0-4 month baby routines do NOT have to be scary! This 0-4 weeks newborn routine will defineitly help with your fears!
The first few weeks with a newborn can seem daunting, but if you have a game plan and a bit of “prep” you’ll know just what to do! And that’s what I’m here to help you with!
I’ve had so many great responses to my Baby Routine Post! Some of you guys even wanted some in depth detail regarding babies and routines.
In response to the awesome questions and emails I received about the routine post as my post on 14 Newborn Musts, I thought I would break down the route by age over the course of a few posts!
As all mamas know, babies are always changing. It seems like the moment we start to feel settled and get a handle on our baby’s stage of life… everything changes!
The younger your baby is, the quicker they change! Now that Parker James is 1, I’ve realized we’ve been on his current routine since he was about 6 months old!
We of course make adjustments as needed for how we do things or how long etc. But how many times he naps and his nursing routine have stayed fairly the same.
In my baby routine post, I described why babies need routine and gave you a game plan to get your little one on a routine from day one. Before I jump into the 0-4 weeks newborn routine, I’ll give a bit of a recap!
THE BOOK
Like I’ve said in my other posts regarding babies and routine, we could not live without this book. All the knowledge I’m bestowing on you now is based on Tracy Hogg’s phenomenal book.
(This book even made my Newborn Must Have List! Check it out!)
Tracy Hogg’s “The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems” gives parents such incredible insight to caring for newborns as well as ways to avoid developing poor habits with your child.
Before this book, I honestly thought I knew a lot about caring for a newborn. I had grown up around babies. I babysat a LOT. When I was 16, I nannied a baby girl for an entire summer who was only 6 weeks old when I started.
That summer taught me a lot so I figured when I was 25 having my first baby I would be fine! We thought we had a plan. After reading Tracy’s book…. we realized we were definitely mistaken!
I’m so grateful I read it BEFORE we had Jaden.
After reading this book and following its advice with my first baby, I firmly believe these guidelines are spot on when it comes down to how babies operate and what they need when.
Before I read Tracy’s book, I didn’t stop to think about how many times during the day the baby would eat or how many naps he would need. Like many parents, I planned to almost “go with flow” and see how it went each day depending on what the baby told me… (FYI – bad idea HA!).
By reading her book, I’ve learned that babies definitely need structure and routine even from day one. I strongly encourage you to read the book! Below are some insights I’ve gleaned from the “baby whisperer’s” book!
BABIES NEED STRUCTURE
This can sometimes go against what we think about babies’s needs. I would agree with most that being too rigid with a new baby is too harsh.
(I’ve actually found babies can push back against super strict schedules! Just ask a mama who is trying to get somewhere with her newborn on time!)
But trying to force a baby with a strict schedule with things happening at an exact time is much different than having a cycled routine. When you establish a routine with your baby, (especially this 0-4 weeks newborn routine) it’s more about the order of events rather than an exact time the event happens.
(This was my first point in my 14 Musts When Bringing Home Baby post!)
Developing structure and a routine with your baby, builds a bond of trust between parent and child. This makes the baby more content and happier overall!
And it’s super important to get a routine established from day one which is why this 0-4 week newborn routine is so helpful!
BABY CUES
The other reason why it’s so helpful to get your baby on this 0-4 weeks newborn routine is to help you know what the baby needs. Many parents find that to be the hardest part of the first few weeks.
However, if your baby is on a routine and you just fed them, chances are they’re not fussing for food. They’re probably ready for sleep already!
This 0-4 weeks newborn routine helps you take out the “guessing” component and acts as a road map to your day.
"ACCIDENTAL PARENTING
BABY CUES
Developing good habits is key to keeping a newborn settled and soothed. It’s very easy to want to follow the baby and just go off of what you think they’re trying to tell you.
This usually leads to what Tracy refers to as “accidental parenting.” You think you’re helping the situation but in the long run making bigger problems for yourself and the baby.
For example, let’s say the baby has been eating for 30-45 minutes and starts to fuss. What’s next in the 0-4 weeks newborn routine is a quick diaper change and then back to bed so the baby is probably just tired.
However, some parents may take that as a sign the baby needs more food so they continue to him. This would lead to the baby being MORE fussy because their belly would hurt and probably lead to indigestion!
DON'T FOLLOW THE BABY
But the poor parents just thought they were helping their baby by continuing to feed him. If this happened often and the parents followed the baby instead of gently guiding him, this could lead to a LOT of problems.
This would be considered “accidental parenting”. Many parents fall into those patterns. Sometimes in regards to sleeping troubles or eating troubles or soothing methods.
It may seem like a simple solution in the moment, but down the road will lead to more problems. Lead the baby, don’t follow him!
Establishing a 0-4 weeks newborn routine is crucial. Especially in the first few weeks for keeping a happy, fed and rested baby. Which, of course, in turn results in happy, rested mamas!
(Be sure to check out my post on Newborn Must Haves!)
0-4 WEEKS NEWBORN ROUTINE SPELLED OUT
To make it easy to remember, Tracy made up an acronym called:
E. A. S. Y.
- Eat
- Activity
- Sleep
- Your Choice
Like I said above, the routine isn’t so much about when you do things but the order of events to develop good sleeping and eating habits. These activities basically just rotate around the clock throughout your day!
