Chronicling Babywise - Week 2

Last week, I wrote a day-by-day, play-by-play journal of our first week using the Baby Wise routine with our fifth child, Moses, born July 12th. This post is week 2's continuation of our experiences... I hope this journaling of our experiences will be helpful for other moms.

Day 8: As I wrote in the last post, on day 8, I continued feeding every 2 & 1/2 hours (that's measured from the start of one feeding time to the start of the next feeding time) through the day.

On that day, we went to see the pediatrician and she confirmed that there was no jaundice-type coloring, and he weighed in at 30 or 40 grams above his birthweight. Good news all around!

That night, like the few nights before, he slept for one 3-hour cycle, and went every 2 & 1/2 to 3 hours for the rest of the night.

Days 9 & 10
: On these days, there were three noteworthy details:
  • At some point on both days, I had a really hard time keeping him awake for the full feeding. We really had to work at it! Sometimes, just seven or eight minutes into the first side, he was fast asleep. Sometimes it was getting him to latch onto the second side. It's not easy to get a sleepy newborn to eat a full meal, but it's worth it.
  • He slept at night. There weren't wakeful periods in the middle of the night. Because we've been continuing to give him several good quantities of waketime during the daytime, he's sleeping (except for waking up to feed 2-3 times) at night. Which is a real blessing. Even though our sleep is interrupted, at least we can feed him and then all settle back in to sleep.
  • He's beginning to have a bit of chub. :) This is both wonderfully precious and a bit bittersweet... how quickly they grow!
Day 11: Today, I noticed that he is more easily taking the full feeding on the second side. Up until today, I felt like I really had to work (i.e., burping, changing his diaper, undressing him down to the diaper, etc.) to keep him awake and interested in eating on the second side. But today he seemed not only willing but occasionally even hungry to eat on the second side! Yay! Progress!The other thing we've been working on in the past 36 hours or so is transitioning him to laying down while he's still awake, and falling asleep on his own. In that first week or so, we always end up holding, patting, snuggling with the baby as they fall asleep. Heck, that's one of the great things of having an infant-- they love to sleep and look so cute doing it! Plus all the relatives and siblings love to hold the new baby (see the above pictures), so that's additional hands and arms waiting to hold even the sleeping infant.

Anyway, eventually, we work to help the baby get used to going down to sleep in bed by themselves. For me, what that looks like is swaddling the baby snugly, and using one of these:I use a sleep positioner like this (I found mine 8+ years ago at a little thrift store for under a dollar) to help the baby remain on their side. Back to sleep? Tummy sleeping? For my part, I've found that infants feel secure and sleep well when swaddled on their sides, and so that's what we do in the early days with a new baby. I put this down around their torso (supporting their back and in front of their tummy), and then lay them down.

And I don't just lay them down any old time-- I wait for the right window of being still awake but becoming more sleepy. There are times when they are actively alert, looking around, (and later, cooing/interacting/etc.), but just past this time of alertness, there is a 5-15 minute window of time when they are ready for sleep. I always know it if I miss it, because they get overstimulated and it's much harder to settle them down. But if you learn to read your baby's cues, you can see that they start to yawn, or maybe their eyes begin opening and shutting lazily. Once I see those cues, I make sure they don't need a new diaper, get them swaddled, help them take their pacifier (if they use one), and put them down gently -- with a soft "night-night".

So that's the method I used today to try to help Moses get in the habit of falling asleep on his own, in his own bed. Two times out of three, it happened naturally, without any additional assistance. The third time, this evening, he was quiet at first but then fussed about 10 minutes after laying him down, and so we went in, changed his diaper, re-swaddled him, and yet he still fussed after being laid back down. So we got him, figured we'd missed the "window" this go-round, and held him for the 30 minutes of sleep until his next feeding. No biggie. He's still a little guy, but he's learning, and 2 times of falling asleep on his own is a real accomplishment for today! He's doing great.

