Feeding FAQ: 4-6 months – Other

Is it too late to begin the routine at 4 months?

My main problem is that I haven’t been following the Contented Baby routine so far. I breast fed my baby exclusively (on demand) for the first 7 weeks, when I started to give him a bottle at 7pm to go to bed with; then I breast fed him on waking through the night. He no longer seemed to be satisfied by breast milk alone, so I gradually moved over to bottles from about 3 months old. I still breast feed him if he wakes in the night or at the first feed of the day (7 am), depending on whether he woke in the night. I am now weaning him, and am waiting to receive your book, which I am sure will be very helpful. My problem is that I have never got into a rigid routine, and I would like to purchase the Contented Little Baby Book, but wonder if it is too late to start now. Rory is now 18 weeks old. Can a routine be established at this stage?

There is no reason why you cannot start the routines now. It may well take you a week or so to really get Rory established onto the routine suitable for his age, but with perseverance and consistency I am sure you will get the results you want. You may have to begin with a routine for a slightly younger baby and gradually work your way onto the one suitable at 4 months.
Many mothers find it helpful to start by putting the bath and bedtime routine in place and always start the day at 7 am regardless of what has happened in the night.
Sleeping too long and at the wrong times of day are often at the root of some problems so do be aware of that.
Please make sure you read the first chapters of the book which explain the reasons why the routines are structured in the way they are and how they fulfil your baby’s needs.