This week I've been trying get Q on a routine (both for her sanity and mommy and daddy's!). After researching online, my husband and I decided 6 weeks would be a good time to start this. Then I started reading the book, On Becoming Babywise ,and found out if we started Q's routine on week one, according to the book, she would already be sleeping through the night. Can I have a do-over?! After kicking myself for not reading the book sooner, we began the long process of starting a routine. *note: this book was loaned to me by a friend who has had success with this method three different times, so you know I jumped at the suggestion! The book suggests a parenting/feeding style called parent directed feeding, in this process I decide when she eats/sleeps/etc. while at the same time staying flexible to her needs and making sure she stays full, happy and satisfied. It's basically a nice medium between parent led routines and baby led routines. I'm all about nice happy mediums, I just can't take all the EXTREMES of the world!
Anyway, I began by looking at sample routines online and used the sample as a guideline for Q's routine. According to her routine, she gets three naps throughout the day and six feedings (or more if she wakes at night, which she ALWAYS does at the moment). The first two days were pretty rocky, so I revised the times to make it more accommodating for everyone (the day does NOT start before 7AM!). It's going.....how shall I say this......okay (I guess). I feel like it's more of a hit and miss with Q. Sometimes she's all about routine and making life easier for mommy and sometimes she just wants to see just how far she can push it (and she's only 6 weeks old! What does that mean for the teen years?!). Another obstacle we had to conquer was the transition from sleeping in her swing in mommy and daddy's room to her crib in her nursery. (**confession** sometimes I let her sleep beside us when she constantly wakes up. I know, I know this is BAD, VERY BAD! We're working on it, OK?!) All I can say about that is she's officially cried herself to sleep as of yesterday, during that time basically locked myself in our bathroom and made as much noise as possible so I wouldn't be tempted to go pick her up. You might think that makes me a bad mommy, and if so feel free to come get my child on a schedule for me!
All jokes and stress aside, I am still confident that I will succeed in this venture! I'm sure we will DEFINITELY be doing things differently in the future with Q's brother or sister (or maybe we'll just get a puppy and call it a day). I do believe she is getting better though and with the good grace of God we will survive! I'll be sure to give an update on how things are going soon!
*P.S. I kind of like getting parenting advice from everyone I know, but also kind of not. So if you will just give me some encouragement that would be just as fantastic! (Spanks! Love you!)
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