Days 12 & 13

Here's a quick run-down of our basic routine at this point:
  • He eats every 2 & 1/2 hours or so throughout the day. I say "or so" because it sometimes varies by maybe 30/45 minutes. But of course, being flexible means that there's a basic norm to flex from-- otherwise it's just random and his little body won't have a "norm". So while one day this week, we went to the mall (our vacuum cleaner hose ripped and there was no way to repair it-- and I wanted to be a part of the choosing process-- so we all went to the mall together), and he ate at 10, then at 12:15 (2 hours, 15 minutes between feeds), and then at 3:30 (3 hours, 15 minutes between feeds), our "norm" is that he eats fairly close to every 2 & 1/2 hours throughout the day, unless he's hungry before then, at which point, he eats when he's hungry.
  • Sometimes his waketime is long-- nearly the whole of his feed cycle (for example, this morning, he ate at 7am, and then was awake until 9am, slept from 9-9:30, and ate again at 9:30-- so his "sleep" time was very short for that cycle. And sometimes his waketime is quite short- 15 minutes or so (this afternoon, he did a short waketime and went to sleep and will sleep for an hour and a half or so before his next feeding).
  • At night, I feed him a full feeding just before we go to bed (10/11pm), and then we don't wake him up for feedings at night. He's waking up two times at night- roughly around 2 and roughly around 5. Sometimes it's a little longer between feeds (on night #12, he went 4 & 1/2 hours for the first night cycle), and sometimes it's just about 3 hours precisely between feeds. This doesn't matter so much-- he's only 12 days old, after all. The point is that (a) he's sleeping at nighttime and awake during the day, and (b) he's already naturally taking his longer cycles between feeds during the nighttime hours.
Day 14
The main thing I noticed today (and realized it had happened for at least the two days prior at roughly the same time) was a fussy period around 4pm each day. Gas drops, swaddling, and patting/snuggling help, but only if he decides to fall asleep. If he fights it and fusses, it's a quite lengthy and seemingly painful fussy time. I've decided, based on what time it's happening, that it's possibly a result of my mid-morning latte. My husband, you see, manages a gourmet coffee roasting business, and so I take my portion of delightfully fresh coffee each day. :) I've been enjoying a half-caffeinated version since early on in my pregnancy, and thought that might be sufficient to avoid any problems with caffeine, but now I'm thinking maybe not. Anyway, this week, my husband will brew some decaf for me and we'll see if that resolves this fussy period, or in any way affects it.

Week 2 Wrap-up
On a personal note, I'm absolutely in love with him. :) I love looking at him, talking to him, laying him down beside me on the bed while I fold clothes. I love to snuggle with him close, nuzzle his amazingly soft cheeks, and sing hymns to him (if he's fussy, it settles him down almost immediately!), and when his little brow furrows up to study something or someone, it cracks me up!

He has genuinely smiled at my husband (multiple times, and only to him after my husband has smiled long and intentionally at Moses, so we know it's the real deal, even though "they're not supposed to" yet at this age), he is starting to coo at us, and it is so precious to see him interact with and stare at our other children. He already has brought so much joy into our lives, and he seems quite secure and content for such a little guy.

Regarding Babywise: Virtually any widely-followed parenting approach can be used wisely by parents to bless, or foolishly by parents to curse, their children. But this is how it typically goes for us, and how it's gone for us this last week. Like I said in the first post, I really don't want this post to turn into a referendum on Babywise, because I'm just one lady in this wide world, writing about how things are going with my precious newborn son.

This week, like last week, is a very good representation of how all five of our kids have fared with the Baby Wise
routine in those early months. It helps bring sanity and blissful sleep to the entire family, and has been a blessing in our home.

I hope this post encourages and informs other moms looking at their options with newborns/sleep issues.


[Here are links to this whole Babywise series: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Weeks 6 & 7, Weeks 8-14]

30 comments:

Maggie Pelton said...

