Help with Implementing Babywise

Dear R.,
I have 3 things to say.
First, babies are babies. And they have changing needs and routines. And I think we should adapt our routines around theirs, not force them to adapt to our routines. Babies (infants) need only four things, sleep, food, to be clean, and to be loved.

Secondly, Gary Ezzo's (the Baby Wise author) cirriculum is not sound. It pushes that "all babies are master manipulators from birth", and that we need to break that from the beginning. So we as adults can carry on our lives and get the sleep we need, and have our needs met without the interference from our children. How do I know this? It was taught in two of the churches we attended. We are retired Military and moved a lot. I would not reccomend Baby Wise to ANYONE!!!! Not even my worst enemy. Children are not disruptions they are blessings and should be treated as such. Should they be spoiled? NO! But the Baby Wise cirriculum that I have seen and witnessed has had nothing but disatrous results. Underweight children who are totally miserable, and unhealthy and even over weight children who are the same. And a couple of deaths due to malnutrition and lack of sleep. All because the adult said you will not disrupt my schedule, and you'll eat when I say so or you won't eat, and you will sleep when I say so and you will not interupt my rest. These are my experiences with Baby Wise. And most churches will not teach the cirriculum any longer. For a baby to grow and be healthy they need food and sleep, even if that exhausts us.

Thirdly, I know that the Baby Wise cirriculum has had many revisions in the past few years and it has gone more secular, but I still think it's not sound AT ALL. Now some who have tried it have had good results (I know of only 2), but all babies are different. You need to know your baby well and make your own decision. I suggest that you read ALL the information you can about Gary Ezzo and Baby Wise before implementing the program, and then go from there.

Anyway that's my 2 cents.

Take care and God bless.

To be perfectly honest and frank, if my children were to ever use the Babywise method of raising children with my grandchildren I would cry for days. I just would. I absolutely hate that philosophy and it breaks my heart, not to mention all the health care professionals who've come out against it because of the counter "information" for the nutritional well being of an infant.

Please, read something by Dr William Sears or Dr Marshall Klaus or Elizabeth Pantley if nothing more than to get more ideas and options for yourself and your wee one.

More importantly, don't look to "experts" out there for your baby whom No one has ever met. YOU are her expert. Follow your INSTINCTS. She's a person, a little person, not a pet to be trained. Your world is SUPPOSED to change dramatically...you're a MOMMY now...you've made a person, a person with feelings, needs, wants, desires...

Anyway, I think the best way to mother is to simply pay attention to your child, pay attention to your feelings, and build a relationship based on your love...not on the opinions of someone who has never laid eyes, ears, hands, or heart on you or your baby. Work with her the same way you work with anyone one else who is important...patience, grace, kindness, and flexibility within the safe bounds that make natural sense to your heart and mind.

The best way to impliment Babywise book is to realize it is advice not a manual. I drove myself nuts trying to do the Babywise scedule with my son. It makes sense but these are little babies not robots and they don't always respond the way the book thinks they will. Do what you can, when you can and eventually they get on schedule naturally. If I had it to do over again I would throw out the book and enjoy being a mom for the first time. It was not until an other mom told me that everything from books, friends and even doctors are just suggestions. This is your baby and you know her best. By the way I stopped waking up my son to feed and we have never had sleeping problems. He slept through the night at 8 weeks, went to a big boy bed and goes to bed with now fuss, all without Babywise schedule. The basics in the book are good, but follow your instincts first.

I read Babywise with my first and I do agree with a lot of their principles. I just have one bit of advice. I remember feeling like I was trying everything they said & my baby just wasn't cooperating the way they said she should. I was a bit frustrated because I wanted things to go like clockwork the way the book promised. After taking a step back, I realized that I just needed to relax a bit and take the good parts of the book & not get so stressed about the rest. The principles I came away with that I have found to be helpful with teaching my kids to sleep well are 1)get in a routine of sleep, eat, play, repeat, 2) don't get your baby used to anything to soothe your baby to sleep (rocking, feeding, etc.) and 3) make sure your baby is getting a full meal and not snacking or grazing. Those 3 things are very helpful when your baby is really new to get her headed in the right direction. I didn't worry too much if my baby was sleeping for long periods of time during the day, unless that meant they were waking more frequently during the night. But if she is giving you good stretches during the night, I say let sleeping babies sleep even during the day.

