When do you put the baby on a schedule?

[NicMom]

So until now we've let the baby set the schedule. She eats when she's hungry and sleeps when she's tired. It's been sheer luck that she doesn't have her days and nights confused. We get two 4 hour stretches of awake time during the day. One in the morning and one in the evening. Other than that she sleeps and wakes every 2 to 3 hours for feedings.

The only thing is it's not exact times. I can't say that every day her feedings will be at 7, 9, 11. One day it might be at 7 and 10 then the next at 7, 8:30, 10. She's a pretty happy baby so I've been hesitant to try and adjust her feeding times, but when should I put her on a set schedule? I don't have to work and my husband only works a few hours a day from home so it's been easy for us to work around these times. It would be nice, however to know every day when I can take a shower or schedule a drs appointment around a feeding time.

Suggestions?

[kaprovea]

I am reading this book called good night sleep tight and it was saying that from day one you should put the baby on a schedule.  My little guy is now 2 months old and we are starting to put him on a schedule but you shouldn't have them on a very strict schedule.  I don't think that you need to wake them up to keep them on schedule.  I think that if you just let them wake on their own and if they slept through a feeding time then just feed them when they get up.  You also need to make sure that you put them to bed around the same time very day.

[NicMom]

Thanks! I'm afraid to start messing with her because I keep thinking it will make her fussy. Do you wake up the baby at certian times or just let them sleep? Like if I'm at home and don't need to go anywhere should I wake her up just to keep on the same schedule?

[JAXX55]

as far as showers, appts, etc etc... well, with a newborn - i just do my best to schedule them when i think I can get MYSELF out the door and somewhere on time. Im a SAHM too and so with that comes the luxury of much more free time to schedule things freely, so I do just that, and if baby needs to nap he will nap on the way to where we're going(and usually the whole time we're there too!)... like i said above, you just gota do what you gota do and they will adjust to OUR schedule eventually. As for showers, HA! I jump in and jump out as fast as i can, WHENEVER i see the opportunity! lol    have fun, they wont be little for long!

[JAXX55]

I've always sort of started from day 1 with a 'schedule' and strangely enough its worked! I have 2 kids that go to Elem and Middle School so we have to be up at a certain time and out the door and the new baby has just sort of meshed into that schedule with the rest of us. I think if you do your best to slowly but surely get the baby to do things when the rest of your household does, eventually it just sort of falls into place. There's surely going to be some sleepless nights in between as newborns make their own hours for a little while until they get adjusted. But eventually they'll conform... they learn what WE teach them! Consistency is key... good luck!