Am I the Only One?

[candyfloss]

The only routine we have is getting ready for bed at 5.45! W set this himself, even if he has a nap for 45 minutes til 5.15 (happened a few times!) and I've thought a later bedtime was likely so OH would be able to see him after work, nope! He still starts fussing at 5.45 for bed! Asleep by 6.30 (normally) after nappy, massage, PJs, feed, cuddle to sleep, then up for a feed about 10/11, then another feed sometime in the night, depends on how well he's fed in the day - easily distracted now! Then awake sometime between 6-8, varies really. Often have to resettle him a few times in between, he won't sleep in his back so is placed on his side, if he rolls onto his back he fusses and moans until he's back onto his side! Even though he rolls during the day he doesn't at night (maddening!)

During the day he feeds when he wants (or I want if about to go out etc) and sleeps when he wants. Roughly I can expect him to go about 4 hours between feeds now and to be awake for 1.5 - 2 hours before needing another nap (45 minutes), which helps me know sort of what we're doing, but guided by him, not the clock, sometimes we have a sleepy/hungry/playful day

(sorry, I've just noticed I've really waffled on here!)

 

[marley2580]

The only routine Kaya is in is that her bed time is 7pm lol.

 

[Kbee]

Billy goes to bed around 830, but only if he is sleepy. I have thought about a routine but he is still only little (was prem) and so far on demand seems to be working-but things change every day so for now we are led by him
xx

 

[channy3232]

Rocco really doesn't have a routine either. His naps normally fall at the same time every day. Well not necessarily the same time but the same amount of time after he wakes up.
He goes to bed pretty late in comparison to most people on here. My husband doesn't get home from work until 9pm so he comes home and plays with him for a little while and we put him down for bed.

 

[petal040]

I follow LO and she has a rough routine. She goes to bed at 10pm (I tried moving this earlier but it hasn't worked lol)...

I have been thinking we were doing something wrong because her bedtime is so late - and was going to try some other ways of making it earlier - but this thread made me change my mind.

I think I was worried we were doing something wrong - or that it was inappropriate for her to be up till 10 - or that if we didn't start soon she'd never get to bed at an earlier time... but reading this I am now wondering if I thought that just because I thought it's what everyone else does, rather than because it would be best for LO???

Hmm...

 

[kirsten1985]

We have never had a routine, Freya wakes up at a different time every day, naps at different times and has different length naps. She goes to bed somewhere between 6-7.30pm, can be later if we go out or something (very rare!!). I love it that she is flexible, she will go between 1.5-4 hours without sleep depending on where she is/teething/etc.

Sometimes I kinda wish we did have a routine. She wakes up 2-4 times a night still, and I read about babies who sleep 7-7 and have feeds at the same time every day and think that it must be nice. But then I think I prefer it our way. Lol!

 

[TigerLady]

My philosophy has been if he is thriving, then why change??

I go to daycare to nurse him on my lunch hour. Today was the first day that he was asleep when I got there. I felt SOOOO bad... I nearly left to come back later, but I couldn't. So I put off waking him until the last minute, then woke him to eat. He didn't mind, but I felt awful!

 

[Bluetomato]

My little boy is 3 months old and has no routine at all, apart from being bathed and getting ready for bed the same time as his older brother every evening. Hes fully breastfed and feeds anywhere from 2 hours, to 4 hours so am finding it difficult to get into any sort of routine!

x

 

[TigerLady]

Kirsten -- Yeah, I am the same. Sometimes I get a bit miffed that my LO is still waking in the night so often to eat! But I just don't feel right trying to force him to sleep through. I figure he will when he is ready!

Besides, I promised my husband that I would move LO to his nursery when he starts sleeping through the night. I like co-sleeping, so am dreading that. Gives me a reason to keep him in bed with me longer.

 

[JayleighAnn]

We don't have a routine time wise, we have an evening routine of when we have dinner, but that's because I know what time Halen want's to go to bed so I plan it around that.

Like we get up when we want or when we have to, I know he's tired roughly 1hr after waking up, so he has a nap when he's tired, wakes up when he wakes up (given up on trying to make him sleep more than 30mins lol) and we carry on from there and I know by 7pm he's ready for bed, so we have dinner at 5.30 so he has time for booby, food, bed, more booby, story then bed.

