is obviously dependent on you for nutrition and nurturing, but he needs you to help him make sense of, and manage, his sensory environment in order for his own, unique rhythm to develop.

It is out of this rhythm that a routine will develop without any conscious effort on your part.

In the early days, many babies have difficulty dealing with the world outside the womb and can easily become over stimulated, which may result in fussy feeding and general unsettledness.

Wouldn’t caring for your baby be so much easier if you understand how he experiences the world? Your baby needs you to watch for signs of overstimulation, tiredness and fussing and to calm his environment for him. A little stimulation and a lot of calming is essential in the first few months of your baby’s life, so work with your baby’s rhythm for the first few weeks, bearing in mind that his time awake (including feeds) will determine when he needs his next sleep.

Some babies are very easy going and settle into their sleep/wake/play/cry cycles quickly and easily, while others are not as self-regulated and need longer to settle into their own rhythm. Some babies need less sleep than others, so let the general happiness of your baby guide you as to how long he can be awake for between sleeps.

FEEDING IN EARLY DAYS

In the first few weeks, babies generally feed on demand. Thereafter, the frequency of feeds may become less. You’ll be able to tell that your baby is drinking enough milk if he is having at least six wet nappies a day, is generally feeding two- to four-hourly and is content and sleepy in-between feeds. So, offer him a feed if he is fussing and it has been a few hours since his last feed, but if you have just fed him, then rather try an alternative method of calming him, as he is most likely not hungry.

Your baby may experience a growth spurt around the four week mark, where he will be extra fussy and only settle if fed. This is quite normal and should settle within 24 to 48 hours.

At around six weeks, you will start to see a rhythm to your baby’s feeding pattern, where he may be feeding every three to four hours during the day, with one longer stretch at night. This night stretch will gradually extend.

SIX-WEEK MARK

By six weeks, all the hard work and lack of sleep seem worthwhile as your baby begins to reward your efforts with social interaction. By now he is starting to show a kind of pattern to his sleeps and feeds. Without even consciously trying, you can more or less predict when he is awake and happy, when he is hungry, and when his sleepy, grumpy and crying times are. Guess what? He has a routine!

This is the time to begin to instil a basic but flexible framework of structure to your day, working with what you already know about your baby. Feeding should be established by now, so make a point of separating calories from comfort. Rather than providing comfort with a feed, soothe your little one by encouraging non-nutritive sucking with a dummy or his fingers. Gentle movement will also help to calm him, so go for a walk with him in a baby carrier, or put him in his pram. Rocking, swaying, cuddling and bouncing on a ball in your arms will also help calm him. Your baby will be feeding every three to four hours during the day. One of the night feeds (usually the 10 to 11pm feed) will fall away, and your baby may now sleep for a six- or seven-hour stretch before waking for a feed at 1 or 2am – bliss!

EARLY EVENING

Choosing a regular bath and bedtime is essential. This forms part of setting the stage for sleep, and if done regularly, will be the basis for good sleep habits. Bathtime should be the start of the bedtime routine, so don’t overexcite your baby at this time of the day. Rather play quietly and calmly. ●