Thank you so much for posting these. My third was born on Friday and i've been referencing your first week each day. It has been very encouraging during the non-stop feedings to realize it is not uncommon and I should feed her even though i feel like she just ate and shouldnt be ready again. It has also helped my husband to see someone else doing this method when he wanted me to give up and give some formula. Thanks again and keep 'em coming!

EllaJac said...

Thank you for these posts. I've been forwarding them to a cousin due with #1 in a month or less. :)

My fourth baby is nearly a year old. I've not read Baby Wise (I do have it requested on paperback swap though), and it's obvious. This baby was my first thumb-sucker, and she started at about 2 1/2 months or so. She did great early on, sleeping well at night, then often slept ALL night with the thumb, etc. However, a couple months ago she quit with the thumb, and now, like a newborn, is up every couple hours. She needs ME to put her back to sleep, and it is REALLY wearing on my energy and attitude. :]

I know that horse is already out of the barn, but my question is basically this: HOW do you have the brainpower to devote so much attention to this process in those early weeks? Especially now, with other children? My family comes to help for a few days after I have a baby (they live far, and have 2 kids in their custody, too), but I still can't imagine being able to think much past, "baby's crying. Change her. Feed her. Make food. Do laundry." It seemed to work fine for some time, but now I feel like I'm reaping a troublesome harvest. I'd like to not repeat it, if I have that chance again, but I just don't know if I can do it. I had in my mind, "Feed, Wake, Sleep" after reading earlier posts you'd written, but it didn't translate well from my mind to my routine, I guess... :] What's the secret?

Tent Revival said...

This is so helpful. I am expecting number two in November and we had a lot of trouble trying to follow Babywise with my first son last year. It is so helpful to see your more flexible approach, feeding him when he's hungry even if it's "early" and gently adding new elements to the routine as he seems ready to you. The concept of blending your early intuition with the book's guidelines, is a blessing in itself, and I know I will be referring back to this in a few months.

Amanda said...

Such wonderful posts! Congratulations on your new blessing. Thank you for the detail in each post.

Meg said...

How long do you nurse for, typically?
Do you have any problems with milk supply?
Thanks,
Megan

Lisa said...

Thank you for these posts, I find them so helpful as I plan for the arrival of our second child.

Jess Connell said...

I'm so glad to hear the feedback; I wasn't sure about writing all this out, but I figured if I didn't do it now, it wouldn't be done. :) So it's nice to hear that it's helpful for other moms out there!


Meg,
I don't know if you're asking how long (in months) or how long (in minutes) I nurse for. So I'll answer both questions

Each nursing time takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour on the top end (usually if it's that long, it's with early newborns when I'm having to re-latch them several times, change a diaper mid-feed, or that kind of thing). With my first son, it could be anywhere from an hour to hour and a half because he had a lazy latch-on that carried over from his first week in the NICU.

As for length in months, my kids have been nursed 12 1/2 months, 13 months, 14 & 1/2 months, and 18 months respectively. My philosophy is to make it to the year "mark" and then continue for as long as we both want to. One of my children suddenly refused to nurse, one just sort of self-weaned and wound down the time, one was for my choice, and one was because I learned I was pregnant and had a history of early miscarriages and did not want the oxytocin hormone to contract my uterus or in any way affect the baby's health. I understand some people believe that breastfeeding can not cause miscarriages, but I had had two early miscarriages while nursing and have come to my own perspective on the matter. For me, particularly once I past the 1-year mark, I took the approach of "better safe than sorry".

Anyway, that's the history of how long I've nursed each of the kiddos.

As for milk supply, I think, as a previous commenter mentioned, that shooting for regular, full feedings actually has consistently given me not just an adequate but an abundant milk supply. In future weeks of this Babywise journal, I hope to tackle the issue of what to do with growth spurts, what about when milk supply drops, etc.


Thanks for the comments and questions, everyone!
Jess

Jessica B. said...