To the Babywise advise, I would just add that at this age, it is helpful to start looking for the first signs of drowsiness (thousand mile stare, eye rubbing, yawning) and then immediately put them down in their bassinette/crib while still awake to learn to fall asleep by themselves in the crib. These things will all start great habits that will teach your baby how to sleep well.

If you are interested in learning more about getting your children to go to sleep & stay asleep independently as they get a little older, I HIGHLY recommend getting Ferber's, 'How to Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems.' He recommends sleep training around 5-6 months old. I have used his methods and absolutely swear by it. Good luck & congrats on your new baby!

Congrats R.! If we had $1 for everyone who told us about Babywise, we'd be rich! Of course, we'd be rich if we had $1 for everyone who hates it too. (I don't like Babywise, preferring more attachment and intuition). We read a great book, the primary alternative to Babywise, called "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. Pantley recommends not even beginning a routine (as opposed to "structure") until 4 months. The book offers a lot of great suggestions, but it's not an immediate fix of making them cry and out and nurse when the book tells you to nurse. But in the long run, you're creating peaceful, secure sleep patterns for your child, knowing mommy & daddy are there. You may be a lucky one and find out your child is a sleeper--but right now, your daughter needs love and cuddles and food when she needs it--not when a book tells you she does. Trust yourself. You know what feels right to you and what feels right to you is generally right for your baby. That's usually a much softer and more loving approach than Babywise recommends. Good luck and hang in there! You've got a crazy, beautiful ride ahead of you!

I also felt like I had trouble implementing Babywise.I didn't have to have supplements but the nurses were worried that my daughter's blood sugar was low becasue she was sleeping like five to six hours though the night at the hospital. They told me I needed to wake her up, and I was like yeah right! She's sleeping, she just had a rough time getting here i am sure she is exhausted. My mother has eight childredn and she told me that you just learn to sleep when the baby sleeps for at least the first couple of weeks and you ket them sleep. My sister in law swears by Babywise and her kids are on a routine and they are great. I let my daughter eat and sleep whenever she wanted to for at least the first two weeks. In fact I didn't really start implementing a schedule until she was like four weeks old. She would also take very long naps, like four hours. BUt it just seemd like I needed to let her sleep. She kind of got into her own schedule and I try to work the Babywise principles around it. The main thing that I learned with Babywise was to listen to her cries and learn to tell whather she's tired or hungry or just wanted to suck or something else. I gradually transistioned into getting her to sleep on her own. She would fall asleep while nursing but if she woke up, oh man. So I started just letting her fall asleep on me but not nursing. then I started trying to get her to go down while she was still awake. I don't let her cry for more than like twenty minutes, and sometimes she just isn't tired and won't sleep. But i kept trying and now she will go down really without any fussing and sometimes she cries because she is tired and as soon as I put her in her crib she stops. We did have to let her cry it out at night a few times though, becasue I really wanted to establish a bedtime. there were a few nights where I was up with her until one or two becasue i never wanted her to cry too excessively. We don't have a tight schedule but I feed her at approximate times we now do anywhere from between 21/2 to 31/2 hours except right before bed her last two feedings are about 1and1/2 hours apart. I try to feed her before she gets too upset about being hungry. Sometimes she still falls asleep while nursing, but I don't care becasue she will also fall asleep on her own. I didn't actually start waking her up from her naps to feed her until she was like 6 weeks old or so. Maybe five. I don't agree with everything that the babywise philosphy entails, but as a general guideline I have found it very useful. My daughter is 21/2 months old and she sleeps through the night great 7-8 hours, and she goes to bed at night without any fussing. You just have to be patient and do what feels right for you and yur baby. You know your baby better than anyone else. Also your baby is very young, at that age my daughter ate like every two hours, except for when she napped, and at night before bed she would eat like every hour to hour and a half. The main thing is that your daughter is gaining weight. My daughter was definitely gaining weight so even though we were't on a tight schedule I felt like I must be doing something right. Good luck, it's tough, but be patient.

