4 weeks old...show me your routines!

[Carmela's Mom]

Can someone please show me the routine for a 4 week old?  I am having so much trouble getting started with this ... basically I just can NOT read my son's tired cues

[UNCMomma]

I can't remember much (my LO is now 18 wks, WOW! It flies!) besides the fact that there is NOT much awake time at all.  We did a 3 hour EASY at this point, with most of the time being spent in sleep.  I think Awake time, including feeding, was about 45 min total.  Also, later in the day and first thing in the AM, it was even shorter, like 30 to 40 min.  Hope this helps, the baby will start stretching out awake times soon enough! 

Amanda

[Carmela's Mom]

My son takes 45 minutes to feed and then for two of our feedings he just doesn't seem tired until like 2 hours after he's awake.  I know that's a lot at this age and I think I must be missing something!

[UNCMomma]

I do think 2 hours is too much at that age... could you be missing the tired cues due to the long feeds?  COuld he be failing to show you sleepy signs b/c he's still eating???  Does he try to fall asleep eating?? (breast or bottle?)  I know with my LO, I had to literally fight with her to keep her awake during a feeding and immediately after.  Do you feed him right when he wakes up if it's been 3 hours??  Maybe if you post your schedule for today it would help.  I'm trying to think of the tired cues when Kinley was 4 wks, it may have just been fussiness and a stray yawn here and there.  Sorry, my tired memory fails me! 

Amanda

[Carmela's Mom]

Yes he does try to fall asleep during eating.  It's like after every other feed, he goes in his crib just fine..  It's strange really.  He'll yawn, etc. but then fight sleeping when I put him in his crib ... but then the next time, he goes right in.  He does SO well at night, that I hate pushing him to sleep during the day in fear that it will ruin the great night sleep.

[UNCMomma]

Yes, if he does well at night I wouldn't try to change much!    I think it's typical at this age for them to have some trouble sleeping in their crib at times, I know I used the swing quite a bit (oops!) at this time.  It's good that you're putting him in the crib though, b/c this is when lots of accidental parenting starts like letting the baby sleep in your arms or on your chest, or IN THE SWING!!  Good luck, hopefully he'll get his naps straightened out.  It takes a while, so be patient!    You're doing great!

Amanda

[estherofi20]

Hi there,
this was our routine back then:

7:00 wake up and bottle
7:30 activity
8:00 sleep
10:00 bottle
10:30 activity
11:00 sleep
1:00 bottle
1:30 activity
2:00 sleep
3:00 bottle
3:30 activity
4:00 sleep
6:00 bottle
6:30 bath and massage
7:00 bedtime
8:00 take him out of the crib and cluster feed him, and then put him back to bed
11pm DF

HTH