Does that sound like an oxymoron? Well, in a way it is. Baby is born into the world knowing nothing but the comfort of the womb with its sleepy darkness and all-night buffet. Then he makes it to your arms, looking a little dazed and squished.
Now comes the real work. As Mom and Dad, it is our job to teach Baby what life is like. We have a daily structure for eating, sleeping and the like. Baby will need one too. Only he doesn’t know what that should be. If we let him take the lead, we will end up swapping day for night and living a chaotic, exhausting, child-centered life indefinitely. Baby doesn’t really know what is best for him, so we must help him.
How? Well the answer is in the order of baby’s activities. When he’s first born, Baby’s “day” is roughly 3 hours long, and broken into three activities: eating, activity, and sleeping. The trick is to keep it in that order: (1) eat, (2) activity, (3) sleep. This helps Baby to develop normal patterns of hunger and sleep. It also helps parents discern Baby’s needs.
With a newborn, it should only take gentle coaxing to help this natural routine to fall into place. Work to keep Baby awake when you feed him so he has a good meal, rather than a small snack. At the beginning, this can take some doing. Gently rub his arms and belly. Change a diaper in the middle of feeding if necessary. Those first feedings should take about 20-40 minutes.
While a disordered baby’s needs rule his parents’ lives, a structured baby can be welcomed into the existing family. What a wonderful way to begin Baby’s life!
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