Take a deep breath, and think about what you would think would work best for you and your baby. Some advice works great for some, not so great for others. I just took the approach of going with the flow. My babies usually slept pretty good after about 2 months. I didn't even look at babywise. Sometimes all the well-meaning advice in the world can only stress you out more, because it may not come naturally to you. Do what does.

Hi R.
I have never heard of babywise but it sounds weird to me. Babies need to eat and sleep the first couple months and just fall into a routine you can't force a routine at 11 days old just as much as you can't potty train a newborn. I would not push it all it will do is drive you and your husband crazy and still get you nowhere. My son slept through the night around 6 weeks and my daughter at 8 weeks just from doing things the same everyday but that was going around there schedule then it just all fell into place.
Good luck but I would not force it.

Hi R.,
We used the Babywise and were so grateful we stuck with it. My suggestions to you would be to continue with the sleep,eat, play schedule. Being consistent is the whole name of the game. You control the schedule so make it work for you and baby will follow suit soon enough. Concerning breast feeding. There were times I had to use a breastpump because my babies wouldn't take enough off. That's o.k too. Don't let her set the schedule or she will do the natural thing of eating first then sleeping. Be consistent and patient with her she will catch on and you (and hubby) will be the better off for using the schedule. Our two are now 3 and 4 and they are great sleepers for both nap and bedtime. Remember...be consistent! Blessings, L.

Congratulations on being a new mom! As many have shared already, I would encourage you to reconsider using Babywise. Although some of the principles are good (getting your baby on a routine and helping with sleep schedules) the concerns are also well worth considering. Newborns need to have their needs met consistently. It's part of establishing healthy attachments. Don't feel pressured to do what others have done if it's not right for you or your baby. Given time, you might want to try getting your baby on a schedule, but for now, I would continue with what your instinct tells you. You have lots of support!

I took all books and threw them out the door... my life was better ever since. Even my doc said you have an instinct, SO follow it.
Babies are babies and every single one is different. I became a feed on demand mom (breast) and a baby wearer- meaning I held/wore her in a sling or wrap of some sort.
I fed her when she needed it, I changed her when she needed it and held her close to me all the time.
People all said I was crazy and would spoil her! You can't spoil and infant... they need you. And sure enough she grew out of the holding phase all on her own.

She is now 10 months old and a wonderful baby. She for sure is on the shy side, but that is more due to mom and dad being shy children growing up. We must have just passed that gene down.
After 2-3 months we were on a schedule and it was great. It may not have been MY schedule, but it was a schedule and so I adjusted to her. That is what you do- adjust to THEM. My days are planned around knowing her nap times and feeding times and I go with the flow.
Relaxing is key....

I won't say it will be easy. Those first months were hard! But you do what you can and it does get better. I am prego with our second and while I am scared for those first few months and having a 16 month old at that time, I think I am better prepared to just take each day as it comes and not try and live up to what the books say.
Schedules ARE important- but you are smart lady and can figure it out on your own if you don't want to follow some specific pattern... This is your time for you and your baby, so find out what works for you!

Good luck.

Hi I am a postpartum doula and a lactation educator. Babywise has some really interesting principles schedule wise and can be put in to practice when your baby is older.

If you are really sold on breastfeeding then don't schedule your baby until you milk supply is really set. That can take up to 8 weeks. The way your body responds to making milk is by supply and demand. Whatever you ask of it is what it will make. You should be feeding her as often as she needs it. Babies learn by association. If we let them know early on that we read their cues and they don't have to cry for food, and that we respond to their instincts of hunter, they will always respond well to their bodies later on (eat when hungry and stop when full) and be very happy babies. Also sleep is also learned by association. I have a really great resource who has amazing classes on sleep training for kiddos her name is Patience Blesken ###-###-####

If you aim for 3 to 3 1/2 hours during the day, that should help with the milk supply some. Our first son wouldn't wake up for anything. I stripped him down to the diaper and kept a wet washcloth handy to wake him up with. After a few days of doing it, he was used to eating every 2 1/2 hours, 3 tops and would wake up for it. It makes a great routine because you truly can plan your day, even with a newborn. Maybe try letting her sleep, but not longer than 3 1/2 hours. The thing I like about Babywise is it's flexibility. We did it with all three of our kids and loved it. I remember, especially with my third, that it wasn't working. After about 2 to 3 weeks, I realized it really was. Hang in there! Congratulations!

