https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:19:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032338 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:41:47 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1032338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had no routine! We just got by and did what we can. My LO also ate often. Good for you for already waking up at the same time every day.... we were all over the place for a while! She was a terrible sleeper!<br /> We didn't fall into any sort of schedule until 6ish months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032311 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:26:15 +0000 autumnlove 1032311@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsbookworm: Same here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032307 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:24:49 +0000 Boheme 1032307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsbookworm: It makes me feel better that I'm not the only one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032286 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:07:12 +0000 mrsbookworm 1032286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Other than a bedtime routine, we don't really have one. I basically feed him when he's hungry and try to get him to nap when he's tired. It's very inconsistent from week to week. He keeps changing it up on me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032278 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 18:57:22 +0000 NovBaby1112 1032278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>at your LO's age, it was basically eat activity eat sleep. I think she had around 4 naps a day and they were all around 45 minutes-1 hour, unless I was holding her then she could sleep for hours :) She had 60-90 minutes of awake time. So basically I would nurse her, play for a bit- go outside, etc, nurse again, and then nap. I nursed to sleep for naps for the first 8 months so it was just easier that way, plus my LO is a frequent nurser so now way would she nap for a long time if she hadn't eaten right before her nap. I also did a "wind down" about 10 minutes before a nap. I would basically get her ready and let her know it would be nap time soon- sing to her and hold her, go in her room, turn on sound machine, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032191 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:34:41 +0000 Boheme 1032191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pink Champagne: The big problem is napping. I have to work really hard to make naps happen, and even then, they are in my arms and less than 30 minutes. I am more than happy to hold him but I worry about when I go back to work when he's 15.5 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032178 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:26:15 +0000 meganmp 1032178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did what @sslm: did, but we had the 1.5 hour awake time at that age. Whenever they woke up, I would put them down and hour and a half after that. The schedule ended up shifting every day just a bit (ie. 2nd nap wasn't always at noon, but it was close), but it was somewhat similar every day. I also wouldn't allow a less than 30 minute nap. They had to be in the crib that long, even if it meant me sitting in there with them. Mine nursed on demand, too, but dictating the nap schedule, and thus the eating schedule (we did EASY too) helped a lot. I also have to add in here that I somewhat disagree with the if-it-works-for-your-baby thing- if having no schedule is fine for your baby but not you, then it's not necessarily the best thing for your family. We've adopted the philosophy that, if the kiddos are fine either way, what makes things easiest for mom and dad is what is best for the family in general. That may seem selfish, but everyone here is thriving, so I think it's helped us all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032167 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:17:19 +0000 Pink Champagne 1032167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We fed and slept on demand for the first 4-5 months and it worked well for us. Babies go through so many growth spurts in the first few months that I didn't want to put LO on a strict feeding schedule (my friends who did this now have the FATTEST babies now, like Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man children, so maybe it is a good thing?).<br /> My LO STTN at 3 months old so it worked for us. I guess I would only worry/stress yourself out over a "routine/schedule" if not having one isn't working for your baby (ie, they're not gaining weight according the the dr, or they aren't napping, etc). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032119 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:38:32 +0000 Boheme 1032119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: He's 11 weeks :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032068 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:11:50 +0000 heartonastring 1032068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our routine happened organically based on her cues. But basically it centres around that 90 minutes is pretty much her maximum awake time.</p> <p>So usually she wakes up, eats, we play for the remainder of the wake time and then do our pre-nap routine (walk around quietly with a back pat for a couple minutes then swaddle, white noise, nurse to sleep). After she wakes up from her nap, we do it all again :)</p> <p>She generally wakes up for the day between 7:30 and 8. She takes two long naps (1.5-2 hours) and then her third nap is usually only 30 minutes and usually while we're out for a walk. She goes to bed at 8. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032047 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:57:09 +0000 tlcbaby 1032047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our routine is pretty much the EASY schedule-I feed him when he wakes up and we play until he starts acting tired. Umm play is used looslely because it sometimes involves him watching me cook dinner, but we do something. Then he takes a nap and we start over when he wakes up. He is usually only awake anywhere from an hour to 1 1/2 hours and naps 45 to 60 minutes at a time, sometimes a little longer. It has made my days much more predictable and manageable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032033 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:52:11 +0000 Bookish 1032033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't have a daytime routine at all yet. I'm trying to figure out how to get her to eat every few hours so she doesn't melt down at daycare... But yeah there is no routine. Yesterday she barely napped and today she was asleep almost all day. Oh well. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1032024 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:48:53 +0000 immabeetoo 1032024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@grizz: at 8.5 months his naps still vary ; some babies aren't as schedule-able I think! We followed time frames, so his next nap was dictated by when his last one ended. Around 5.5 months it finally felt like a somewhat predictable schedule. When he was maybe 2 months I started trying other soothing methods first instead of instantly offering to nurse and he actually started sleeping better because he was eating more, less frequently and filling up. If that makes sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1031993 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:39:18 +0000 sslm 1031993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How old is he again?</p> <p>Around 4 weeks or so I started a 2 hours awake rule. As soon as M had been awake for 2 hours I put her down for a nap. In the beginning that meant getting out in the car, or putting her in the stroller, because she just wouldn't nap in the crib. Around 8 weeks she started napping in her crib. During the 2 hours of awake I would play with her, do tummy time, sing, read... or I would run errands like groceries and stuff. When she started napping in her crib I also did walks when she was awake.</p> <p>Now our "schedule" is pretty much the same (she's 17 weeks). She still eats on demand, but usually that's just before naps (since she only naps 45-60 minutes these days!!!). She goes to bed and wakes up around the same time every day, but since her nap lengths vary, she doesn't nap at the same time each day... we're working on that!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-your-routine-for-your-ebf-baby#post-1031981 Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:34:29 +0000 Boheme 1031981@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm trying to start a routine for DS but I'm having trouble since he is EBF and eats on demand. We've gotten as far as getting up the same time every day, and we go to bed at the same time every night with a bedtime routine. It works well.</p> <p>Where I'm struggling is the rest of the day! His eating and naps are really unpredictable. How did you start a routine? Do you mind sharing what it is/was? </p>