EASY routine for 7 week old - bedtime all over the place

[sussexgirl]

Hi all

I am new to the site and have been reading BW solves all your problems and have been trying to implement an EASY routine (3 hrs) for my 6 1/2 week old.

I am certain that he gets OT and OS very easily and sometimes I am missing his sleep cues and so he takes a long time to settle. During the day I think I have got the hang of it and he mostly self settles for his daytime naps however in the evenings after about 7-8 pm he is very grizzly and cries a lot (not sure if this is colic or not?). Some evenings I can not get him to sleep until midnight/1am and sometimes have to rock him (but not always). Shush/Pat sometimes works but not always and he really does not like being swaddled as he loves to have his arms free.

Here is a 3 day sample of our 'routine' please can someone take a look and tell me where I am going wrong. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle as my OH does not really believe in routines at this age - he doesn't think we should be bothering until 8-10 weeks and at this stage we should let baby do what he wants when he wants.

E - 05.50 - 8 mins (fell asleep at breast)
S - 06.10 - 2 hrs 10 mins
A - 08.20
E - 8.35 - 15 mins
A - 08.55 - 5 mins of playing then seemed tired so tried to put him down awake but drowsy with white noise sheep
S - 09.15 - 2 hrs 10 mins
E - 11.25 - 5 mins fell asleep
A - 11.30 - nappy change and top and tail to wake him up
E - 11.50 - 10 mins finish feed
A - 12.00 - after 20 mins tried to settle him down in carrycot at 12.30 wouldnt settle and rooting so 7 min feed then put back down awake and shush patted
S - 12.40 - 15 mins then woke crying and shush patted back to sleep
S - 12.55 - 35 mins
A - 13.40
E - 13.50 = 25 mins
A - 14.15
S - 15.30 - 45 mins then laid awake in pram
E - 16.30 - 25 mins
A - 16.55 - nappy change, burp, cuddles. Lots of crying tried to shush pat but didnt work.
S - 18.30 - 40 mins finally fell asleep on daddy
E - 19.10 - 13 mins
A - 19.25 - playmat and nappy change. Non stop crying after
E - 20.45 - 20 mins
A - 21.05 - Cuddle after feed calmed down, put in carrycot but cried
S - 22.00 - 25 mins
A - 22.25 - Daddy held him as constant crying
E - 23.10 - 20 mins fell asleep nursing
A - 23.30 - Took upstairs happy in moses basket but not asleep until  00.20 so daddy picked him up and rocked him to sleep
S - 00.30 - 4 hrs
E - 04.20 - 10 mins fell asleep on breast
S - 04.30 - 2 hrs 20 mins
E - 06.50 - 10 mins fell asleep on breast

S - 07.00 - 2 hrs 50 mins
A - 09.50
E - 10.35 - 15 mins
A - 10.50 - sing song and cuddles until saw sleep cues put down at 11.20 but wouldnt sleep so daddy picked him up
S - 11.35 - 50 mins (fell asleep on daddy then put down in carrycot)
E - 12.40 - 15 mins
A - 5 mins nappy change
S - 12.55 - 25 mins
A - 13.20 -
E - 15.00 - 15 mins
A - 15.15 - walk in park
S - 16.30 - 10 mins fell asleep in pram
A - 16.40 -
S - 17.20 -25 mins
E - 17.45 - 25 mins
A - 18.10
S - 19.45 - 30 mins
A - 20.15 - nappy change, cuddles, very grizzly
S - 21.40 - 30 mins then woke a few times but shush patted and settled back down for another 20 mins
E - 22.35 - 2oz expressed milk - very fussy
S - 22.55 - 3 1/2 hrs
E - 02.35 - 2 oz expressed milk and 5 mins on breast fell asleep on breast
S - 02.40 - 3 hrs 15 mins
E - 05.55 - 10 mins fell asleep at breast
S - 06.05 - 2 hrs 15 mins

A - 08.20 - nappy change
E - 08.35 - 15 mins
A - 08.50 - nappy change and singing on mat - put back down at 08.57
S - 09.00 - 1 hr 10 mins
A - 10.10 - 5 mins moved downstairs
S - 10.15 - 55 mins
A - 11.10 - wake up cuddle with daddy nappy change
E - 11.25 - 20 mins
A - 11.45 - cuddles with daddy nappy change
S - 12.50 - 40-  mins fell asleep in the car
A - 13.30
E - 14.55 - 10 mins
A - 15.05
S - 15.15 - 25 mins
A - 15.40
S - 17.00 - 2hrs woke him to feed
A - 19.00
E - 19.15 - 15 mins
A - 19.30 - playmat, nappy change cuddles with daddy
S - 20.40 - 20 mins
E - 21.00 - 10 mins
A 21.10 -nappy chnage
S - 21.25 - 2 hrs 50 mins (fell asleep on me then woke after 15 mins so I put him down awake and he settled himself back to sleep)
E - 00.20 - 15 mins fell asleep on breast
S - 00.35 - 2 hrs 20 mins
E - 02.57 - 10 mins
S - 03.10 - 2 hrs 15 mins
E - 05.25 - 5 mins
A - 05.35 - winded and nappy change put back in moses basket
S 06.30 - 1 hr 35 mins

