Would changing the routine now be asking for trouble?

[Miss E]

My DS is now 6.5 weeks old and we have had a routine in place for the last three or four weeks which works like clockwork and we all get the sleep we need. I know we're really lucky to be in this position so early, which is why I'm wondering if I trying to change the routine is just asking for trouble.

Currently he has his bath at around 9.30pm after his feed. Once he's finished with the bath and had his massage I give him another feed (more to settle him than anything else) and we put him to bed for the night around 10.30 pm. He settles himself and usually goes for between five and six hours between feeds, before he wakes up. He then has his night feed and is able to settle himself again before waking up between 6 and 7. He's adapted really well to this routine and knows exactly what to expect, in fact it is only at night that he will self settle, during the day I usually need to rock him to sleep.

But, my issue is that I think moving forward having his bath so late is going to become problematic. On nights when we want to go out he's going to have to miss his bath and the routine will be upset. So I would like to change our current routine so that he has his bath after his 6pm feed. I'd then put him to sleep and get him up at around 9.30 or 10 for a feed and then try and get him to sleep through night and only wake once for a feed.

So, am I crazy to rock the apple cart at this stage? I'm worried that if we try this new routine and it doesn't work I won't be able to get him back to the old one...

[bubno.3]

Im really responding to the night out for dinners

You are very lucky to have a 6.5 weeker to sleep soundly at night.... darling it can change without warning so i wouldnt even be thinking of 'what happens when?' Babys at the age dont need baths every night for starters (except if they have had a huge poo/vomit) so if i were you if you want to go out for dinner go out now whilst you can easily. Feed bath wrap and if your lucky (like we were) put bub in pram and walk down to where you can enjoy a evening out. Dont go worrying about things that trust me like routines fall into place by them selfs with new borns.... I hope i was a help.

Oh and congrats at your new baby

[BekZ]

Miss E - I find routines change with time anyway. As bub gets older his waking/sleeping times will change and you'll find yourself with a "new" routine. If you want to try a new bath time then by all means try it.I don't think you'll rock the apple cart

[MamaPan]

Miss E - we are in a similar situation in that J settles for the night (ie goes to sleep after the witching hour) at about 9ish... i think in time this will move back. I bath him earlier in the day and to be honest this isnt every day as i dont have time (i sponge bath him alternate days). I think it is great to introduce a bed time ritual early on just for the associations.. and then you can prob adjust times and just do the same things... so maybe try moving it back a bit and see what happens. you could shift it gradually maybe if you think that would work better. but he will also chg hissleep patterns a bit as he gets older so dont stress about it too much...
You are doing a fab job... and it is great he is so settled already - well done!

[berrme]

I agree with the other ladies though... routines don't last very long with little babies so don't worry too muich about upsetting the routine. You will need to move bathtime soon enough anyway as bedtime will need to get earlier as bub sleeps longer between feeds. I say go for it, you will probably find that DS still sleeps for just as long.

[Janie]

Yep, I agree with the others too. He will change the routine on his own at some stage (probably sooner rather than later) so if you want to do it now, then go for it. But like someone else said, don't stress if he doesn't get a bath, they don't need it when they're so little. And make the most of going out with a settled baby!!!!!!!!! Going out with a two year old (believe me, it comes around very quickly ) is kind of like hell on earth!!!!!!!!!!

[bon]

Will missing his bath really upset the routine do you think? I mean what if you were to go out anyway, feed him at his usual time and then just cuddle him for a while or settle him in his pram instead of bathing him? Then you could feed him at the usual time again and put him down for the night. With my babies, the bath time was never set because things would happen to change it, especially once we had our third and we had to fit her routine around the older kids. I would just work it around when they slept and fed and whatever else was happening that day. Some days there would be no bath - it is not essential, especially in the early weeks. And as the others have said - routines change anyway. Try not to over-think it IYKWIM, and don't let the routine dictate your life - a little flexibility will not hurt.

[Miss E]

Thanks for the replies ladies. I know bath time isn't essential, but it is a really special part of the day that DH has with him where they have 'their time'. That's why we're loathe to make a habit out of skipping it. I also really do believe that even though he is really little he does recognise that the bath, massage and feed afterwards marks the end of the day and the beginning of the night. On the couple of occassions we've missed his bath he hasn't slept well.

Anyway we gave moving bath time back to after the 6pm shot a try and it worked pretty well last night. He woke up at 9pm for a feed and then slept through until after 3am and then again until 7am. It's been awhile since he's done 6 hours between feeds (he was doing it consistently for a couple of weeks there), so at this stage it's looking promising, but I will be interested to see how we go tonight...