Jess,
Thanks for posting these... We have used the Babywise principles for our first two and with baby 3 due in 8 weeks, I need a refresher course. Unfortunately, I don't have access to my copy as it is in the states but I feel like you've reminded me of the things I need to practice!
I think if I hadn't read Babywise prior to having my first born, I would have been a wreck of a mom, but thankfully, I went into motherhood believing my baby could sleep and the hard days of what seem like endless feedings do end and so do the sleepless nights!
I hope Moses continues to eat and sleep well! Enjoy the fleeting baby snuggles :)

Jess Connell said...

EllaJac,

:) I'm inwardly giggling at your "brain power" comment. If only you knew how much I feel like I'm running on brain fumes!

There are a few things I could say. I've done this 4 times before now, and it comes more naturally each time. With our first, I kept the book at my side and referred back to it often, examining the comments about flexibility & routine, and really pondering how to apply those things. Like anyone else, I'd never done it before and it was all new.

There is SO MUCH of a learning curve with this job of mothering. I've been thinking about writing about this lately. The first time is just tough.

To answer your question, things progress, you get better, and things get easier. Things that used to seem so horribly tough/time-consuming/effort-requiring become second nature. And it happens the more children you have as well-- you get better. Things that the first go-round required such deliberation and careful attention become second-nature, and then you learn how to manage multiple "needs"/demands all at once... and then you get better at doing that.

The problem is that, based on the difficulties we experience "learning the ropes" with that first child (and based on the things other people foolishly say/gripe about regarding being a parent), we are tempted to stop before we ever begin to reap the rewards of all the learning we'll acquired through the ups & downs of those first couple kiddos.

This is all just my opinion, but it's what I've experienced... just like anything else, the more we do something, the more adept we become at it. If we apply ourselves to learning how to help our children's bodies metabolize food in such a way that they sleep well, then we can learn it, and for the most part (extraordinary circumstances aside), we and they can thrive once we learn and apply these things. That's the basic approach of Babywise. And because it has worked well for us in the past, it makes me much more intentional about, well, being intentional :) than I otherwise might be.

Thanks for the question, and feel free to continue the dialogue if need be.
~Jess

Liz said...

This is really helpful since we're expecting #4 in about 6 weeks... I've done the basic babywise thing with my last two and I'm a believer! But its easy to forget and I've been feeling the need for a refresher course... So, thanks!

Catherine R. said...

Okay, I just remembered one of the things that really stressed me out about trying to do some sort of a nursing schedule - and I have a question. How do you keep track of when you started your last nursing session?

Do you write it on a notepad? I just remember feeling like it was an enormously overwhelming task for me to remember when the last nurse was. I couldn't barely remember who I was most of the time in the weeks (okay and months) after I had him. I tried to write it down but it got so tedious and inconvenient and my brain 100% does not work in a way that I can just remember.

Any tips?

Jess Connell said...

Catherine,
Like you said, with our first, it was really hard for me to remember-- at first. I have a few thoughts on this--

(1) I wrote the times down with our first son. I just kept a pad by where I nursed and it wasn't awfully burdensome. So, yeah, that was helpful for me the first time around.

(2) With our second and beyond, I found that I didn't *need* to write it down because there were other "flags" in my day that reminded me when I'd nursed (for example, "that was right after we got back from the park", "just before I fixed lunch for Ethan", "oh yeah, he woke up in the middle of Blue's Clues". Having the older child(ren) gave me other hooks on which to hang my memories of when I'd fed him.

BUT -- the other thing is this:

(3) Once you get past a certain point 6-12 weeks in (when they're sleeping through the night), everything becomes much more normalized. For example, once he sleeps through the night, we'll likely be down to 7 feedings per day, and they'll probably look roughly like this:

7am-
9:30-
12 noon-
3pm-
5:30-
8-
10:30/11-

Once we get to that point, the only time I have to remember anything is if we veer off-track. (For example, we get to the mall a little after his feeding time, at 5:45, so then I just remember that and could choose to delay the next feeding by a bit, or not.) So the keeping-track-of-feeding-times thing really only lasts for a short season.

mommyjoymarie said...

