E.A.S.Y. = Sleep Schedule

Hey there ladies, here's the lowdown: Day 1 through 16 weeks: This is the schedule for the first 6 to 8 weeks or if the baby hits 11 pounds, whichever comes first.  It should take about three days or less to get this schedule down.  Always swaddle baby with a miracle blanket (I just use a receiving blankie) every time they go down.  They outgrow or wiggle out of it around 4-5 months or earlier if the baby rolls over in the swaddle.  Now, when you wake baby from a nap (except for the 10pm feeding), you'll immediately unswaddle him/her, and if you want, change diaper and then feed.  Or, however you want to do it... we've taken the schedule and made our own changes to fit our lifestyle, and this is just how we do it. 7am - Feed Playtime (Just a note on "playtime": me and my husband were wondering how we could play with our daughter, being that she was so young! Well, we just started by laying out a blanket on the floor, brought out some rattles, books, stuffed animals, etc. and would talk silly to her, show her toys, sing, put on music and just kept her occupied. Turns out she LOVES playtime now. She "talks" a lot more, and just loves being engaged! I'm so glad we were pushed to find this out. But, sometimes my daughter just likes to sit in her swing and chill out-- we don't ALWAYS do such vigorous play, as they like to just chill out too! Plus, sometimes she's just not into it.) 8:15-8:30 to 10am - Nap 10am - Feed Playtime 11:15-11:30 to 1pm - Nap 1pm - Feed Playtime 2:15-2:30 to 4pm - Nap 4pm - Feed Playtime 5:15-5:30 to 7pm - Nap 7pm - Feed Playtime (great time for a nice, soothing bath) 8:15-8:30 to 10pm - Nap 10-10:30 - Feed  (Note: no playtime here, and this feeding is a dreamfeed, this means you keep baby swaddled, lights low, no talking or engaging him/her, so they go right back to sleep with a nice, full belly. 3am/4am - Feed (Note: if baby wakes up earlier, try to keep him/her asleep with a pacifier (if you use one-- we do) until at least 3am. I will feed my daughter if she's really hungry and I  know it, I don't condone starving the poor kid! The person who gave us this schedule recommended using a (pumped) bottle for this feed, as it's easier for baby... I just nurse her, but that's just what works for us. ____________________ Your goal is to make sure baby gets a full feeding each time, as this keeps him/her cozy enough to sleep through naptime and through the night. Newborns are super sleepy, so the challenging part is waking them up from naptime.  Try blowing on face, use a wet washcloth, change diaper or tickle ears. I HATE that part, it is hard when I see my girl sleeping so well, so it's hard. I give her time to wake up, and don't do it too fast, or try to rush her. Additional playtime activities: bouncing, mat, tummy time, watching mobile, walking around with them showing them stuff, bath, listening to music & dancing (they like the motion you give), very limited TV (baby likes seeing the colors, but obviously we use this in moderation) The 3am/4am feeding is the first one to go when they hit 5/6 weeks or 11 pounds.  Try to keep them down with a pacifier (if you like) until you get to 4am, then 5am... all of a sudden (it just happens one night) it's 7am! Remember: don't change diaper if you can help it, and don't talk. Now, the diaper changing thing... I only change my daughter's diaper if I know it's too much. She doesn't mind, but sometimes it bothers me too much and I'll change it. Most times, she's really woken up after that and it's harder to get her back down (especially late at night), so for her last awake diaper change, I'll slather on the Desitin or Butt Paste to protect her little buns from moisture and that helps with rash. The 3am/4am feeding is dropped at 7-8 weeks.  Once it's dropped, the 10/10:30pm feed becomes the dreamfeed. Around 11/12 weeks, you can change to a 4 hour schedule: 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm, and 10/10:30pm. Naps are from 9-11am, 1/1:30-3pm, and a catnap at 5 to 5:45/6pm. At 16 weeks, you can drop the 10/10:30pm, they start not to consume as much because they'd rather sleep.  Remember, all babies are different, so you can change the program to fit your needs!    Each feeding is different, sometimes it takes half an hour, sometimes 20 minutes, it just depends how hungry my 9 week old is. As it says below, I unswaddle for feedings, except for the dreamfeed at 10pm and in the middle of the night. I burp her when I know she has one, I can usually tell 'cause she's fussy. She's fine and we haven't burped her after every feed, but when I have, I just picked her up swaddled - easy. I always wake her at correct time even if she's sleeping. It's part of why she sleeps so well. And if she didn't eat enough at a feed, she'll fuss early and sometimes I will get her up before scheduled time and feed her. As I said, it's not to be taken super rigidly, sometimes you'll improvise according to your baby's needs. GOOD LUCK, mamas! We are sleeping so well here, it's so worth it. Just know that at first (and even later) it's not easy to keep such a strict schedule, so it does take determination and patience, but it's worth it for us. Also, don't force things (feed times, etc) if you think you need to let him/her eat a bit earlier or later. I'd love to hear if it works! Much luck to you all, Angie Rindge PS: If you have any questions, feel free to email me: angierodriguez77@att.net PPS: Someone asked how to get baby to sleep, here's how I do: I swaddle baby, place her on a pillow and rock her. Sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's just low noise level, and she still cries when it's naptime, but just give him/her time. She will whimper until I quiet her by rocking, shushing, stroking her head/hair, and she always has her pacifier. I know some of you don't use one, but mine loves hers! Also, sometimes I'll rock her in the rocking chair and when it's time to put her in her crib (she sleeps there always), she might need a bit more comforting, and it takes time, but she'll eventually fall asleep. This is something that takes time and training, so have patience! I feel for you mamas whose babies have to sleep in your arms, it must be rough... good luck!