Create a routine with a newborn! I know, it sounds impossible, if not nuts! But many of us have other responsibilities and when you have a newborn with no schedule it seems impossible to do anything else.
You want to be able to jump back into what you were doing before you gave birth, you want to do all the things. And now you are muddling through your day just hoping you get a chance to make yourself some food or even a chance to pee. I know that impossible, overwhelming feeling. But it’s possible mama. It’s possible to start being able to do things again. You just need to build a routine.
Yes, a routine. Not a schedule. First off, I am not a schedule person. I like to plan and I like to have habits and things to go similar but I strongly believe it’s next to impossible to have a strict schedule with young baby’s, toddlers and kids. Routines are important for kids, to know what’s next and to have consistency to their days. It brings them comfort and lets you have a sense of regularity in the midst of the crazy.
How to Create a Routine with a Newborn and Get Stuff Done
1. Track EVERYTHING for a week – Track every time baby poops, pees, eats, sleeps, gets fussy, is happy. I used my notes app on my phone. I just put the time and then an emoji next to the time depending on what baby did 🙂
2. While you are tracking your baby’s every movement for a week, sit down and make a list of your priorities and your values. Figure out what is important to you and why.
3. Once that week is over, you should start to see a natural rhythm. Sit down with your calendar and map out some time to get those things done. Remember, it will take time for it to become natural and it will you will still have days that no matter what you do or plan – baby will have other plans. So make sure your routine is flexible.
This takes a little trial and error to create a routine but it does help and it does work. You will have to tweak it as baby goes through growth spurts and sleep regressions. But hopefully by then, you can get baby on a good solid routine that comforts them and you 🙂
I used it with both of my boys and have suggested it to many friends who have had great success. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
