Establishing A Routine
LEEPLESS NIGHTS
Newborn babies
need to be fed every 2-3 hours and don't cope well on their own so the issue is being woken regularly at night and then finding that baby cannot settle back to sleep on their own.
COPING STRATEGIES
Understand what is driving your baby - he will settle easier if close & secure and you will get back to sleep.
Many women find a sling helps in the day and there is also evidence that after the first week or so, taking your baby out in the fresh air each day helps to set his own internal body clock and leads to better sleep patterns. Remember that in most parts of the world babies are held and kept close for some years by an extended family. They all grow up confident and independent, as will your baby.
Understanding why babies behave this way is helpful. It is a survival strategy and babies cry because they NEED food and comfort. Babies cry because it is the only way they have to communicate, it isn’t because they are upset or angry with you.
Gradually the baby starts to settle more easily at night and is better able to cope with separation so the periods of sleep between feeds get longer.
Having good support from your partner & family will really help, as can your NCT Whatsapp group when you are up at 3am. New mums often put themselves under pressure to establish a routine. It might be more helpful to think about a pattern which emerges as the baby becomes able to cope longer without feeds or being held. In the early days babies NEED to be fed every 2-3 hours and to be close to mum & dad most of the time. This is vital for their brain development. Gradually they become better able to go a little longer between feeds and to be put down more easily without feeling anxious.
By about 6-7 weeks the majority of babies will be settling into a fairly predictable pattern with longer sleeps at night and in the morning and more unsettled behaviour in the evening. As time goes by the settled sleeping periods and the periods of happy wakefulness will increase.
Evidence has shown that trying to impose a routine too early can be detrimental to babies’ brain development so just try to be relaxed about it and enjoy your baby.
Sleep in the day when he sleeps
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