Bedtime routine - when?

[PeggyL]

My DD is now 7 weeks and in the basket with me in the evening, last feed at about 10:30pm then upstairs to bed for both of us. What age should i start trying to move her upstairs and thinking of moving her out of our room and into nursery so which should i do first - earlier bedtime or nursery, or both at same time?! Total colic blur with DS so can't remember what i did when?!

[mrsR1991]

i did a bedtime routine even when daughter was newborn (bottle, bath, nappy, cuddles, bed) obv i was up in the night to feed her but gradually that stopped but always kept the routine the same and when her teeth started cutting at 4 months i added teeth cleaning to the routine after her bath. i moved her to her own room into the cot when she started sleeping through without needing a feed in the night which was at 4 months. when i put her down i always say "night night, i love you" and that's the last thing she hears from me. if i ever had to get up in the night to do a nappy or check on her i kept the hall light on but her bedroom light off and didn't speak to her so she didn't start getting excited thinking it's play time. she is now 13 months and i still do the same thing. from around 7 months she knew when it was bedtime. now as soon as we clean her teeth she plays up but as soon as she is in her cot for the night and we have said "night night i love you" she settles down and sleeps through :) good luck xx

[ExBrightonBell]

Hi Peggy. Congratulations on your baby first of all.

It might be useful to have a look at the SIDS website, which gives advice about safe sleeping. This includes not moving your baby into their own room until 6 months plus at a minimum. They also advise that baby has all sleeps in the same room as an adult for this same period of time.

[Wishiwasanheiress]

I am total opposite. Dd1 was in our room to 6mths, barely bothered with a routine per se til then either. Didn't appear to make any difference to her.

Dd2 is 6 wks. She gets a small routine of wash, kiss and change for bed about 8pm but stays in lounge with me til I go to bed.

Sometimes routines suit the adult more than the child so, if doing one makes u feel better or happier just do it. Happier u are, happier baby whatever u do.

[ExBrightonBell]

Sorry, linked to wrong website (well, an Australian one!), here is the uk correct info:

UK Safe Sleeping advice

[strawberrypenguin]

We started with a bedtime routine at around 10 weeks-ish once we had worked out what DSs sleep patterns were!

[MoonHare]

My first DC has slept really well at night since she was about 4 months old so we decided to repeat with the next 2 DCs exactly what we did first time around. Following this method with DC2 she is also a great sleeper, though woke for a feed in the night for longer than DC1.

Keep baby downstairs all evening cluster feeding until baby about 12 weeks old, bathe in baby bath downstairs when necessary - with nos 2 and 3 this was more like once a week not once a day!

At around 12 weeks introduce a regular bath every night upstairs in bathroom at same time as DC1 in the bath - just put baby bath on floor next to big bath. This is usually around 6.30 - 7pm ish. DH then puts older DC (s) to bed while I take baby into our room and feed with TV on low and no light, this usually takes an hour. I wait until baby drops off to sleep on the breast then pop into moses basket.

Downstairs for me for 2 hours of TV and adult conversation then up to bed - dream feed baby and pop back into moses basket - again this takes about an hour - I produce slow feeders. Usually down for the night around 12 - 12.30am.

Currently DC3 is waking once in the night about 4ish for a feed, she's 4 months old.

We move them into a cot in our room when the moses basket gets too small - around now really. Then into their own room in the cot when they stop waking in the night to be fed. About 10 months for DC2.

I'm far too lazy to get up in the night go into another room and feed a baby. I like to sit in my own bed and snooze while baby feeds.

Has worked a treat for us twice and going nicely according to plan this time too.

Best wishes with whatever you decide to do.

[Peanutbutternutter419]

Hi congratulations on DC!!

My LO is 12 weeks old today but when he was around 6 weeks old, i would feed him at 8 then i would go up to bed whilst DH looked after him downstairs. Then DH would bring him up to me at 10 for feed then he would be 'down for the night' but still feeding every 2 hours!

We have just adjusted his routine this week as noticed he was getting tired in the evening and he now has bath at 7.30, quiet time with me in our dark room, feed at 8.30 and asleep by 9pm.

Our little one dictated his routine in a way as we used to keep him downstairs with us until he showed signs of being really tired.

I agree with wishiwasa in that you should do what you want routine or not.

[PeggyL]

Thanks all, sometimes i forget I've done all this before! Planning on moving DC into nursery after Easter, moved DS at 3 months, but is personal choice xx