at what age should you try to put a baby on a schedule?

Question

my husband and i have been fighting about this. my baby is only 3 weeks old and my husband thinks its time. Also any tips as to how to get a baby on schedule would be great. thanks

Answer 1

I think 3 weeks is too early for an infant to be "set" in a schedule... however, you can start putting them on a schedule and modifying it to your childs needs... By about 10 weeks there's more of a routine but it's still hard if the baby doesn't sleep through the night (most babies don't sleep through the night their first several months)

Answer 2

You're right. 3 weeks old is much too young to even think of a schedule. Babies should be nursed on demand and set their own schedule for quite sometime. Things usually fall into a routine (that is child-led) by the time the baby is a few months old. Just let your baby be your guide.

Answer 3

three weeks is way too early, no matter how hard you try its not going to happening. For now you should just go with the flow. Your baby will start to fall in his/her on loose routine as time goes by, probably starting around six weeks or so. I think about 3mths is a good time to start a flexible routine. My son is almost for months, basically he wakes, feeds, plays, then sleeps and he is up for about an 1-1/2, I let him be my guide though. The only thing we really stick with is his bedtime routine, same time every evening. Don't worry about a schedule for now. good luck.

Answer 4

The day i put my baby boy in daycare he was on a schedule at 6 weeks old. It make them better babies because they know what to expect. He wakes up at the same time everday. Eats at the same time everyday. Goes to bed at the same time. He knows when he get into the car he is going to daycare so he doesn't fuss. The daycare provider has him on a schedule just like school. I think it's a plus. Good luck.

Answer 5

6 wks is ideal from what i've read but theres nothing wrong w/ starting now by doing simple easy things that aren't bad for baby like making the house light and noisy/time for activity and stimulation in the day and dim and settled at night, bath at the same time, music/lullabys, not time for play and stimuation, feed in a specific spot and swaddle or whatever and put her to sleep in the same spot. it will b weeks probably b4 she starts to respond. feed her when she needs it and dont force her to do things or exhaust her. you have to go w/ her flow too.

Answer 6

as soon as they are born, the sooner you get them on a schedule the better, by 6 week your baby should sleep 9 hours through the night. and it should be a eat/wake/sleep schedule. but after 8:00 its ok for them to eat and go straight to sleep.

Answer 7

well, most babies put themselves on a schedule, my daughter is 3mths old and she is on a schedule, but she has been on one since she was born, but then, she had to be, I have a six year old and I have to get her on the bus by 6:55am, which means I need from 5:30am-6:45am exclusively for her, helping her dress, and brush her hair, making breakfast for her and daddy before he goes to work, and then making her lunch and getting her off on the bus, which also means I have to get dressed and ready. so my baby's schedule is as follows:

diaper change
dressed
5am bottle, at this point she usually falls back asleep in her carseat (which I keep inside as it just hooks into the base of our cars)
she then wakes up at 8am and i change her diaper again and then she plays for a little bit
9am bottle
she'll play for about an hour and then falls back asleep till 1pm
in which she then proceeds to have another diaper change and a bottle, and then she stays up playing and switching between bouncer seat, saucer, swing, tummy time and bassinett (she loves to watch her mobile)
my daughter comes home at 2:20
I make her a snack, and then we get ready for whatever activity she has that day
5pm bottle
I make dinner
on bath nights the 6 year old gets a bath at 7pm and goes to bed by 8pm, after I tuck her in the baby gets her bath has a bottle by 9pm and then both sleep. and the day starts all over again. she is formula fed, but not on any solid foods, so her day is pretty much a four hour feeding day, and she's been that way since she was born. but again, normally the babies themselves put them self on a schedule, I guess it just comes down to if you bottle feed or not as with breastfeeding I couldn't tell you if the baby is getting enough or not to hold over for the four hours. but either way what I had done in the past with my six year old was 15minutes on each breast, and then feeding was over, and if she started to fuss before 3-4 hours I distracted her or held her or rocked her. and with the new baby and bottle feeding, I would allow her to feed for only 30minutes and then I make her wait it out the four hours.

Answer 8

Before you give birth is ideal. I had bad heart burn and needed to eatsomething throughtout the night. I also had a pump in my leg giving me Brethine every hour for 3 months. My daughter was on the exact schedule as mine while i was pregnant. She was up ebery 2 hours for 2 YEARS.

I learned my lesson and he got started on a schedule (well the NICU people had him on a schedule from day 1). If they can do it, it can't be that wrong or cruel as others think. He is now 2 and goes to bed without a problem and gets up happy. My daughter now 3 still gets up and gets in bed with us. I ruined it with her. :-(

Answer 9

When the baby is maybe 2 or so. Young infants should be allowed to eat and sleep when they need to eat and sleep.

Answer 10

Your husband needs to read up on infant development.