Wake up, nap, wake up, feed, bath, change diaper, watch her sleep and repeat. Somehow in there I shower, brush my teeth, eat something and drink a mug of decaf trying to convince myself it will help with the tiredness.
Not much of a routine, we are operating more as an 'on-demand' kind of service. When she's hungry, I feed her, when she's poopy I change her and when she's tired I rock her to sleep for what seems like hours only to have her burst awake when her head hits the mattress.
I have read a lot on routines and how some mums have miracle babies that sleep through the night but not this gal! Admittedly, she now only wake up 1-2 times a night for feeds, which has been a game changer.
I have come to the conclusion that not all routines work, sometimes she is hungry at 7pm and other times she sleeps until 10pm and then goes down for 6 hours at a time. I am not sure how you can stick to a routine with a new baby! It just works better for me to go with the flow, accept that some nights will be worse than others and on occasion I will wake myself up during the night to check she is still breathing when she hasn't woken. I think all new mummas need to know this! There is so much out there about routines and perfect babies, but in reality, none of us are perfect - how can we be?
What works for me is making sure that I get up when she wakes around 6am. I feed her and change her so she is content. Then I make sure I shower with her in the bathroom (the fan and heat light seems to keep her occupied enough). That way I feel accomplished for the day even if that is the only thing I get done! Feeling that way is much better than getting to 11am and realising you need to brush your teeth. A morning "routine" like this has totally changed my outlook on the day.
After my morning bathroom routine, nothing else really has a schedule. There are days she will nap in the morning, and other days she won't. Her nap cycle during the day dictates what I get done! Whether its writing a blog post, unpacking the dishwasher, sterilizing bottles or doing laundry - all tasks that must be done during nap times. On days that I don't do tasks, I nap because let's face it, that is the only time you get!
It's not a routine, but it works for me and if we are happy then that is all that is needed. I always tell other expecting mothers that there is no need to stress yourself over a routine, you will figure out what works best for you.
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