Introducing Ali and Laura from the Babyworks, an established maternity and nanny agency that specializes in offering parents a broad range of maternity and childcare services. 

Whilst you are pregnant much of the time is spent focusing on labour.  No-one really prepares you for life at home with your newborn baby.  Many parents find the first few days an emotional rollercoaster as they settle into their new lives as a family.

The initial couple of months with your newborn baby, are best spent getting to know each other, at this stage many babies are too small for a routine so try and nap when your baby naps so that you are well rested. When you first come home from hospital everyone will be keen to see the baby, try and limit visitors if you are not up to it.   

At The BabyWorks, we believe that a good feeding pattern is the foundation of establishing a longer-term routine for your baby.  Depending on the baby’s weight, 6-8 weeks is a good time to start focusing on establishing a good feeding routine

Any feeding pattern will always depend on the baby’s weight, the bigger your baby the more he or she will be able to drink at each feed and therefore the longer they will be able to go between feeds.

It is important to set a routine that suits you and your family life.  You will both benefit from having some structure in your day, for example, if you have other kids and need to get them to school you will need to establish a morning feed at a certain time to fit around the school run.

Try to keep a note of how long your baby has slept for, especially during the day, as you will begin to notice a pattern forming.   I always found it useful to have some white noise on in the background when my baby was sleeping so that if the doorbell or phone rang it wouldn’t disturb the baby.

Distinguish between day-time and night-time.  During night feeds, keep the lights low, and talk in a soft voice, try not to have too much eye contact. During the day keep the room light while feeding and talk to your baby.

It is good to have a regular pattern for an evening routine so that your baby has some consistency and knows its bedtime and can begin to settle, for example bath, breast/bottle, bed.  Your life will become easier long term if you start this early on.

Don’t beat yourself up if you are struggling to find a routine that works for you.  If you have a good network of support around you take advantage of it!!!!

Ali & Laura

The BabyWorks www.thebabyworksonline.co.uk

Share on Facebook