Navigating the early days of parenthood can be a wonderful, yet exhausting, whirlwind. Amidst the sleepless nights, you may find yourself longing for a predictable schedule for your baby.
This is where the EASY baby schedule comes in – a popular and effective framework designed to help you maintain balance and routine as you care for your newborn.
Understanding the EASY Baby Schedule
Created by the late British nurse, Tracy Hogg (aka. The Baby Whisperer), the EASY baby schedule stands for Eat, Activity, Sleep, and Your Time.
Its core philosophy is to establish a structured sequence of events in a baby’s day, separating feeding from sleeping. This separation prevents a feed-to-sleep association, encouraging your baby to fall asleep independently.
The Four Steps of the EASY Newborn Baby Routine
E: Eat
The routine begins with 'Eat,' meaning you feed your baby as soon as they wake up, rather than on demand. This helps them associate feeding with waking, not sleeping.
In the day, you can implement paced bottle feeding to help your baby get enough food without overeating. Meanwhile, to keep your baby satisfied and promote longer stretches of night sleep, there are two key evening feeds:
- Cluster feed: This involves feeding your baby more frequently in the evening, often every two hours, to ensure they are fully satisfied before bedtime.
- Dream feed: This is a gentle feed given while your baby is asleep between 10pm and midnight, without fully waking them, to top them up for the night.
A: Activity
After feeding, the ‘Activity’ phase is a period of awake time and engagement. The goal is to keep your baby physically and mentally busy to promote their cognitive and motor development.
Additionally, these simple interactions and activities help to tire them out sufficiently for their next sleep:
- Diaper changes
- Tummy time
- Gentle play
- Reading
S: Sleep
Establishing a consistent infant sleep routine is crucial for your baby’s growth and brain development. To that end, naps can range from 20 minutes to two hours during the ‘Sleep’ phase of the EASY baby schedule.
However, watch out for these common pitfalls:
- Overtiredness: If your baby stays awake for too long, they can become overtired and find it much harder to settle down for sleep.
- Over-napping: Letting your baby nap for too long during the day, especially in the late afternoon, can disrupt their ability to sleep well at night.
Y: Your Time
This is a crucial opportunity for you to recharge while your baby sleeps. After all, self-care is vital for your well-being, and looking after yourself allows you to better care for your little one.
To make the most of this precious time, try:
- Napping when the baby naps: Catch up on much-needed rest to combat sleep deprivation.
- Enjoy a hot drink: Take a moment to sit back and enjoy a quiet cup of tea or coffee.
When to Start the EASY Routine
The ideal time to start the EASY routine is typically when your baby is around one month old. By this time, you will have a better understanding of their feeding patterns and how much breastmilk or formula they need to be satisfied without overfeeding.
However, if your baby is already over a month old, it’s not too late to start. While it may take a little longer for older babies to fully adjust, you can still apply the EASY schedule up to when they’re nine months of age.
This routine evolves as your little one grows, naturally phasing out when they are approximately nine to 12 months old as they transition to fewer naps and start eating solid meals.
How to Get Your Baby on a Schedule (3 Tips)
Implementing a schedule for a baby takes patience and consistency. Here are three key tips to help you get started:
Observe and Adapt
Remember that the EASY newborn baby routine is not a rigid timetable, but a guide to help you structure your infant’s day. As such, observe their hunger and tired cues and adapt the routine to their needs. This helps establish a successful, flexible rhythm for your family.
Maintain Consistency
Regular application of the EASY sequence helps your baby understand what to expect next. Consider creating a consistent environment for breastfeeding and sleep to help them settle into the routine more successfully over time.
Utilise Sample Baby Schedules
Many sample baby schedules are available online and in parenting resources. You can use these as helpful templates, adjusting the timings and activities to suit your baby's individual needs and natural rhythms better.
Embrace Routine with Hegen
Embracing a routine with the EASY baby schedule can transform your newborn phase into a more predictable and enjoyable experience.
As you navigate this new schedule, remember that there are resources available to make the experience easier. For example, Hegen’s thoughtfully designed products, such as its baby bottles and breast milk pumps, can help to complement and simplify your daily routines.
So, whether you are building a milk supply or feeding on the go, explore the full range of baby care essentials at Hegen to make every step of your parenting journey easier today!