 

[Kbee]

just wanted to say how pleased i am to have found this thread!! I had been thinking about routine as lots of people had asked and i had read a lot of threads about it, but am feeling confidant to go with what we have been doing now!!
I had read about people using controlled crying and other training methods in order to establish day routines in 3 month olds and I just didnt feel comfortable in doing that, so am relived that others are also baby led. xx

 

[Vicks]

We don't really have a routine either. Joe wakes up when he's ready and we feed roughly every 3 hours, but earlier/later as he wants. He normally goes to sleep anywhere between 8pm and 11pm, if it's earlier we do a DF around 11pm, but sometimes he's still awake for his 10pm-ish last feed.
I don't want to force him into a routine, so think he'll just find his own one soon enough x

 

[CatStorey]

I'm so glad this thread was started

I was really panicking that in a couple of months I would have to start forcing LO into some kind of routine but that is just so not me. She does what she wants at the mo which is fine, I have always just gone with the flo so this is natural for me and thats great.
I was also worried about bedtime as I live and sleep in one room so its impossible to put LO down before I go to bed as I would prob just wake her up again.
But I saw so many people on here talking routines when there baby's are only a few weeks old I started to talk myself into setting a routine soon. Now I am not worried and will carry on going with the flo.
The only routine I have is I go to bed with Chloe whenever her evening feed is (anytime from 9pm-11pm) and we feed in the dark.

I am happy now

 

[Twiglet]

Me and Liam do child-led parenting. We cant control when we're hungry so I wont control when Caitlyn is hungry. Same with sleep etc. She goes to bed between 8 - 10 and thats her choice. I prefer it this way as it works better for us

The only time I wake her up is if we have to do something that day / when we go to our babysigning classes in January

 

[lorna84]

Emilie wakes when she wants, sleeps when she wants & feeds when she wants which is usually every 3-4 hours

I bath her & massage her before bed & she seems happy enough with this, I say go with what works for you

 

[charliesmom]

My DD is 10 weeks old and have set a routine that I follow by around 6 weeks. She sleeps by 8pm and wakes at 3am for a nursing, then goes right back down and wakes at 7am for another nursing. Then she is awake for play at 9am. Goes back to nap until about 12pm. After that, she lets me know when she wants to nurse and nap. So from 12 to 8, it's pretty much whatever she wants to do. But her sleep and wake schedule is pretty regimented. I didn't set it, I just follow.

 

[nikkip75]

nah cant be bothered with all that lol

eden is my 3rd child and so she has just sort of made her own routine around the rest of the family. i wouldnt think about putting her down for a sleep if shes not showing signs of being tired just cos its that time of day when she should be sleeping or giving her a feed because she had one at that same time the last few days, i just think when shes tired she will sleep, when shes hungry she will eat and so on...

like someone else said my other 2 girls where in a good day time/night time routine by the time they were around 18 months so it all comes in good time!

routines are boooooring

 

[codegirl]

Edward has a routine but it's because HE gave himself a routine. He asks to eat, sleep, play at certain times and I just go with that.

 

[bana]

Im ADD so spontaneity is my middle name, routine is my worst nightmare! plus as codegirl said he has started to have his own routine, altho my lo is still quite young he cluster feeds and naps from 9 -11 then proper bed bout 11-12. I dont sleep till then anyway so suits my life style! xx

 

[sun]

I think my LO is starting to sleep more at night, as for the past 2 nights he has slept for 4 hours in a row!!! (from approx 12:30-4:30) - so maybe he is getting cues from us being asleep at that time. Other than than , we don't have a routine really. I am not working so I just go with it. Also, LO sleeps wherever so it is easy - today I made lentil soup and did laundry while wearing him and he never stirred at all.
But my mother is beside herself telling me all the time I am creating a monster. I don't let him cry, I wear him, I hold him when he naps sometimes, he sleeps in our room or in our bed. Really it is up to the parents and child what works best for them. I am sure we will need to get into a routine when LO has school and needs to be up and alert, but why when they are still so small? I think my bubs will slowly get himself into a routine around our schedule though (like sleeping at night - which he didn't do at all for the first few weeks)
There's no one way to do it and it sounds like what you are doing works for you!!!
xx