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Where do you start when setting up a newborn baby routine and schedule? Is it even possible to get into a habit with a baby that is LITERALLY just days or months old?
With patience and consistency, you’ll find that setting up a daily schedule for your newborn baby is absolutely within your grasp.
Before long, you and your new little bundle of joy will be smooth sailing over all the hiccups and bumps of newborn life.
“A baby is as pure as an angel and as fresh as a blooming flower.”
~ Debasish Mridha
Establishing A Newborn Baby Routine
Most people who have had children never mention that it takes this much work to get them to eat and sleep, right?
But just as you’re wondering about a routine, know that your newborn is also settling in and starting to get into a flow.
Since he’s so new to the world, he’s still trying to figure it out in the most efficient way possible so that he can be fed, burped, changed, or cuddled. These are precisely the four things that are constantly on his mind.
[I highly encourage you to invest in this simple step-by-step program that covers everything you need to know about Breastfeeding in 13 easy-to-watch video series here. Stacey (a certified lactation educator) will teach you the most effective positions to breastfeed and the smartest ways to produce more milk. Arm yourself with enough knowledge to be confident enough about breastfeeding. Sign up now!]
When should you start a routine with a newborn baby?
While this might vary depending on the baby, you can establish a newborn baby routine and schedule at two weeks of age.
At this age, it more than likely means that you’re going to be working with them on their sleeping and eating patterns, but as soon as you get a great groove for that, you can also transition to other factors.
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Do newborns need a routine?
They do, but not in the same sense of you needing a routine. When they’re young, all they think about and know are to eat, sleep, and potty.
That’s it, literally.
So while you want to focus on a schedule, the routine you will need to zone in on will be to try to create some structure for those three things.
Can a 2-week-old baby have a routine?
While it might not seem like a routine, you will be working with them frequently during this time.
If this is your first child, be ready… Because in just a day or two, it’s entirely possible for your newborn to flip their days and nights and be confused.
However, if you can set up a routine where you keep the days and nights as they’re supposed to be, you and your baby will benefit from it to a great extent.
It might not seem like a routine at first, but getting your baby to understand the time of day that they’re supposed to sleep and the time of day that they’re supposed to be awake is actually the perfect foundation for creating a solid newborn baby routine.
What is a good schedule for a 1-month-old?
Once you set up a routine and get to know your baby and his needs, you’ll have a better idea of a good schedule for your child.
If you’re looking at it vaguely, remember that all babies will want to eat every 2-3 hours, and for some, this is pretty much around the clock.
Always remember that a solid eating schedule followed by a good sleeping pattern is a tremendous 1-month-old baby routine.
What is a good routine for a newborn?
Even though you might want this to be a blanket answer, it really isn’t. The reason for this is that all newborn babies differ from each other.
Besides, this doesn’t mean that their schedules will be the same each day or night just because they all have simple needs.
Parents like us are the ones that are molding our newborns’ day-to-day schedules, so this shows that every baby’s timetable will vary in a way.
Related article: First Few Weeks with A Newborn [What to Expect]
How to Set Up A Newborn Baby Routine or Schedule
If you’re looking for simple newborn baby routine tips to start at a young age, here are some basic ideas you can begin that might carry through to when your baby gets older.
Each bullet point is explained in more detail down below.
- Give him a bath before bed.
- Read him a bedtime story.
- Give him a soothing massage.
- Snuggle and rock him to sleep.
- Hum or sing a lullaby.
Give him a bath before bed.
There’s just something relaxing about bath time before bed.
Though you don’t need to bathe your newborn every night, doing this a few times per week is an excellent way to start calming him down for bed and planting that seed in his mind.
Then, as he gets older, he’ll know in his subconscious that taking a bath before going to bed is a great way for him to relax with ease.
We have always loved this baby wash because it has calming components that help soothe my little ones. In fact, we still use this up to now!
Read him a bedtime story.
No matter the age, reading books to your child is always a great idea.
He might not understand the words you’re saying, but he will love to hear the comforting sound of your voice.
Plus, when he gets older, he might just grab hold of the book and take his turn reading bedtime stories to you too!
Of all the bedtime books my kids and I have read, this book is by far one of our favorites. This sweet counting board book has beautiful illustrations and engaging rhymes perfect for soothing your newborn.
Give him a soothing massage.
Studies show that infant massage can have numerous benefits for your baby.
One of them? You got it right! It helps your baby sleep better because it can aid in releasing positive hormones that can control tension.
Snuggle and rock him to sleep.
If you have a rocking chair like this in your house, use it to rock your newborn baby to sleep.
The rocking motion from the chair is a simple reminder of his time in mama’s belly and can help ease him into a comfortable sleep with little effort on your part.
This right here played a huge role in our lives when my kids were still establishing their respective routines. I remembered putting them in here after I snuggled with them. As soon as it stopped, I moved them to the bassinet.
Related article: 9 Crucial Tips to Prepare for a Baby on a Budget
Hum or sing a lullaby.
Your baby is going to find great comfort in your voice. I can’t emphasize the advantages of singing to your baby enough.
What it comes down to is that it really doesn’t matter if you’re singing or humming. As long as you’re giving him that time and setting up that routine, it will be something that comforts him for many years down the road.
Sample Baby Schedule for a 2 to 8-week old Infant
Always keep in mind that newborns need about 16-17 hours of sleep in a day and eat 8-12 times per 24 hours.
This was roughly what my kids and I followed through the newborn phase. Your newborn baby schedule may look a little different.
- 7 AM – 7:30 AM – Wake and feed then change diaper
- 7:30 AM – 9 AM – Nap for 60-90 minutes
- 9 AM – 9:30 AM – Wake and feed
- 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Change diaper then take a nap for 2 hours
- 11:30 AM – 12 PM – Wake and feed
- 12 PM – 2 PM – Change diaper then take a nap for 2 hours
- 2 PM – 2:30 PM – Wake and feed
- 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Nap for 60 minutes
- 3:30 PM – 4 PM – Wake and feed
- 4 PM – 5:30 PM – Change diaper + light newborn play
- 5:30 PM – 6 PM – Feed and catnap (30 minutes)
- 6 PM – 6:15 PM – Wake then bath time
- 6:15 PM – 6:30 PM – Change into fresh outfit for bedtime
- 6:30 PM – 7 PM – Read a book
- 7 PM – 10 PM – Feed then bedtime
- 10 PM – 1 AM – Dream-feed and change diaper
- 1 AM – 4 AM – Cluster-feed then back to sleep
- 4 AM – 7 AM – Dream-feed then back to sleep
When dream-feeding, make sure that your baby is swaddled well. Here’s our favorite swaddle blanket.
Download the free printable Sample Baby Schedule below and tweak it to your liking.
Conclusion to the Newborn Baby Routine
As you can see, setting up a newborn baby routine isn’t all that difficult.
It sure does require patience and persistence on your part and a little bit of creativity as well.
Nevertheless, once you see how calm and rested your baby is each night because of the routine, you’ll know it’s all worth it in the end.
You may also like this related article about babies: Simple Activities for a Three-Month-Old Baby
You got this, Mama! Until next time.
We both know this blog post can help other new mommies out there, so feel free to share! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Talk to you soon,
Do you have other tips for setting up a newborn baby routine and schedule?
[By the way, do you remember that labor and delivery nurse I told you about? She also has this amazingly helpful online prenatal class for couples. You should sign up for it. A better childbirth experience with your husband is one thing you will need. I assure you… It is packed with everything you want to learn about giving birth in a hospital or birth center setting.]
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