CONGRATULATIONS!! Okay, I am not sure I will be much help, but I love baby wise and believe in the premis behind it. I was 36 with my first and did baby wise by the book!! It worked great. However, I now have a 4mos old and it is not working no matter how hard I try for a feeding schedule. We do do nap schedule now... but ugh. If she is sleeping 4 hours, let her sleep. The goal is to go longer between feedings. I did not breast feed so I had a different challenge. Pump on a schedule if you can...that will help. Freeze if neccisary. Like I said, not much help but understand greatly. Keep it up and find other moms who do baby wise. As you will learn, there are those who are totally against it. But, I hate to say... It WORKS!!

It sounds like you need to concentrate on learning to breastfeed. It takes up to 6 weeks for it to be comfortable. Once breastfeeding is comfortable then start Babywise. The main worry I have with Babywise is that is will result in low milk supply. When your baby goes through a growth spurt, your baby will need to nurse more often to increase your milk supply. When he has those growth spurts (I think at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months), forget about a schedule so you can increase your milk supply then go back to your Babywise.

Congratulations on your baby girl! I used a lot of the Babywise principles with my son, and it worked very well. Now is a great time to start with your daughter. Just take it easy and know that every day will not be perfect. I don't see why you should have to wake her up every three hours if she wants to go 4. Good for you! They just don't want your baby getting used to eating every 30 minutes! Remember, the book is a guideline and every baby is different. The best part about the program was helping my baby sleep through the night, which he started doing around 10 weeks of age. If you are a working mom, that is SO important! One of the important things to start early (that I missed) is to establish a consistent wake up time for your little one so that she gets used to eating at a certain time in the morning. That really sets your pattern for the day and can greatly help with establishing a routine. Also, remember to not watch the clock, to feed your baby when she is hungry! Best of luck to you!

R.,
I just had my second on April 1. I used Babywise principles with my first with success and plan to implement them again. But, as I'm livig through it again, I'm reminded that things don't always go just like the book, but tend to work themselves out. My little baby girl will go as long as 4 hours sometimes of sleeping. If it is at night I let it go, during the day wake her up after 3. Sometimes she doesn't eat much- falls alseep, then wakes up again in an hour hungry. I see if I can pacify her in other ways for a little while, then feed her. My son did that as well, and as I remember, after awhile I was beter able to keep him awake while eating and then the sleep/eat pattern fell more into place. It just took some patience. So that's my advice- Babywise is a good idea- but it make take some time for things to go just like the books says. I will work out.
~S

Hi R.. Babywise talks about not trying to schedule until after 2 weeks. I know that you are almost there, but right now you and your daughter are figuring each other out. Just keep the cycle of eat, wake and sleep. You can let her sleep up to 5 hours at night, and then continue eat and sleep until your first feed of the day. Have you picked a first feed of the day, within a half an hour? That helps the most with predictiblity. We started our kids at 7-7:30 in the morning. That way she will know that it is eat, wake and sleep. Best wishes!
PS If you are worried about your milk supply, I pumped after the first feed of the day, when I had the most milk. It varied what I pumped day to day but then I knew that I was making enough milk. She also may becoming more effecient at nursing? Ask yourself, is she peeing regularly, sleeping well? Let me know if I can help with anything else!!

Structure is good, but not until they are a little bit older. I like a loose interpretation of it. But the man who wrote those books was not a doctor. I wouldn't start trying to implement it until your baby is 3 monthes. Also keep in mind that babies go through growth spurts at certain stages, so a baby who would regularly sleep 4 hours consistently may all of the sudden one night wake up every 2 hours. It is because they need the extra calories for their growth spurt. If your baby is sleeping 3-4 hours on their own. I don't see a reason to use babywise until they are a little bit older. Personally for my kids the babywise routine stuff works great from about 8 monthes on. It is great to have a routine for older babies, toddlers and for preschoolers. But with both my kids I found that the only routine that is good for a newborn is a bedtime routine. Nothing more.