I have never read Baby Wise. And, when you first wrote about it I was skeptical. But, after reading your last two posts I have realized that is pretty much what I have done with my babies...especially the last two (of three). I may have to actually read it if there is a #4 in our future!

Anonymous said...

Hi I am enjoying reading your posts on this. My 5th child is due in January. I bought this book before my 4th child was born and never used it :(. And that was probably just because I was lazy and I struggle to implement the things I read. Anyways, I was just wondering if you have read any of the other books in this series? I noticed there is one for just about every age group. Congratulations on the new little guy. He is precious.
Erica Miller

Jess Connell said...

Hi Erica,
I read Babywise 2 & I think I own Toddlerwise. Whether or not I've read it is another matter. ;)

The main thing I took from the 2nd Babywise book was blanket time. (See here for more info: http://www.growingkids.org/2008/03/02/blanket-time/ )

I use that with 12-24 month olds, during church, or while I'm doing a chore, read aloud time with one of the older kids, or helping with a math lesson. I'm not sure I've intentionally implemented much else from the book.

The parenting "method" I've learned the most from (as far as long-term parenting-- not just infant sleep training or nursing or what not) is described at www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com There's a link to it in the sidebar.

Thanks for the congrats, we're enjoying the process of getting to know him immensely!
~Jess

Amy said...

This seems like such a gentle way, unlike what Babywise is thought of online. Thanks for this post. It will be so helpful.

Diane Shiffer said...

Wow Jess... baby Moses is really quite amazingly beautiful. As a self-confessed baby addict I was practically drooling on my keyboard over all those delicious pictures. He looks so healthy and happy and well cared for.

I do have to admit though, that I am a bit saddened by your advocacy of Baby-Wise. I mean it obviously is working for you, and that's great... I think that you are a remarkably sensible, feet planted firmly on the ground kinda person. It sounds like your kiddos are basically healthy, normally content little things. But for those of us who are unfortunately less sensible, or whose children are less "normal";-) highly structured plans such as this can cause all kinds of stress and needless difficulty. Like I said, it obviously is working incredibly well for you- your children are all thriving and flourishing and I absolutely take my hat off to you♥

I just hate to think of young mamas who are having a hard time with a "difficult" baby, or something similar, running out and buying this book. (unless they could have you as a next door neighbor to advise them through it, in which case I'd say they were very fortunate indeed!)

Anyhoo... beautiful little man ya got there, and may the Lord continue to bless you all richly♥

Jess Connell said...

Persuaded,
Thanks for the compliments-- I drool over him in real life, so it's nice to have someone else in cyberspace doing the same. :)

One of the reasons I'm writing about this is because I'm saddened by the way BabyWise is represented online. To read the way it's described by so many online, it looks and sounds nothing like the way the book itself is written, nor like the way I've seen it play out in the lives of our family, and literally dozens of families I've watched in real life.

One problem is the misrepresentation of it I've seen online before, as "a highly structured plan" (which is how you described it), when in fact it's a flexible routine that falls somewhere between a "highly structured plan" and chaos/randomness. There's a basic flow, but it's a far cry from some sort of regimented, clock-driven system.

That's my view anyway, having read the book and seen it lived out as many times as I have. Which is why I decided to write about it. Plenty of other people write about it negatively, and that's their prerogative, but this is mine, and I'm not doing it unawares.

Thanks for the comment.
~Jess

Diane Shiffer said...

Jess... obviously Baby-Wise has to be working for quite a large number of families, otherwise it wouldn't be so popular!:-D And I should probably admit that, as a former LLL leader and the mama of kids who have an assortment of challenges, I'm not exactly within the Baby-Wise target audience. I actually never even heard of this method until someone lent me their copy somewhere between my fourth and fifth child. We had a foster baby at the time, who was quite "fussy" so a friend thought it might help us. In the end I felt that the little guys needs to build trust and security outweighed my need for sleep (he had been abused and actually came to me with broken bones, so I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from.)

