How to Establish a Routine (Not a Strict Schedule!) With Your Newborn Baby

This blog was written in paid partnership with Dr. Brown's.

*Note: I am not a lactation consultant, infant feeding specialist, or pediatrician. The information contained in this post is based upon my training and experience as a pediatric occupational therapist and my own personal research and experience. Please seek out help from a qualified infant professional (pediatrician, speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist) if you have specific questions or concerns about your baby's feeding.

If you're wondering whether it's possible to establish a routine for your newborn, the answer is yes – in some capacity!

Routines are possible with newborns and young babies; schedules are not. They are different!

A routine is a consistent and predictable set of steps that you follow each day, or within each part of your baby's day. The steps do not have to happen at the exact same time every day, but rather, they happen in the same order and are executed the same way. The goal is to establish mini, repeated patterns throughout the day and night, which, over time, will lead to a more consistent flow of the day.

Research shows that establishing routines within the first few years of a child's life has numerous positive benefits, including improved physical and mental health, decreased stress and anxiety, and feelings of safety and attachment. Routines also help you, the caregiver, feel more confident and empowered in your ability to care for your child and add some predictability to your days.

*Note: You do not HAVE to work on a routine with your baby if you don't want to. This is simply a choice for those who do!

If you want to gently work towards a routine with your newborn, here are five things you can start doing from day one (or at any time!):

1. Offer a feeding every 2-3 hours during the day. You may have to wake your sleeping newborn to eat during the day (and overnight, at first), but this helps ensure your baby is fully fed and gaining appropriate weight. It's also quite normal for babies to eat more frequently than this in the first month or two. Ensure your baby is getting full at each feeding. If they often fall asleep at the beginning of the feeding, try to gently wake them back up by tickling their toes or changing their diaper.
2. Follow age-appropriate wake windows during the day. A wake window is the amount of time your baby is awake in between periods of sleep. This time includes the time spent feeding. In the early weeks, your newborn should only be awake around 45-60 minutes at a time (which includes feeding) before their next nap or sleep. This helps them get adequate sleep and prevent over-tiredness, which can lead to fussiness, difficulty eating and more. The length of each nap may greatly vary, which is normal, but the most important part is to ensure they get to sleep before their next nap in an appropriate amount of time, and then wake them up if it's been greater than three hours since they last had a feeding.
3. Establish a consistent bedtime routine around 6-12 weeks old. This is a simple set of steps you complete each night prior to bedtime. This may include a diaper change, lotion massage, swaddle and feeding. This becomes predictable for your baby and helps signal to them that it's time for bed.
4. Expose your baby to natural sunlight each morning. When your baby wakes up, pick them up and stand outside or stand by a window if it is raining or cold. Morning light helps set your baby's circadian rhythm (the body's internal 24-hour clock) to help learn the difference between daytime and nighttime, which promotes healthy sleep patterns. This helps mitigate "day-night confusion," where your baby may be sleepy all day and awake during the night.
5. Turn your baby onto their belly for a few seconds after each diaper change. This is the best way to fit in tummy time throughout the day, because it happens so frequently. Plus, you won't have to worry that your baby isn't getting enough tummy time! It's also a great opportunity to bond and get playful with your baby - look them in the eye, smile and laugh, make a silly sound, etc.

Consistently following these recommendations will naturally help get your baby into a routine over time. Typically, babies start to follow a more predictable flow to the day (and night) around 3-4 months old.

Remember – every baby is different! Tweak each suggestion to fit you and your baby, and always reach out to your baby's medical provider if you have questions about their growth or development.

Looking for more guidance in how to structure your baby's day? Struggling with questions about naps, sleep, play ideas and more? Check out my COMPREHENSIVE DAILY ROUTINE GUIDES. These multi-page digital download guides will teach you exactly how to structure your baby's routine and troubleshoot common issues and questions with simple and realistic tips and strategies that work! Grab the 0-3 Months Guide or the 3-6 Months Guide to match your baby's age.

About the author:

Jessica Rapp Irwin, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist, childhood routine expert, and lover of all things child development. She is the founder of Rooted in Routine, an online parenting education community and platform, to help parents learn simple, easy to implement routines for optimal child development for babies and young kids. She is passionate about educating parents on NORMAL, HEALTHY development, which is often simpler than we think. Jessica's approach is largely rooted in going back to the basics to help you establish solid, age-appropriate routines for your child for things like eating, play, and sleep. She believes this is the most important foundation you can provide for your child - and she wants to help you do just that!

Learn more about Jessica here and follow her on Instagram to connect.