Too Young for a Schedule?

I think 6 weeks is just fine to start him on a schedule. He sounds like it might be harder with him but if you are consistent (key) he'll eventually get the hang of it. Good luck :) And congrats.

Hi!
I don't think it is too early for a schedule. I started my son pretty much right away on an every 3 hour feeding schedule during the day and he was sleeping through the night(11pm-6am) at 7 weeks. It drove my MIL crazy that I would wake him to eat during the day, but I didn't care since I could sleep great at night!! I am a creature of habit and think it is the best way to raise a baby!
Good Luck!
L.

Hi S.- As a mom of 4 I would definitely recommend letting your little guide lead. I am a control freak but you cannot contol a baby that young. Good Luck. My hardest transition was from 1 child to 2, my addition of #3nad 4 was a cake walk compared to going from 1 to 2 so hang in there and try to relax and enjoy your kids!
B.

Hi S.,

This probably isn't what you want to hear but this is what worked for me...

...I let both my sons make their own schedule. I fed on demand and eventually they both worked themselves into a schedule both at around 2 months old. My oldest is now 3 1/2 and my youngest is 10 months and he's been really great about being on a schedule. I mean honestly I probably fed on demand the whole time but I guess they just go into a routine and I went with it and it stayed the same.

I hope maybe this helped a bit and it's just my experience that happened to work out well for me. You could try and see if it works for you and if not then go back to you creating the schedule??

Good luck and take care,

N.

He is NOT too young for a schedule. If he knew what he needed and what was best...he wouldn't need you! :-)

I put 2 of mine on a schedule literally from the minute we got home (it was just too hard at the hospital) and I intend to do the same with the one I am pregnant with now. It has worked out very well for us, and seems to have a very positive effect on them as well. My best to you!

I don't think he's too young for a schedule, and I believe that a lot of moms need a schedule as well in order to feel like there's some order and control - a difficult thing with a brand new baby! I'd recommend spending a week noting what your son seems to want to do at certain points each day, and then making a schedule around that. When my son was first born and I realized that he would regularly nap an hour and a half after he woke up in the morning, I took my shower then. Being able to count on a shower each day changed my life! Be flexible, since he is still little, but go ahead and try it. It will definitely make you feel better about what you can get done each day. Good luck!

Hi S.~I have a 4yo son and a 3 mo daughter. I didn't put my son on a schedule right away, which was a big mistake, and is still kicking me in the butt to this day. My daughter though, I started working her into a schedule when she was about 1 month old. I started by letting her sleep in her own room at 4 wks. Before then she was in a bassinet in my room. Once she got used to her crib, which took a few days, I really started the schedule. I'd like to mention that I am nursing her. During the day, it feels like she is constantly attached to me. She eats at about 8am, then sleeps from 9am until about 10:30am. She will eat again when she gets up, and again at noon and 1pm. After her 1pm feeding, I put her down for a nap. Sometimes I am rocking with her for quite a while, but she is almost always completely asleep by 2pm. She will then nap until about 4pm, and again eating when she wakes up, at 5:30, 7:00 and again at 8:00. With her 8pm feeding she usually ends up falling asleep while eating. I was told not to let her, so I was waking her for a while after eating. Doing that caused it to take a long time to get her to bed, and she was waking up 1-2 times a night, which I know isn't bad at all!! But, I decided to try and let her just go to bed while nursing, which definitely works for us. She is now sleeping thru the whole night, about 9pm until 8 or 8:30am. She is now 14 weeks, and it did take me about 1 month to get her on that schedule, but it was definitely well worth it. I just wish I had pushed the schedule on my son also. Sorry about all the rambling!!
Good luck & Congrats on the new baby!!!
J.

I'm also a big believer in that routine making for a happier baby. No, he's not too young for a schedule/routine. Just keep trying and he'll take to it real soon. At 6 weeks, he has the brain development to take to a schedule. I remember my second one was a little harder than the first to grasp the routine as well. I thought for sure he'd be a tough baby when he was about 6 weeks because he would do the same type of thing, but he soon caught on and did GREAT. Slept thought the night really well and napped well. He's now 19 months and an EXCELLENT sleeper still. Started sleeping through the night at 8.5 weeks and napped really well consistently by then as well. Just keep trying to keep him awake during feedings and after as you are doing. You didn't mention whether you are nursing but when nursing, a hormone is released that causes drowsiness (for both of you actually). Warm milk also releases that hormone (same hormone as in turkey), so maybe in formula milk too. Plus it's just relaxing for the baby to lay there and eat all cozy in mom's arms. So just keep trying to keep him awake after eating as you are doing...maybe try the tilting the head back for that reflex that opens the eyes, blow on the forehead to play with him/stimulate him, stuff like that. I remember doing all that quite a bit for my second and sooner or later he would suddenly perk up and be ready to play like he snapped out of the drowsiness. Then he'd go down for his nap halfway through the eating increment. Though he didn't seem real tired when I put him down, he would go to sleep on his own without a crutch and nap well until the next feeding. Like you alluded to, he'll get a lot better restful sleep with the routine, but some kids I think it just takes a little more to get them into the groove. Best wishes to you!

I don't think he is too young. I have 2 girls and for us the schedules were key. We followed the book Babywise (Gary Ezzo), which explains the schedules in detail. I did notice with my second one it took a little longer maybe 8 weeks to get her to stay awake after eating, but I was still able to keep her feeding schedule to every 3 hours until she was able to say awake after a meal. Good luck!

I think he's way to young for a schedule. If you are nursing, I would not really expect a schedule until he's around months old. Breastfed babies need to eat on demand, which in our case meant pretty much around the clock, and 18 months later, is still quite often.

If his natural inclination is to fall asleep after eating, then let him. Why can't he have activity time when he wakes up? I would not try to change his nature. He should be calling the shots for the next few months, after that you can take cues from him and work a schedule around his natural rhythms.

S., When my son was 6 weeks old, I didn't have him on a schedule (other than napping him within 2 hours of him waking up from his last nap). However, I did start a bedtime ritual with him at 6 weeks and be 10 weeks he was nearly sleeping through the night! He has really been a great sleeper, and I do think that rituals and routines help the child understand what to expect at a time where they can't communicate well. Hope that helps.
A.

I'm going to weigh in with another vote for "too early". But it depends on what you mean by "schedule". If you want to try and keep him awake a bit after feeding, you can certainly try - talk to him, smile at him etc - but don't take it the wrong way if he's so tired that he falls asleep. Similarly, if you need to leave for an hour so you decide to feed him before you go instead of waiting until his regular meal time, he'll probably eat on your schedule. But he may not eat as much as he would have if you'd waited for him to ask for it. I guess what I'm saying is that you should do things to make YOUR life easier, but ultimately he is going to decide whether he will cooperate.

I do not feel that anyone is too young for a schedule. I think you will be happier in the end if you do put him on a schedule now. The only thing I caution you on is be aware when he needs to alter the schedule according to his needs later on. I got real frustrated when my daughter gave up her morning nap but I was not paying attention to the fact that she did not need it anymore.