It Can Feel Like A lot and Sometimes Impossible
Structuring your day with a newborn probably feels virtually impossible right now. There’s the feedings, the diaper changes (and thousands of outfit changes), constantly being nap trapped (IYKYK), and not to mention the pure exhaustion that you’ve been feeling since they were born – you’re wiped out! The days drag on then somehow, all of a sudden, it’s time for dinner and you realize all you’ve had is a handful of mixed nuts and the same cup of coffee that you’ve been reheating all day. Sounds familiar, right? Well it doesn’t have to be like this everyday! In this blog, I’ll outline what a typical day with a newborn can look like as well as share a sample schedule that can help you structure your day and in turn can help with your overnights as well.
While a regimented schedule is not feasible nor appropriate for a newborn, knowing proper awake and feeding times can help craft a solid day that doesn’t always get away from you. The best way to structure the day is to work in a twelve hour pattern (the sample schedule will help break this down a bit more!).
Start Your Day Off Bright
Try to start your morning at the same time everyday – sometime between 7-8am is ideal. Open the curtains, turn on the lights, make it BRIGHT – this will help ensure your baby knows it’s day time. Then get in a nice full feed, a good burp, and some playtime.
Start to mimic this every morning, and get yourself into the habit of wake → eat → play → sleep for the rest of the day. This will build some structure into your day as well as help avoid the “eating to sleep” habit that can easily form with newborns. With that being said, if your baby is hungry before a nap, feed them! Just do your best to avoid feeding them until they fall asleep.
HOT TIP: If you find that your baby falls asleep easily while feeding, try the “Naked Feeding” trick, and strip them down to just a diaper before a feed. They’ll be a little chilly and uncomfortable, and less likely to fall asleep while eating. But like I said, keep the diaper on, and don’t actually feed them fully naked unless you feel like getting peed or pooped on!
In terms of feeding times, every 2-3 hours is an appropriate window between feedings. Try to avoid feeding on demand. If your baby is crying, but you just fed them a full feeding 45 minutes ago, it’s likely something else. They could be overtired (awake windows are explained next), have gas, or are just plain bored and need a little stimulation like tummy time or supervised playtime in their activity gym or swing (don’t forget about all those fun gadgets you have, you got them for a reason!)
Awake Windows
If you’re like me when I first started reading about pediatric sleep you’re probably like “what the actual f**k is an awake window, and why is everyone talking about them?” Unlike Tay Money, I did NOT understand the assignment. So you can avoid feeling like me, I’m here to explain them to you! An awake Window is the amount of time your child is awake between naps (feels good to be part of “in crowd” now, right?) From birth – 8 weeks old the proper awake windows are between 45-60 mins then increase to 1hr-1hr 45min from 8 weeks – 3 months old. I know that literally sounds like ZERO time for them to be awake, but as they get older, and start taking in more milk at a time, their sleep will start to consolidate into a more regular pattern. Ensuring you’re paying attention to the awake windows is KEY to avoiding your baby getting overtired. An overtired newborn (or any baby/toddler for that matter) is the actual WORST, because then it causes a vicious cycle of skipped naps, undereating, increased overnight wakings, and/or early morning wakings. Who the F wants that?! Check out my little cheat sheet to help you determine the correct wake windows for your little one:
Do You, Boo-Boo.
Having a newborn can be overwhelming and come with a plethora of emotions, so start building our day around small goals and incorporate activities to help make those long and exhausting days a bit more manageable. Something like a nice long walk (if you’re physically up for it of course), or a trip to the park if you have other little ones that could use some fresh air/need to blow off some steam. A little vitamin D never hurt nobody, honey! If you live in the northeast like me and you’re currently freezing your @$$ off, try walking around your local mall.
Another thing that I personally always made time for was a shower. Either wait for your partner to get home and tap in for their shift, or when your baby is safely asleep in their crib/bassinet/pack-n-play, grab the monitor and hit the showers! It can help clear your mind and give you that nice little reset that you so desperately need.
Lastly, try a few bonding activities with your baby like skin to skin, tummy time practice, or a nice little infant massage. These are all great ways to connect with your baby, plus it helps to break up the day a bit as well.
So, like I said, I am not suggesting a set/strict schedule, because we all know that every day with a newborn is completely different. However, bringing a little structure into your day with a loose schedule can not only be helpful for you (and your sanity), but it will help prepare your baby for how they will adjust over time when their schedule becomes more predictable. And, as promised, I’ve included a download of my Newborn-2mo sample schedule below. Now go’head, girl, and talk about awake windows like you’ve known about them for years!
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