And whereas I said I was saddened by your advocacy of Baby-Wise, I am extremely heartened by the example you set of using the method with such good sense and sensitivity. Other mamas can only benefit from your insights whether they choose to use Baby-Wise or not☺

Jess Connell said...

FYI: On my sitemeter, I noticed a forum was discussing these articles (which is fine-- I put it out for public consumption, obviously)... but some people were criticizing my choice to request that this post series not become a referendum on Ezzo.

Here's the deal: I am one woman. I write here to share my life and my heart. I am a wife, a mother of five, and nursing a newborn. My hours are limited. My brain is tired. I can only do so much, an right now, debating things is not something I want to do. I've been there, done that before, and may be there again. But right now, it's not what I'm interested in. There are myriad places online to debate, have brawls, and be opinionated about any number of things, including Ezzo/Babywise. Here, I'm just sharing my story with my son. As my grandma used to say, "like it or lump it". :)

Blessings to all - Obviously, I do think Babywise can be a gift for the tired mom and tired baby, and so I'm writing this series in an effort to help and encourage other moms. May it do so.
~Jess

mary grace said...

Jess,
I've never read Babywise, but it sounds like I must naturally fall into a similar rhythm with my newborns. I've always woken then when they fall asleep nursing ... but mostly out of my own sheer laziness, I admit: if I'm getting a feeding in, I figure I ought to get a *full* feeding in! :-)

Anyhow, thanks for your step-by-step process. I do see how it could seem too structured to some people, but the way you're describing it, I see no extremes. Your baby is hungry. You feed your baby. Pretty straightforward stuff in my book.

Elizabeth said...

For those who have questions about remembering timing (especially with new mommy brain!) I recommend the ItzBeen. (Search on amazon or the online shop of your choice!) they're basically a timer with 4 different settings: diaper, feedings, naps and a "whatever you want" timer.

They seem a bit silly, but for those first few weeks I found it indispensible! Esp. when I had to take medication or when DH was babyminding while I slept.

EllaJac said...

Thank you for your response, above. I have received Baby Wise and read very little of it so far (two 'school-age' kiddos to plan the homeschool year for, plus the CRAZY busy 3-year-old, etc...). I had another question. You have mentioned using a pacifier; did you do this with all your children? How often did they use it? For how long (i.e. months, years)? Do they use it at nighttime?

My first had a pacifier. It was very nearly part of her until we managed to find it before she did (she'd lose it, then days/weeks later find it) around her 3rd birthday. #2 and #3 used nothing of the kind, and I mentioned #4 enjoying her thumb for a good six months or more (ah, the good nights I had. ;). Based on my experience (that first was a great sleeper, #4 was too, when the thumb was in use), it seems that whether it's nursing or pacifier/thumb, it's STILL that same path to fall asleep, at certain ages, anyway. Do you have any opinion/insight on this? Any spare brain fumes to apply to the idea? :)

I maybe should also mention that I haven't used more than a few bottles of formula (most with #1, once with #2), have nursed exclusively outside of that, delay solids (with #3 and #4), and wean anywhere from 14-17 months, generally.

Jess Connell said...

EllaJac,
RE: Pacifiers--

I have used them with all the kiddos... getting rid of it at anywhere fro 4-8 months. They use them just before naptimes. At bedtime, our babies do tend to nurse to sleep which is fine because it's that late-night "dream feed" just before Doug & I head off to bed.

With our first son, I pitched it at 4 months and just dealt with the fall out for 2-3 days (snuggled a bit more to help him relax before naps, etc.). With our 2nd son, he liked to push it out and put in his fingers... but I "successfully" switched him over to the paci... until I pitched it... at which point he began sucking his fingers again and did for quite a long time (details withheld to protect the guilty). :) The last two kiddos have used it until 8 months, and around 6 months... they do tend to use them to fall asleep, but not need them all night long. We pitch them before it builds (what, for us, is) an unhelpful habit-- sucking when that natural desire has pretty much gone away.