E - 08.05 - 5 mins
A - 08.10
S - 08.15 - 10 mins
A - 08.25
S - 09.10 - 10 mins
E - 09.20 - 15 mins
S - 09.35 - 1 hr 30 mins
A - 11.10 -
E - 11.40 - 10 mins
A - 11.50
S - 12.30 - 45 mins
E - 13.30 - 15 mins
A - 13.45 - tummy time an walking round house doing housework - overtired kept crying kept trying to put him down and shush patting finally managed to settle him
S - 15.30 - 25 mins
E - 16.00 - 10 mins#
A -16.10 -
S - 17.15 - 30 mins
A - 17.45 - daddy home cuddles on sofa
E - 18.10 - 25 mins
A - 19.00
E - 20.40 - 10 mins
S -20.50 - 10 mins
A - 21.00
E - 22.45 - 4oz expressed and 10 mins on breast - took an hour to settle
S - 00.30 - 3 hrs 15 mins
E - 03.45 - 10 mins
S - 03.55 - 2 hrs 55 mins
E - 06.50 - 5 mins
S - 06.55 - 2 hrs 15 mins

A - 09.10
E - 09.30 - 20 mins
A - 09.50 - sing song, walk to shop in carrier
S - 10.30 - 1 hr 10 mins fell asleep on me put in carry cot woke after 5 mins shush patted back to sleep
A -
E - 12.00 - 15 mins
A - 5 mins shush patting
S - 12.20 - 40 mins
A - 13.00 - nappy change walk to baby group fell asleep in pram on way home from baby group
S - 14.40 - 20 mins
E - 15.00 - 10 mins
A - 15.10 - nappy change and kicking on mat
E - 15.45 - 10 mins put down drowsy but awake
S - 16.00 - 2 hrs 50 mins
E - 18.50 - 15 mins
A - 19.05 -
S - 20.00 - 10 mins
E - 21.00 - 20 mins
A - 21.20 - cuddles with daddy tried to calm down very grizzly
E - 23.00 - 2 oz expressed milk
S - 23.10 - 3 hrs 45 mins
E - 02.45 - 3 oz expressed ,ilk
S - 03.05 - 3 hrs 20 mins
E - 06.25 - 10 mins
S - 07.00 - 2 hrs 50 mins

E - 09.55 - 15 mins
A - nappy change then fell asleep in car
S - 11.00 - 25 mins
A - 6 week check at Drs then lunch with granny
S - 12.50 - 30 mins
A -13.20
E - 14.25 - 15 mins
A - 14.45 - nappy change, awake but very sleepy  put himn straight in cot
S - 14.50 - 2 hrs 40 mins
A - 17.30
E - 18.00 - 20 mins
A- 18.20
S - 19.20 - 35 mins
A 19.55 - playmat
E - 20.18 - 20 mins
A - 20.40
E - 22.20 nearly 3oz expressed milk then tried to settle him until nappy change and another feed
E - 23.15 - 1.5 oz then took another hour to settle
S - 00.50 - 2 hrs 40 mins
E - 03.30 - 10 mins
S - 03.40 - 3 hrs 20 mins
A - 06.50 - nappy change
E - 07.00 - 10 mins
S - 07.10 - 2 hrs 55 mins
A - 10.05
E - 10.33 - 10 mins
A - 10.43 - start wind down put down at 11.00
 S - 11.15 - 30 mins
A - 11.45
E - 13.20 - 10 mins
A - 13.30
S - 14.10 - 2 hrs 15 mins
A - 16.35
E - 16.55 - 20 mins
A - 17.15
S - 19.30 - 15 mins
E - 19.42 - 20 mins
A - 20.05
S - 21.00 - 20 mins
A - 21.20
E - 22.50 - 3 oz expressed and 5 mins breast then took 1 hr and a half to settle
S - 00.30 - 4 hrs 5 mins
E - 04.35 - 15 mins
S - 04.50 - 2hrs 40 mins
E - 07.30 - 10 mins

During the night he wakes, feeds and then goes straight back to sleep no problems but we really struggle to get him off to sleep for the night without using some kind of prop - either rocking, a paci or walking/jiggling. He definitley has a strong sucking reflex as is constantly sucking his fist.

Any ideas/thoughts??

Sorry for the length but as you can see there isn't really a set pattern to our day.

[jessmum46]

Hi and welcome . It's great that you're so keen to get going with EASY, that will definitely stand you in good stead as your LO grows and develops.  However it is also very important to have realistic expectations in the early days and to really enjoy and get to know your baby.  Have a look here:

Getting started - how I survived the first 3 months
Starting EASY with a newborn-What to Expect

A regular routine at this age is very unlikely as they change so often, but you can lay good foundations by following a loose EAS pattern.  It's fantastic your LO is self-settling for some naps, but don't worry if you need to give LO help particularly in that witching hour/several hours in the evening.  It's so common for babies to be unsettled at that time in the early days and to an extent you do have to ride it out a little.  You are doing absolutely nothing wrong - this is just what life with a newborn is like sometimes

Having just gone through this with my second, I would say to focus on a loose EAS structure and avoid feeding to sleep when you can (it will happen sometimes though at this age).  Concentrate on learning your LOs cues, responding in the best way you can, and keep your expectations fairly simple.  And post here frequently!  But above all enjoy your new baby x