Routines

[nori]

Hi All,

Well after several nights of a screaming Ollie i decided to do the Gina Ford feeding routine (cant say i agree with the rest of the parenting techniques) I did this last night and first time i had a peaceful night. It worked really well. Today has gone out of the window though as i was in A & E for 3 hours!

I was just wondering whether anyone has any good tips out there which they have found helpful.

Claire x

 

[1588]

Don't really follow Gina Ford as she had me in a right pickle in the first few weeks but I did take on board the feed as much in the day as you can so they can go a bit longer at night, so I never let her go longer than 3hrs in the day.

However don't do the whole darkened room for sleeping as when she wants to she kips anywhere.

Also Gina didn't take into consideration the fact that she screams with colic from 9pm til midnight


How is ur little man now

 

[Sherlock]

TBH I don't hold much in her way of doing things. Babies are people and all different, what works for one won't work for another and no amount of trying will change that.

I just went with the flow with Galen till about 12 weeks and then slowly started bringing bedtime forward so he was sleeping overnight and dropping night feeds. Yes it was exhausting but babies don't come out knowing about nighttime being for sleep or feeding every 2 hours because thats what the packet/book says. They need time to adjust and to learn things.

As for things like daytime sleeps I've always let him sleep downstairs when small in daylight with background noise. Never in his room with curtains closed or anything like that.

Also your LO is still very young. He needs to be held, cuddled, comforted out in the big wide world as its all such a big shock and all he has known is you for the past 9 months. So he'll want to be with you to feel secure etc. I'd not have a routine or timetable for such a young baby but go with the flow and let them guide me and give them time to adjust to the outside world. When a bit older you can slowly start trying new bits and getting some routine bits going (ie bedtime) but otherwise I'd just relax and not put pressure on yourself to have baby do things this way or that.

 

[Magic Monkey]

Ditto Sherlock (as always!)

 

[daftscotslass]

Totally agree with Sherlock too. You can follow a routine to a degree but tiny babies will sleep when they're tired and eat when they're hungry. I also found that my LO settled into a natural rhythm herself.

The thing we found most helpful was to do bath, bottle and bed. In the daytime she slept in the living room, bright lights and we made no effort to be quiet. At 6.30ish we'd give her a bath (which almost always stopped her crying when she was colicky), gave her a feed, a cuddle and a story and then bed. She was in bed in her basket/crib in our dark room from 7/7.30pm in the evening from early on and though she woke up again, she would quickly settle back down to sleep after a night feed and be awake most of the day.

Do what you're comfortable with but if it doesn't work, move on. Things change soooooo often with growth spurts that it can seem like you're back to square one and I think if you stay flexible it'll be much less stressful when it happens. You're doing a grand job Mrs

 

[Urchin]

I'm not a GF fan either. At that age little ones won't have a routine, they will be happiest in my opinion if you just take the cues from them and let them find their own routine over the next few weeks.
In the mean time, little babies are meant to just sleep, poop, cry and eat. In any order and any time of the day and night LOL

 

[nori]

Sounds like im pretty much doing what the rest of you are. I agree with you all about her methods. Ollie sleeps downstairs during the day (usually on me) and at night we do have a sneeky cuddle after his 2am feed as he can never settle (said id never get in the habit of having him in with me but hes so much happier bless him).

The only part i have found very useful though is giving him slightly more formula during the early feeds and late feeds.. seems to control the screaming. i didnt think he could possibly still be hungry!

Its my first day on my own today and so far ive managed to change him, feed him, wash and sterilise bottles, have brekkie and put washing on.. im well impressed. Oh and i have a new found respect for all the single parents out there.. i couldnt have imagined geeting through these first few weeks without my OH.

Claire x

 

[Becs]

If GF has worked for you then carry on. There is a lot of negativety around her techniques and I was adiment that I wouldn't follow them having read feedback on here, but after 48 hours with 2 hours sleep when Austin was very small I began her routines and never looked back. As people regularly point out, what works for some babies doesn't work for others so if your baby responds well to GF then I would carry on. I have never had to cry Austin down and have found her routines to be very gentle. I genuinely have a very contented baby who sleep swell during the day and night. Never cries for food or sleep. The early days are difficult no matter what your philosophy is. If things go awry one day then just start a fresh the next.

Good luck and feel free to pm me if you have any questions for a GF supporter (we are not as rare a breed as this forum would have you believe)

Becs