Can anyone give me advice on how to get a 3 month old into a routine?

We have been demand feeding the majority of the time and wake our son at around 10pm for a top up and nappy change in the hope he will sleep through the night a little longer than 3 - 4 hourly. He is formula fed (not sure if this makes any difference.) But we would really like some guidance regarding routines during day...Like if my son is alseep at 7am should I get hime up and play with him and put him back down at 9 for a 2 hour nap???? How many sleeps and how long should his sleeps be during the day...First time mum here!


Thanks in anticipationCan anyone give me advice on how to get a 3 month old into a routine?
Try getting a stuffed animal, like a small teddy bear that you only give to your son when its time for him to sleep. With my daughter, I just kept it quiet and dark after her last feeding before I went to bed at night. Sometimes she slept a few hours, and sometimes she slept through the night, but she eventually got into a routine. You might try not waking him at 10, but just waiting until he wakes on his own. Don't rush in at the first sound. I'm sure this will be hard if one or both of you have to work the next morning, and your first instinct will probablly be to keep him quiet. Even now, my daughter is 7 mo. old, and sometimes its just a matter of walking in her room, giving her a pacifier, and she will go right back to sleep. But if he cries for more than 5 min, he probablly is hungary. Also, try to stimulate him as little as possible so he will fall back to sleep. Don't play with him or even talk to him, just smile, and touch him. Your presence will be soothing enough. He will wake up on his own, and you will need to watch closely until you learn his cues that he is ready to be awake for awhile, and when he is ready for his nap. A baby book might be helpful to you as they can usually suggest a guideline for how much sleep he'll need. I think at that age, my daughter would be awake for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then sleep for 2-3, then wake to feed, but now she only takes 2- 2 hour naps, and sometimes a 3d for 1 hour. Good luck. Watch your son for cues, and he will communicate his needs to you.Can anyone give me advice on how to get a 3 month old into a routine?
at three months, your baby's routine is as follows: scream, eat, nap, diaper change, scream, eat, nap, diaper change, scream... I could keep going, but I think you get the idea...But no you should not wake him up if he is sleeping...Sleep enhances growth.. and it also gives you downtime....





Just remember your doing great as a first time mom
This was around the time that I started to somewhat get my daughter into a routine...but I am breastfeeding so it is just a little different, it means that I need to feed her slightly more often than you will need to feed your baby. I feed my baby at 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm.....so every three hours or so. As for beginning to set the schedule, the easiest way for me was to wait until a day where she woke up at 6am, and that was the day I decided to begin the schedule because it was the easiest.....she ate at 6:00...basically I offered a feeding every 3 hours and if she was hungry sooner, I would feed her but also offer a feeding on schedule so she would know what to expect. Hope this helps........fit in walks and baths as you like but try to do them the same time every day and your baby will get used to it.
Your three month old son maybe a little young to enforce a routine on him. But you can start the feed, play, sleep routine. Basically he wakes and you feed, then you play with him, Tummy time, bouncy time practise sitting up watching you hang out the washing. Try to change his position when you think he has lost interest, usually they stop looking at what they were, turning their heads away, getting upset or distressed. When you recognise his tired signs get him ready for bed but also don't forget to do a nappy change at a convenient time during the play. Put him down to sleep using the same method so it creates a cue for sleep, a story, stuffed toy, particular song etc and keep going through out the day. The last feed at night before they settle to bed supposedly for the night time (my 10mo still wakes for a feed, lol) make sure you bath, massage (if you feel comfortable and your baby likes it), bottle/boob, and then start bed time proceedings. I would think your baby would still need at least 3 sleeps of 1.5 hours per day probably more but definitely not less (unless not a big sleeper and usually happy and easy to handle). Gently coax him don't try to stuff him into a routine and make sure it is convenient for all of you.


Good luck.
BABY'S THIS AGE SLEEP MOST OF THE DAY. WHAT TIME DO YOU NORMALLY GO TO BED. SET UP A BEDTIME ROUTINE FOR THE HOUR BEFORE. LIKE BATHING, SINGING, ROCKING, READING, AND LAST FEEDING WHATEVER IT IS DO IT EVERY NIGHT AND DO IT AT THE SAME TIME SAME ORDER. DONT WAKE THE BABY FOR FEEDINGS UNLESS IT THE TIME YOU EAT AS A FAMILY AND WANT HIM TO GET USED TO FOR THE FUTURE. I WOULD LET HIM SLEEP WHENEVER THROUGH-OUT THE DAY AND TRY TO PLAY WITH HIM FOR ABOUT 10 - 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE BEDTIME ROUTINE SO THAT HE CAN GET THE ENERGY OUT TO SLEEP AND THEN HE MAY BE ABLE TO SLEEP LONGER AND IF IT DOESNT HAPPEN THE FIRST COUPLE NIGHT LET HIM GET USED TO THE ROUTINE BEFORE YOU TOSS IT. BUT ITS A GOOD THING TO START WHILE THERE YOUNG. TRY GETTING HIM UP WHEN YOU DO AND GETTING HIM DRESSED AND TEACHING HIM HOW YOU START THE DAY SO HE WILL LEARN YOUR ROUTINE.AND TRY TO LAY HIM DOWN AT THE TIME YOU WANT HIM TO LEARN AS NAP TIME SO EVEN IF HE DOESNT SLEEP HELL KNOW THAT THATS THE TIME HES GOT TO SPEND IN HIS CRIB BUT PLAY WITH HIM BEFORE HAND SO HE WILL WANT TO SLEEP. BUT REMEMBER THAT HE IS JUST A BABY NOT A ROBOT AND SOMETIMES YOUR JUST GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH NOT GETTING ANY SLEEP WHEN YOU HAVE A BABY. I DIDNT GET MUCH SLEEP WITH MY FIRST ONE BECAUSE WE DIDNT HAVE A ROUTINE SO START NOW AND STICK WITH IT.GOOD LUCK!