Hey R.,
Congrats! I had my baby at 36 yrs of age with zero experienc & didnt have a clue! What I did learn from my first year of experience...is go with what YOU feel comfortable doing. I bought Babywise and tried it & was not comfortable with it, simply gave me WAY more stress. I got the First years, and another book and I ended up reading and trying routines, schedules, etc & not enjoying what I should have been enjoying which was this tiny precious baby. For sleep patterns I eventually bought No Cry Sleep Solution and loved it. My suggestion to you is concentrate on your milk supply & breast feeding. If your little girl is sleeping 4 hrs a night already that is great. Just do a few common sense practice, like making nightime calm quiet etc, and then daytime keep your noise level as it would be. Remember she has only been alive for 11 days. Do give it time. After a month or rather two months, you'll see her own patterns and behaviors and will have a better idea on starting. Or just start with one small part (later on) like feeding her the minute she wakes up. My advice is just enjoy and dont wake a sleeping baby. Concentrate on her feeding and growing...trust me you have LOTS of time to get ur pattern & schedule going. Good luck to you

Hi R.,
Let me start by saying that I am not familiar with Babywise, I know people who swear by it, but I have not read the books. That said, I think maybe you are stressing yourself out unnecessarily. It it perfectly normal for an newborn to do the things you are describing. I can remember how frustrating being on the baby's schedule was when I brought by son home from the hospital, but once I stopped trying to fight it, and let him sleep and eat when he needed to, I was much happier and calmer. Just try to be patient, sleep whenever you can, feed her when she's hungry, take care of yourself and don't worry about the Babywise stuff right now, you can always try again when she is a bit older. She will still be able to develop good sleep habits, we didn't put our son on a sleep schedule until he was over 5 months old. He is now 17 months and goes to bed easily and sleeps 12 hours every night. Just remember that what works for one baby might not work for you and your baby. Don't worry about it, and enjoy your baby girl.

Hi R.,
Lots of opinions on this one! My 2 cents follows: Friends at church highly recommended Babywise to us, but as I researched it on the internet, I was disturbed by what I read. I encountered too many stories about babies falling into "failure to thrive" after their parents used Babywise, and other problems abounded as well. (Some of these stories were from a past Babywise leader.) From what I've gathered, it's designed primarily for formula-fed babies, who can go 3 hours between feedings much more easily than breastfed ones. (Breastmilk is digested in 90 minutes; formula takes longer.) I decided to feed on demand, and haven't regretted it. (Interestingly enough, I found that our little guy eventually fell into his own schedule!) Also, if your baby seems to want to feed several times in quick succession, it's because she's smart! The fatty hindmilk comes at the very end of a feeding, and if she feeds in succession like that she gets more of it.

I remember my mom telling me that babies know what they need. Sure, discipline does come in at some point, but in those early days, I think it's important to let them receive what they are asking for.

A great website re: breastfeeding is Kellymom.com. Can't tell you how many times I've visited there for info on just about everything.

Blessings to you, and congrats on your little one and your decision to give her the best! :)

I used Babywise after being told how great it was. It was HARD at first. I think I took too much on at once.
Step 1 - Relax. I started with the 3 hour feedings. That fell into place pretty quickly with my son, but I was also waking him quite a bit during the day...he was a BIG sleeper - still is at 12 months. The hardest thing was the being awake after eating, which I took on next. For awhile, we had about 15 minutes if that! :) After that seemed set, we then tried the self soothing, etc. Remember, she is only 11 days old, so take things slowly.

I would continue with waking her up every 2.5-3.5 hours. This not only ensures that she gets enough milk, but will help to focus those 3-4 sleeping spells to the nighttime, when you will most appreciate them. She may seem to eat a little less at first as she is learning night and day, but it will pick up again. You can pump to help keep your supply up if you think this is making an impact.

There is actually a website that I found, and an email address I found for Babywise support. You are also welcome to contact me for any support, or just to talk things through. I think that was the hardest for me. Everyone kept telling me how wonderful it was, but they didn't remember what it was like back then, and I just wanted to talk to someone.

