10 Tips for Creating a Routine as a new Mom
Adjusting to you new life as a mom is a process. It’s exhausting, overwhelming and often times chaotic. Establishing a daily routine that works for you will help you to embrace the chaos and learn to operate in an entirely new way.
Establishing a flexible routine can bring a sense of control and calm. Here are 10 tips that worked for me, and hopefully at least one will help you find your rhythm.
1. Start with the basics
When you’re in survival mode, simplicity is key. Pick three times to anchor your day around, like meal times, nap time and bath time. Aim to feed, nap and bathe around the same time each day. It doesn’t need to be perfect – just consistent enough to bring calm and comfort to both of you.
Your routine will ground you. Everything else can be flexible. Here is a general outline of our day.
at home
At school
Download a blank copy for your schedule
2. Make simple meals
The doctor always asks us if Baby is getting a good mix of fruits, veggies, and protein, so we try to do for each meal. It doesn’t always work out this way. We try to offer her nutrient-dense foods that taste good to Baby.
A few easy foods to try are avocado, banana, sweet potato, pears, applesauce, or yogurt. Smoothies are an easy way to add veggies if baby doesn’t seem to enjoy them independently.
Try making a stew! If you have a crockpot, you can throw your meat of choice (if you eat meat), carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes into the crockpot. Let it cook for 4 – 8 hours during the day. Everything is soft enough for Baby to eat, or sometimes they like to taste the broth with is loaded with vitamins and nutrients from all of the healthy ingredients.
If your baby doesn’t like to eat veggies, try the pouches! They’re great to take with you on the road.
best baby smoothie recipe
ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 banana
Directions
Put the ingredients into a blender and blend until you reach your desired consistency. Add more milk if you want a thinner smoothie. Add more ripe banana if you need more sweetness.
best baby soup
ingredients
- frozen sweet peas
- bone broth
- salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- sour cream
Directions
Sweet pea soup has been a lifesaver in our family. The peas are a great green veggie and protein source. Toss them in the microwave or boil them on the stove top and blend them with the broth of your choice. We use chicken broth or veggie broth plus a little bit of sour cream to add flavor and texture. Add the amount of each ingredient to your liking to get the desired texture and thickness.
3. Focus on Play time
Baby is tiny for a short time. “The days are long but the years are short.” It’s somewhat of a paradox. The infant stage goes by quickly and before you know it, you’ll be reminiscing, wondering “How did it go by so fast?”
When you’re at your wit’s end (because we all have those moments), try to take a moment to appreciate your baby and yourself in this stage of life. It will be over and on to the next stage sooner than you expect. Do your best to enjoy all of the moments- the good, the bad, the ugly. It’s all beautiful.
One way to do that is by making play a priority. I learned that 15-minute time chunks worked best for baby. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
40 activities to do with baby
4. Change baby's diaper every 2 hours
Every 2 hours or as needed according to every child care center that I have visited. This keeps Baby comfortable, happy, and healthy. I think of it the way I would treat myself. I know that I would be uncomfortable sitting in my own mess, so I tend to change Baby as soon as I see that she’s wet.
“A pleasant attitude while changing a child’s diaper, even if a child has had a loose stool, helps to develop a child’s positive sense of self.” – Texas Health and Human Services
A helpful tactic is telling Baby, “Good job!” every time they soil a diaper to encourage her to go potty. Otherwise, if Baby receives negative attention when she goes to the bathroom, which is a healthy natural process, they can try to hold it in and develop potentially harmful health issues
5. notice your baby's sleep requirements
Typically, a baby should nap for 2–3 hours. When I asked my baby’s doctor this very question, her only suggestion was not to let Baby sleep past 5 pm. At first, I didn’t stick to this, but now I do—well, with a few exceptions.
If Baby is sick, I let her sleep as much as she needs, no matter the time. If she’s really overstimulated and exhausted, I’ll allow her to nap until 6 pm, but no later, or she’ll be wide awake until 10 pm.
A couple of years ago, I spoke with a dad of three, and he shared that each kid is different when it comes to sleep. One of his daughters could easily sleep 10–14 hours, while his second daughter only needed 6–8 hours. His youngest averaged 8 hours of sleep.
So, if your baby sleeps a lot or doesn’t sleep as much as you’d like, remember that every baby is unique. Most of the time, they get the sleep they need.
6.Mimic your bed time routine for nap time
One of the most helpful tips in successfully putting Baby down for a nap was to treat nap time the same way you treat bedtime. This was eye-opening. Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of this before? For some reason, I had created two different routines, even though the objective was the same.
Once we started incorporating the same practices at nap time that we do at bedtime, Baby was much more comfortable with nap time. I started putting Baby in her sleep sack at nap time, making the room as dark as possible, and playing the same bedtime playlist.
Aim for the same time every day for nap time. Baby responds well to routine. Even if they are not tired, their little bodies learn to become tired and take rest when offered.
7. Create a bathtime playlist
I use Amazon Music for this, but you can create a playlist on any free music app or youtube. My thought was that, before Baby and I could communicate, if I played the same songs when we started an activity, then she would start to recognize what was happening.
It has worked beautifully so far. I have a meal time playlist, a tummy time playlist, a bath time playlist and a bed time playlist.
This has been great to share with grandparents or babysitters. When my mom was watching Baby for us, she said that baby calmed down as soon as she started playing the bedtime song list. It’s comforting and familiar to Baby.
8. read 1000 books before kindergarten
Reading to Baby every day, if they aren’t able to sit still or show interest, is good for their developing minds. A Kumon instructor recommended to read 1000 books before kindergarten. This program reinforced the habit of reading for your little one. Find fun board books with colors, sounds, flaps, moveable parts, a mirror, anything that grabs their attention.
9. Make time for yourself
Even 5 minutes of “me time” matters. Whether it’s enjoying a hot cup of coffee while it’s still warm or just sitting in silence for a few minutes, taking care of yourself helps you take care of your baby better.
Taking a shower every day works wonders. The water is therapeutic, cleanse you body and your mind. Make it a priority.It sounds simple but it’s often overlooked and then you wonder why you don’t feel like yourself. A shower can be transformational.
10. do what works for you
Most importantly, do what works for your life. There’s no perfect formula for being a mom, and I’m learning that every day. The tips I’ve shared are what helped me feel a bit more grounded. But, take what works for you and leave the rest. Trust yourself—you’ve got this!
