Getting baby on schedule

Over the years one of the most frequently asked question is "How do you get a baby on a schedule?" It's very simple! Babies are born with their individual schedules. Babies cry for various reasons and the cries are all different if you pay attention. If you feed a baby that's hungry at 8:00 and they are crying again by 9:00 chances are they're not hungry, but has some other need. Babies typically eat every 3 to 4 hours. Ten to fifteen minutes, before the third or fourth hour, some babies would make little smacking sounds. This is an indication that the baby is hungry. This allows you time to prepare the bottle or get yourself ready to do the feeding. Babies that are breast fed tend to eat more frequently than babies that are bottle fed. Breast fed babies eat every 2 to 3 hours, whereas bottle fed babies tend to go a little longer between feedings.

A schedule can vary daily, but if done consistently, can eventually establish set times. Babies love schedules and routines and parents do too. Schedules allow you to plan your days and manage your time. I suggest, waking the baby if he or she is sleeping by feeding time to maintain the schedule. Babies sleep for 20 hours or more a day in the first few weeks and as they grow have longer awake periods.   

Of course, as the baby grows older, you should exercise good judgment and adjust the schedule accordingly.

If a baby is bottle fed, it's helps to prepare a day's worth of bottles the night before or early morning. Bottles should be kept refrigerated. Keeping a log of times and quantities, from start to finish of each feeding, as well as naps and daily activities, will allow you to reference and compare progress that you and your baby are making.

Babies with good feeding and sleeping patterns work well together for the most efficient and optimum schedule. It's important to recognize your baby's sleep wave patterns and catch it before it turns into over tiredness and nervous energy. Morning and afternoon naps for several hours during the day are equally as important as night sleep, " Good days equals good nights."

Relax, listen and observe your baby's cues and enjoy each moment, this is just one short stage. It goes by fast.