BABY MUST WAKE UP TO EAT
It’s important that the baby learns to put herself to sleep and not rely on mom to nurse or a bottle. This is definitely an “easy” method of getting your little one to sleep but will come back to bite you down the road!
This is why eating is first in this 0-4 weeks newborn routine. Be sure to feed your baby after they’ve slept.
If you think about it, that’s how we as adults function! (or at least we should!) We wake up to eat and we go to sleep (hopefully) without food.
Eating after the baby has slept is also better for their digestion.
ACTIVITY
Babies need time after they’ve eaten to move around and digest instead of just going straight back to bed.
Just as we as adults like to go for a walk after lunch or dinner to help work out the food we just ate, the baby needs to get a bit of activity in before bed.
Activity before bed not only helps with digestion but also helps the baby to have a bit of “exercise” which will lead to more restful sleep.
(Just be sure not to do anything too overstimulating before bed!)
Activity will also look different depending on the age. For a 0-4 week old newborn, he will probably only be up about 5-15 minutes for a quick snuggle and diaper change.
This will change as the baby gets older and more skills. When the baby starts eating table food, it will be important that you still nurse (or bottle feed) before their meal.
(Post coming soon on how we did Baby Led Weaning (or eating) with our boys! It worked wonders! Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a post and check back often for updates!)
0-4 WEEKS NEWBORN ROUTINE:
It’s important to get babies started on the eat, play, sleep routine right away. Most hospitals help you with this. When babies are born, they can usually go 3-4 hours without eating (unless they were a premie or going through a growth spurt).
Bigger babies can probably make it every 4 hours, but for now, let’s just assume your baby wakes to eat every 3 hours during the day. Hopefully with the right day time routine, you can stretch their night routine longer!)
When babies are still under a month old, they will most likely need a “tank-up” or cluster feed in the evening as well as a dream feed before sleeping as long as possible at night.
0-4 WEEKS NEWBORN ROUTINE:
7 am- EAT
-Feed (nurse or bottle-It generally takes newborn babies about 30-45 minutes to nurse/take a bottle.)
7:45 am- ACTIVITY
– Change baby and snuggle.
8 am-8:10 am- SLEEP/YOUR CHOICE
– Swaddle baby, put to bed. (Refer back to my 14 Musts or Establishing a Routine post for more on helping baby sleep!)
YOU TIME!-
If you can, go back to bed until the next feeding!
10 am- EAT
-Feed (nurse or bottle).
10:45 am- ACTIVITY
– Change baby and snuggle.
11 am-11:10 am- SLEEP/YOUR CHOICE
– Swaddle baby, put to bed.
YOU TIME!:
-Take a shower! Take a nap! REST, mama! Eat some healthy food (check out How to be a Trim Healthy Mama for an awesome eating plan while you’re still breastfeeding/recovering!)
1 pm- EAT
-Feed (nurse or bottle).
1:45 pm- ACTIVITY
– change baby and snuggle
2 pm-2:10 pm- SLEEP/YOUR CHOICE
– Swaddle baby, put to bed.
YOU TIME!
-Rest or watch a show on Netflix and gear up for your “tanking-up” afternoon/evening.
4 pm-EAT
-Feed (nurse or bottle).
4:45 pm- ACTIVITY
– Change baby and snuggle.
5 pm-5:10 pm- SLEEP/YOUR CHOICE
– Swaddle baby, put to bed.
6 pm- EAT (Tank -up!)
-Feed (nurse or bottle). You’ll probably have to wake her for this feeding since it’s out of the normal 3 hour cycle.
6:45 pm- ACTIVITY
-Change baby and snuggle.
7:30 pm- SLEEP
-Just a quick cat nap. If the baby can stay up just a little longer after her tank-up/cluster feedings, it will help her sleep better throughout the night.
8 pm-EAT (Last meal for the day!)
-Feed (nurse or bottle)
8:45 pm- ACTIVITY–
-Change baby for bed
9pm- SLEEP!
-Put the baby to bed and enjoy a short little evening until baby’s dreamfeed!
11 pm- DREAM FEED:
-Sneak in baby’s room and nurse/give a bottle while they’re still asleep! If you have a super sleepy baby like mine were, it may be easiest to change them first, then feed them. This will help to wake them a bit in order to have a good dream feed.
He should just fall back asleep while nursing. Once he’s done, just put him in bed and head to bed, mama!
Hopefully all this tanking-up and dream feeding will help baby to give you a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep!
3 am- EAT
-Nurse/bottle, change baby and right back to bed for you both!
7 am-
Start the cycle over!
There you go! This should give you a game plan for the first several weeks home with your new baby. There are of course times when the routine or the day won’t go as planned. However, just get right back on the horse the next day and try again!
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I hope this 0-4 week newborn routine and schedule was helpful for you! If you have any specific questions I’d love to chat! Shoot me an email! Be sure to subscribe below so you never miss a post on baby schedules and tips! Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest!