I loved, I mean LUH-HUVED, being the mother of my infants. I'm sure my husband will remind me of the moments when a toddler was crying in a crib, an infant crying on the loveseat and a momma crying on the couch. BUT, I really did love it. I loved nursing my babies and holding them close. I didn't hate getting up in the middle of the night. I loved to watch them recognize my face and voice, their eyes lighting up with joy at seeing me. Robby was such an "angel" baby. Textbook baby. He did everything babies are supposed to do right on time or early. Melanie was much more difficult, until we discovered she was lactose intollerant and then she too was pretty easy as well. I think one of the key elements that helped was following a schedule each day. In honor of all my friends who are having babies, here is my Works(ed) for Me Wednesday tip.
The EASY Schedule (credit to Tracy Hogg and her book The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer). This is a simple scheduling model that allows for flexibility and yet keeps the baby's environment stable. "E" is for Eat. Start your baby with a 2 hour routine that begins with eating. Feed the baby at regular intervals and then the baby knows when to expect food and feels satisfied without over eating.
"A" is for Activity. Follow up feeding time with an activity. With newborn infants this will be talking to him, bathing or even just a few minutes with a toy. As the baby gets bigger and feedings are spread out to 3 hours or more, this is a good time for tummy time, bouncy seats, reading books and playing with developmental toys. At first activities will be 15 minutes to 30 minutes of active time, but eventually it will work up to 30-60 minutes.
"S" is for sleep. Now, is the time to lay your baby down to sleep. The first few days babies do seem to sleep all the time, but eventually they need some awake time. By spacing out the feeding and sleeping with an activity in between, the baby learns to fall asleep on his own. This helps to avoid a baby who falls asleep every time they are fed, which can lead to a baby falling asleep too quickly and never quite getting a satisfying meal.
And, finally, "Y" is for You! While baby sleeps Momma gets some "me" time. Take a shower, pick up the house a little, cook a meal or, better yet, take a nap, too!!
This worked great for me, even with a fussy baby. We did our best to stick to this simple routine for about the first year- year and a half. Stretching out the activity and nap times to accomodate a growning child. My kids were able to sleep through car rides, grocery shopping and even concerts if it was during their normal "sleep" time. It helped everyone, including baby, to know what to expect from the day. It also simplified babysitting, whether it was Dad, Grandma or a teenager, the babysitter knew what to do and what to expect. Of course, there are always minor glitches and times when the schedule has to shift, but IT WORKED FOR ME! Hope it works for you too!
