The routine of 15 Contented Little Babies

People who haven't read any of Gina Ford's books often assume that she suggests strict four-hourly routines that are set in stone with no flexibility. In fact, the routines are guidelines and can be adapted to each individual child as he or she grows and changes. The routines below show just how different Contented Little Babies can be!

Thomas aged 4 months

7.00am	Breastfeed
7.30-8.45am	Social time
8.45/9.00	Nap of around 45 mins
9.45/10.00	Social Time and outing
11.00	Breastfeed
11.45/12.00	Breastfeed top-up
12.00-2.00pm	Nap
2.20	Breastfeed
3.30	Social time and outing - he will often have a cat nap in buggy
5.00	I usually offer him one side between 5.00pm and 5.45pm depending on how demanding my toddler is being.
5.45/6.00pm	Bath
6.15	Breastfeed
6.30pm	Settle to sleep - sleeps through until 6-7am

Alice aged 11 months

8.30am	Formula feed
8.45am	Breakfast of cereal/toast or porridge
10.30am	Small snack and drink
12.15pm	Lunchtime
1pm	Nap
3pm	Wake- small snack and drink
5.15pm	Tea time
6pm	Bath
6.20pm	Formula feed
6.30pm	Settle to sleep

Lucy aged 14 weeks

7/7.30am	Formula Feed Under cot mobile/play mat while I get ready/get brother ready
9.15-9.45am	Nap Social Time
10.30am	Formula Feed Social Time
11.30am	Formula feed top-up
11.45am-2/2.30pm	Nap
2.40pm	Formula Feed Social Time/Outing
4.15/4.45pm	She might have a 15min nap but is often is happy to go without
5pm	Formula feed
5.45pm	Baby and Toddler bathed and dressed
6.30pm	Formula Feed
6.45pm-10.30pm	Settle to sleep
10.30pm	Formula Feed
10.50pm-7/7.30am	Sleep

It took us a while to get the routines working right (although was perfect with the bath and bedtime routine from the start) but suddenly at 10 weeks the day sleeps and feeds just fell into place. We persevered because we knew how much her brother benefited from Gina's routine. The 7pm bedtime is a godsend as both my children go down like a dream and I get my evenings - so important for me as I have 2 active children who have never been content to just lie under play mat/in buggy etc!

Oliver aged 12 weeks

7/7.15	Breastfeed
8.40	Nap of approx 30-40 minutes
10/10.30am	Bottle feed of expressed milk
11.30/12pm	Breastfeed Top up
12.30/12.45pm	Wake up. Breastfeed again and might sleep for about 30 minutes
1.15-2pm	Usually sleeps again
2.30pm	Breastfeed - sometimes he takes it, sometimes he doesn't want anything
3-3.30pm	Nap to make up for short lunchtime nap
4.45-5.15	Afternoon nap
5.15pm	Breastfeed
5.45	Bath and dressed
6.15/6.30pm	Breastfeed
7-10pm	Settle to sleep
10pm/11.15pm	Breastfeed
2.30/3.30am	Breastfeed & sleeps until 7am

Millie aged 11 weeks

7:15am	Breastfeed Bath and social time
8:45am	Breastfeed top-up
9:10-9.55am	Nap
10:30am	Breastfeed Social Time
11:30am	Breastfeed top-up
12:00pm	Nap (has been waking up at 1pm, will sleep 2 1/4 hours in the car or his pram, however she wakes if in her cot)
2:30pm	Breastfeed Social Time
4:15-4:45	Nap
5:00pm	Breastfeed Bath
6:00 pm	Bottle feed
6:45-10:20pm	Sleep
10:30	Bottlefeed
11:00-7:15am	Sleep

Sam aged 9 weeks

7am	Bottle feed
7.30	Social Time
9am-9.45am	Nap
9.45am-10.30am	Social Time
10.30am	Bottle feed and then quiet play
11.30am	Settle for nap, asleep by 12
12.45pm	Wakes - currently cuddling back to sleep
2.15pm	I wake him
2.30pm	Bottle feed and then social time
4pm	Outing- sleeps about 30 min in pram
5pm	Small bottle feed
5.30pm	Kick without nappy on bathroom floor
5.45pm	Bath
6pm	Massage/dress/kick on mat in nursery
6.15pm	Bottle feed
6.40pm	Settles - asleep by 7pm
9.45pm	Start to wake him
10.20pm	Bottle feed
11pm	Sleep

Leila aged 16 weeks

7/7.30am	Breastfeed
9.00- 9.30am	Nap
10.30am	Breastfeed Social Time
11.30	Nap - wakes after 35 minutes usually needs to feed again before going back to sleep until 2.30pm
2.30pm	Breastfeed
4.30pm	Nap of around 20 minutes
5.30pm	Breastfeed - this is later due to feeding toddler
6.30pm	Bath
6.45pm	Breastfeed and top up from bottle and breast. Always wakes after 35 mins again and needs a breastfeed to go back sleep. Sometimes wakes again with wind before settling for the night around 8.30pm.

