Tips to Develop a Good Sleeping, Eating and Playing Pattern for your Baby

Getting into motherhood is an exhilarating experience for any woman. However, taking care of your baby and understanding all his/ her needs are a tough call, however, also a joyful experience.

In no time, you will get in routine with your baby and will start picking up and understanding the indications and cues, your baby gives. This way you will be able to chalk out an eating, sleeping and playing pattern for your little one. This pattern should be such that it meets all your baby’s needs and is compatible with your family.

The best option is to discuss and learn what all other moms and dads did or are doing with their babies. Discuss their baby’s schedule and how other moms juggle their work with devoting time tending to their babies’ needs.
Following are few tips to develop good eating, sleeping and playing habits in your baby:

• Read your baby’s cues: observe and notice your baby’s activities and patterns closely. This will help you understand his/her needs. This way you will be able to come up with a schedule, which works for both of you.

With a good schedule, you will be able to put the baby to sleep before he/she gets too tired and fussy to sleep and you will be able to feed him/her before the baby gets too hungry. Try taking your mothers and doctors help in chalking out a schedule and do not deviate from this schedule for at least first few weeks.

However, babies grow fast in this stage, and you will need to modify this schedule according to their age.

• Get your baby accustomed to a sleeping routine: you cannot force a bedtime routine on a little baby, however you can start developing a schedule or sleeping pattern from second month onwards. Predict a schedule, which meets your baby’s demands, and even work out for you. Predict by studying your baby’s pattern for few days. Try this schedule for few days and see if it works for both of you. If it does, then continue it. Try feeding your baby before and after the sleep.

To make the baby sleep on schedule you can give them a warm baths, sing lullabies, feeding or rock them to sleep.

• Differentiate night from day for your baby: a baby less than a year old mixes up night with day. They usually sleep whole daylong and then wake up in the middle of night only to annoy the parents. However, you can teach them to differentiate between day and night.

During the day, try to keep your house as bright as possible. Indulge your baby in talks and playing during the day, and keep talking to him/her during feeding. However, at night do not encourage much interaction, keep the house calm, and quiet.