Consistency And Parenting

Consistency is of utmost importance whether you have just one baby or a car full. How do you do this? Finding a set way that you care for your baby is a great thing for you and for her. The first week that she is home, you will probably have a hard time keeping her awake enough to eat, but that is to be expected. Keeping her awake long enough to feed should be your goal this first week. By the second week, she will most likely be more alert for feedings. How you live your life can be a hindrance to your routine. Is your life scheduled and organized or do you live in chaos and do things as they happen? Keeping your routine flexible is very important for your baby because they sometimes will not follow a schedule. A flexible schedule does not mean that you live in chaos, it just means that you may have to slightly alter your schedule to meet your baby’s needs. Your baby goes through several stages. Let’s look at them. Stage 1: Stabilization—birth through 8 weeksIf you are breastfeeding, your main goal should be establishing milk production. Your baby’s goal should be establishing sleep and wake cycles. Set a routine up for your baby’s eating patterns so that you can decide when you need to run to the store, etc. Setting the time of her first feeding of the day can determine the rest of your daily routine. Stage 2: Extended Night—9-15 weeksAt this age, a breastfed baby may be able to sleep at night from 9 to 10 hours and a bottle fed baby can go about 11 hours. This is when you get to start sleeping through the night again. Your baby’s bedtime will be adjusted to be closer to the early-evening feeding. By the time she is around 3 months old, your baby should be eating around five or six times a day, but never less than four times. Stage 3: Extended Day—16-24 weeksUsually between 16-24 weeks, you will begin your child on solid food. Your pediatrician will let you know when you need to do this. By the time your baby is six months old, then their feeding times usually line up with family mealtimes, in addition to the extra bottles that she needs. Stage 4: Extended Routine—25-52 weeksDuring this period, your baby will eat three meals a day, along with a bottle before bed. She should be having two naps each day that range from 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours each.

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