Thursday, November 6, 2008

Tentative Schedule for Infants 5-8 Weeks

Preparation for Parenting
Baby Wise
Routine for Weeks 5-8
3- 3 ½ hour routine

Session Time What to do
Early Morning 6 am 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Wake time
3. Put baby down for a nap
Mid Morning 9 – 9:30 am 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Wake time
3. Put baby down for a nap
Afternoon 12-1 pm 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Wake time
3. Put baby down for a nap
Mid-afternoon 3-X pm 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Wake time. COUCH TIME!!!!
3. Put baby down for a nap
Late-afternoon X-6 pm 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Wake time
3. Put baby down for a nap
Early Evening 8 - 9 pm 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Put baby to bed
NOTE: Once baby is done feeding, burp the baby and keep baby awake at least 10-15 mins before laying baby down for the night. The reason for this is to let the food settle a little before laying baby down and also so that the baby learns to fall asleep on their own. You want to avoid putting baby to bed when they are sleepy from a feeding!
Late Evening 11:30 pm-12 am 1. Feeding and diaper change
2. Put baby back to bed.
NOTE: For many babies, this feeding is the last scheduled feeding of the day. If this is the case with you your baby, do not wake him for his next feeding. Let him wake naturally. If he or she wakes, wait to see of they will resettle. Through the eighth week you must feed them.
Middle of the night (anytime after 3 am)
You will no longer schedule this feeding but if your baby wakes, you will feed and put the baby back to bed.
Toward the "END" of this phase you have more options during the night:
1. Wait to see if the baby will resettle on his own (wait at least 5- 15 mins).
2. Pat baby on back without picking baby up.
3. Offer pacifier.
4. Reposition baby (turn to side, back)
5. Feed baby (snack). Be sure to wake baby at regular time in the morning.

Goals: Drop the middle of the night feeding; 7-9 weeks sleeping 7-8 hours transitioning from a 3-3 ½ hour routine.

Feed: 6-8 feedings/day depending on length of time between feedings

Wake Time: Pac-n-play time …… 30 mins at 6 weeks; 45 mins at 8 weeks

Naps: 1 ½ - 2 ½ hrs

Night Time Sleep: If you consistently have trouble waking your baby for the middle of the night feeding, it may be dropped. Under normal circumstances, after three consecutive nights of sleeping X amount of hours then you can hold the baby to it because you know they are capable of doing it.
6-6 ½ hours of continuous sleep possible.

Growth Spurts: 6-8 weeks

Additional Notes: Non-nutrative sucking: Remove baby from breast when baby is still sucking yet you no longer hear baby swallowing. Use a pacifier to sooth the natural sucking reflex. This teaches baby that the breast if for feeding only not as a sleep prop.

Sleep props are no-no’s: they are anything that "helps" put baby to sleep. Ex. Intentionally nursing to sleep, rocking baby to sleep, sleeping with baby, mobile on in order to fall asleep, etc.

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