Basic Tips/Tricks on New Baby Schedules

1. Start Immediately

2. Differentiate Day and Night

3. Routine, Routine, Routine

The recommended time to start is the first week you are home. Whether at the beginning or end of the overwhelming week, it's the perfect time with all the visitors you are likely to have!

Whom ever tells you it's too early to start... well we'll just say ignore them. Sure your newborn baby owns you the first month because of the constant feedings, diapering, and random sleeping, but that doesn't mean their brains aren't learning.

How do we differ the the day from the night? Yes. It is that simple.

During the daytime it's bright, loud, and active.

Daytime Do's:

1. Keep it light where ever baby is during the day.

• When the sun starts to head down, especially during daylight savings keep lights on in the house.
• If it's always dark...well then there will be no correlation to your baby.

2. Keep the house volume UP.

• e.g. people talking with normally (No Whispering, tv/radio playing, and/or a baby music device playing
• If it is too quiet during nap-time you can later have issues with them sleeping during the holidays (around a lot of people) or when traveling.

3. Carry your baby around in the baby carrier while doing household chores.

• Vacuuming can be a soothing white noise and at the same time keep your baby from fearing it!

Night is dark and quiet.

Of course you may be wondering: Well a newborn wakes up frequently at night; I can't change a diaper in the dark! We'll give you tips/tricks about this in the "Tips/Tricks" section!

Nighttime Do's:

1. Swaddle.

2. Keep the room dark.

• Try using nightlights, if you aren't comfortable with complete darkness.

3. Keep your house quiet.

• Unless you use a unique device or sounds that are only used during this time!

4. Start a bed time Routine.

The most important of them all! Starting a routine and sticking with it won't only help your baby with differentiating day from night, but create a good habits and lead eventually lead to more sleep for you at night.

Nighttime is the easiest to begin with!

Nighttime Routine:

Bath Time: Once the umbilical stub falls off it will become easier, but until then try giving the sponge baths at night time before their 7 PM-9 PM feeding.

Reading Night Theme Books: On nights you don't need to bathe them or until you need to bath them every night. Replace this time with a nighttime story.

• You may be reading books all day long to your baby, but making a theme, such as "Goodnight moon" at bedtime will help them learn the difference!

Baby Massage: Including a massage every night will help your baby developing muscles, but also it will help keep your baby calm before "Bed Time."

• Use Coconut Oil or Baby Lotion.

Swaddle: Swaddle you baby tight at night.

• Your baby may not like to be swaddled at all, or may like their just feet or just arms out. Every baby is different so you will have to experiment. They offer all kinds of swaddles or you can just use a classic blanket!

Day Routine:

Playtime: Keeping baby stimulated during the day with toys and sounds. Their little brains are going a mile a minute, so keeping them entertained during the day.

Tummy Time: Tummy time is a necessary for your baby's development. Especially since these days we have all these chairs and toys that put them on their backs all day. Tummy time will help!

• "In the late ’80s and early ’90s, research began to show an association between SIDS and prone (on the tummy) sleeping." according to TodaysParent.com.
  
• If baby cries a lot during tummy time, try on your chest and/or shorter periods of time more frequently throughout the day.

"Keep it strictly business, during the night!" a wise woman once said.

Try not to sing to your baby, or talk to them at night.

• Yes, you need to soothe them sometimes with your voice, but what we mean is DO NOT talk cute to them in the middle of the night while you change their diapers, getting them excited. Once you get that brain stimulated you may have trouble getting them back to sleep.
• Change the diaper, Feed them, Rock, if needed, and put them straight back to bed.

Keep it dark. Some people use different colored bulbs, like Amber or Red Light bulbs. It is bright enough to function, but helps aid in sleep time. It doesn't fully wake your baby up and have him think it is daytime.

• http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/lightcolor.htm (An OSU study on the color you use in your night lights)

If you co-sleep with your baby. Be extremely careful, especially if you aren't using a bed made for it. Keep their crib in your room for the first few months, so you can go back and forth from their bed and co-sleeping so you will can eventually have them sleep on their own in their very own room.

Get a Dry Erase Calendar and/or Board to keep track of everything. It's good to have a meal plan not only for the baby, but for you and your significant other. You don't have to stick strictly to it, it's there so you don't get off track!

Do what works best for your family! There is no right and wrong way to raise your kid. You will always know what's best for them, trust your gut. Developing a routine will just help you out in the long run and start it as soon as you can, you'll thank yourself later.

Hopefully, you find our suggestions, tips and tricks helpful and tweak them to your needs.