So, we pitch it after that time when the need for non-nutritive sucking diminishes. I know my friend Laurie has said that she didn't mind being used essentially as a pacifier (by nursing even if the calories weren't needed). And that's fine for those who are cool with that. I'm a really heavy sleeper. For me, even minor, short interruptions in sleep REALLY affect me the next day, particularly when piled one day on top of the next. I can manage a few weeks... once we get to the 8/10 week mark, I'm just running near empty.

So for our family, I'll meet the need that exists for food and bonding in those early weeks... but once the infant's caloric need is met, and they're growing well and able to sleep, I also need to meet my own needs so that I can be the wife & mom I need to be for the other 5 members of our family. I read a good article about this very thing just yesterday:

It's called "Motherhood & Identity: Martyr is not spelled M-O-M"


And, frankly, I think babies need their sleep too. It's a good thing to help our kiddos learn to sleep- if we're honest, we all see, in adults and kids, the effects of not sleeping well. So for me, the baby's need for sleep is significant too.

All that to say, the needs of everyone involved need to be considered... but that's how we approach those concerns.
~Jess

Sam, Christen and Canaan said...

Jess, Thanks so much for doing this. I just had my second baby and kind of did the babywise thing the first time, but am trying to be a little more intentional this time.

I have a question for you - My little boy is 8 days old today, and the past few nights I've actually thought he'd sleep through the night if I let him. What would you do? Would you keep waking him up (I'm also not wanting to get clogged ducts... I have lots of milk!) - I've been waking him up around 3:30a and 6:30a to feed him. If you'd keep this up, how long until I just let him go?

Jess Connell said...

Christen,
What I've heard is that with an infant, both for their health and your milk supply, it's a good idea to not let them go beyond 5 hours at night, in the first 5 weeks of life. I have had to wake two of mine (both oldest boys) in that time period.

So my personal guideline that I follow for that is that before 5 weeks, I keep them eating at least every 3 hours during the day (it's usually closer to 2 & 1/2), and don't let them sleep more than 5 hours, one time, at night. Then it's every 3 hours the rest of the 24 hour period. That's generally how I do it.

After 5 weeks, as long as their weight & diapers all indicate healthy growth, I let them go up to 8 hours (although I've only had one of my five go that 8 hour period at that age).

Hope this helps!
~Jess

Jessica said...

hey i know this post is super old, but i have a question. I have a newborn that is just doing amazing, milk came in on day 2, she started doing full nursings without too much work at keeping her awake by the end of day 3, but now (day 6 and 7) she has started nursing like you would not believe. she eats full meals (25-40 mins each time) almost every hour. I seriously feed her, finish feeding her and then she wants to eat within about 30 mins of when i finish feeding her. I time everything to make sure its not just me, but anyway, what would you do about that?
-jessica

Jess Connell said...

Jessica,
I'd feed her. The first two weeks in particular, but really always, if indications are that the baby is genuinely hungry (meaning, she will take an entire feeding), I do that. Feed her. Once you get to weeks 2-3, you could start trying to stretch it out by doing more like 45+ minutes per feeding (if she's still wanting to eat like mad), and stretch out her feedings that way. But particularly in these first 2 weeks, you want your production to match up to her demand... so go ahead and feed that baby (even though I know you're probably exhausted).

You can ensure she's getting enough and not too much by watching diapers & spit-up.

And, btw, I'd rather do that all day long during the day in hopes that she'll go ahead and sleep well at night, so if you have the choice, encourage more feeding @ daytime, and less @ nighttime. Enjoy your little one!

Jess

Caryn Conner said...

Thank you so much for your blog posts! They have helped so much in these early days. I want to use babywise and wasn't sure how to apply them as this is my first baby. Again thank you and hoping fora future night sleep. 9 days old today.

Caryn Conner said...

Thank you so much for your blog on babywise. It has helped so much in these early days. As a first time mom I wanted to use babywise but wasn't sure how to apply them. Thanks again and hoping for a future night sleep! 9 days old today.