Edward aged 6.5 weeks

6am	Breastfeed and back to sleep
7.30am	Breastfeed (after expressing small amount)
9.00 - 10am	Morning nap
10.15-11.00	Breastfeed and social time (usually one breast at 10.15 and other at 10.45am)
11.45-2.15pm	Lunchtime nap
2.30-3pm	Breastfeed, then social time or outing
4.15-5pm	Nap
5.15	Breastfeed
6pm	Bath
6.15pm	Bottle feed of expressed milk
7pm	Bed
9.30-10pm	Express both breasts
10-11.15pm	Father gives expressed milk from bottle so I can get to bed
11.15pm	Back to bed
2-3am	Breastfeed, back to sleep within half an hour until 6.30/7am

He was waking at 2am and 5am each night but since we introduced a split feed at 10pm a few days ago he now wakes between 2-3am and then 6am-7am.

Sarah aged 6.5 weeks

7.15 am	Wake her up
7.30	Breastfeed
7.40-8.30	Social time
8.45	Sleepy / settle her
9.00-10.00	Morning nap
10.00	Change / social time
10.30	Breastfeed
11.00	Top and tail
11.15	Sleepy/settle her
11.30-2pm	Lunchtime nap (this is not consistent and usually broken)
2.30	Breastfeed
3.30-4.00	Sleep
4.45-5.15	Relax with dummy
5.30	Breastfeed
5.45	Social time
6.15	Bath
6.30	Breastfeed
6.45	Settle down
7.00	Sleep
10.30	Wake up
10.45	Feed (expressed breast milk), split with a nappy change
11.15	Goes to sleep
4.30am-6.30 am	Wakes for breastfeed

Henry aged 21 weeks

7.00am	Wake and formula feed
8.45am	Settle for nap
9.00-9.45am	Morning nap
10am	Social time
11.00am	Formula feed followed by one cube of solids
11.45am	Top up of formula
12-12.45pm	Lunchtime nap - he normally wakes after 45minutes and has recently started to resettle himself after 5-10 minutes
2.00pm	Wake him if he has had a good lunchtime nap
2.30pm	Formula feed & social time
4.45pm	15 min nap
5.00pm	Formula feed followed by 1-2 tsp of baby rice mixed with formula
5.45pm	Bath
6-6.15pm	Formula feed
6.30-7.00pm	Bed
10.15pm	Wake him
10.30pm	Formula feed
10.45-11.00pm	Back to sleep again!

Emily aged 4.5 months

7.00am	Wake up baby, breast feed
7.45am	Social time
8.45am	Begin wind-down for nap
9am	Sleep
9.45am	Wake up baby
10am	Outing
11am	Formula feed
11.45am	Settle for nap
12.00	Sleep
2.15pm	Wake baby
2.30pm	Breast feed & social time
3.15pm	Offer breast feed, often declined (if so will need split feed at 5.00pm)
4.00pm	Offer cool boiled water
4.45pm	15 min nap
5.30pm	Bath, and massage
6.00pm	Breast feed and then story time
6.30pm	Nursery for the rest of her breast feed and quiet cuddles
7.00pm	Asleep
10.00pm	Wake baby and give formula feed
10.30pm	Back in cot

Holly aged 5.5 months

6.30am	I get up, organise expressing equipment and own breakfast
6.45am	Express and eat
7am	Wake baby if not already woken
7.10am	Breastfeed
7.45	Social time
8.50am	Settle baby
9-9.45am	Morning nap
10.15am	Breastfeed
10.45-11.20am	Outing
11.30am	Top-up breastfeed
12pm-2.15pm	Lunchtime nap
2.30pm	Breastfeed
3.00-4.15pm	Outing/social time
4.30-5pm	Afternoon nap
5pm	Breastfeed
5.30pm	Bath and massage
6pm	Breastfeed
6.40pm	Settle and offer breast if wanted
7pm	Sleep
9.45pm	I express
10.20pm	Wake and change nappy
10.30pm	Bottle of expressed breast milk
10.50pm	Settle and offer more expressed breast milk if wanted
11/11.10pm	Bed

Sophie aged 16 weeks

5am-7am	Breastfeed and then social time
9-10am	Morning nap in cot
10 - 10:20	Social time, wash and dress
10:45am	Breast Feed both sides. A little baby rice after the feed and then social time
12-2.30pm	Lunch time nap in cot
2.30pm	Breastfeed and then social time
4-4.30pm	If we are at home I put her down for a sleep at this stage
5.30pm	Nappy free kick under her mobile
5.50pm	Bath and massage
6.15pm	Feed and story
6.45pm	Bed
9.30pm	Express both sides
10.30pm	Wake to feed, this is usually formula feed, then nappy change, then 2oz expressed breast milk
11.00pm	By this time she is usually settled for the night

Ewan aged 4 months

7am	Wakes
7.20am	Formula feed followed by social time
8.45am	Nap time
10am	Woken up and then social time
10.50am	Formula feed and first stage solids
12pm	Take up to nursery for lunchtime nap
2.15pm	Woken up (or wakes up)
3pm	Formula feed then social time/outing
4.30-4.40pm	Brief nap in car on way to get big sister from nursery
5.20pm	Baby rice and fruit
6pm	Bath
6.20pmish	Formula feed
6.40pmish	Cuddle and left to settle for night

Christopher aged 5.5 months

7.15am	Wake
7.30am	Formula feed
9am	Morning nap
9.30am	Wake and social time/outing
10am	Offered 1oz of water (found it stops him getting constipated)
11am	Formula feed
12noon	2hrs 15mins lunchtime nap
2.30pm	Formula feed
4.30pm	Afternoon nap (sometimes up to 30 minutes)
5.45pm	Bath
6.05pm	Formula feed
7pm	Bed