I get so many complements about how happy my son seems...that he just smiles all the time, and I really relate this to knowing what he needs when. Just know that in the beginning it is not so easy, and you WILL want to give up...just persevere and you will be so thankful. Also, make sure that your husband supports this too. Without the consistency, it won't work.

Good luck, and congratulations.

Babies don't need to develop "good sleep habits"!! There is plenty of time later on for this. You want to help her sleep more at night and not quite so much during the day, but that's all I'd worry about. Follow her schedule for eating - feed when she's hungry, that's the only way to match your milk supply to her demand. And really, if we could all re-learn to eat when we're hungry and stop when we're full (instead of eating according to the clock or what's put in front of us) we'd have much less obesity in our nation!

My boys were exclusively breast fed, and I fed on demand. I brought them into be with me at night (so I could nurse on demand and still get a bit more sleep, plus it helped them sleep better). It sounds like setting up for sleep problem nightmares, right? But now, they're 8 and 5. I tell them it's bedtime, they get on pj's and get ready for bed. They get into their beds and I tuck them in and go out. Once in a while one will wake up in the night (usually from a dream or if they get cold) and come in to my room. I can send them back to their bed without even getting up most of the time. They have really good sleep habits! And I think it stems from the safety they felt when they were babies. They knew mom was there to take care of their needs. That's what babies are supposed to be leaarning. She'll have plenty of time later to learn how to go to sleep on her own or sleep through the night.

Please, please, please - reconsider using babywise. There are reports of children becoming failure to thrive when its practices are strictly adhered to. You have a newborn - physically, they have to eat often and are not ready to sleep for long stretches. You are the mom- you know what is best for your baby, not some book. Follow your baby's cues and your instincts, and you will be a great mom!

Hello!
I just wanted to say that some books are great, and some moms do great with them. However, its more important to cater to your baby's needs and not to a book. An 11 day old baby has no sense of day or night or any kind of schedule.Let her get a bit older and let her find her own rhythm. I unfortunately see many moms who try to make baby fit to their own schedules and I'm sorry to say, that is not what being a mom is about. I just want to let you know that its ok to not fit a book. Most of the awesome moms I know have read a lot, heard a lot of advice, and then they took what worked for them and their child and that is what was successful. I myself got many ideas from MANY different sources. Healthy Sleep habits happy child, parent magazines, etc.. They all sounded wonderful. Lets just say that what I'm doing with my second child, and what I did with my first are completely different cause each child doesn't fit one mold (or book). I hope I'm making sense.
If your daughter needs to sleep more (which some babies just do) your milk supply will adjust to fit her schedule. It may take some time, but it will work. Enjoy the 4 hours of sleep at a time. My first was up every 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the first 6 months and I used all the books to try to get her to sleep longer. My second is almost the opposite, sleeping well and I didn't use much of the advice from what I had learned in the books.
Anyway, take it or leave it, I wish you good luck! You will do great!!!!

Go with your intuition. Waiting won't mess up the universe. It will all work out in the end so do what is right for you. I always picked different things from different books and theories and so far my kids seem normal and well adjusted - all we can hope for. Don't stress!

I personally found "Happiest Baby on the Block" to be the most helpful book/system for our family. (I know - super cheesy title, but it's good stuff.) I read Babywise and found it to be informative. I especially liked that it briefly talked about other approaches, which gave me at least an idea of what else was out there. I think that the most helpful (and really only) thing that I used from Babywise was the "sleep, eat, wake" pattern - sort of a fundamental way to approach your baby routine. That way you're not nursing/feeding the baby to sleep every (though at night is a different story - just get them back to sleep!) and they theoretically learn to fall asleep w/o the boob/bottle. It worked really well for us. Good luck and congratulations - on the baby and on knowing to go looking for help when you need it!

DONT DO IT!!!!!!! I have two girls and both were sleeping through the night by 7 weeks and I never did babywise. Babies need touch and their needs need to be met when they need it not when a book tells you too. I have a friend who did Babywise with all 4 of her kids and they are all underdeveloped for their ages, have detachement issues and none of them slept through the night until they were past 12 weeks. The more love and touch you give your child the better they will be. Babies are only babies for a very short time. Remember, YOU CAN NEVER SPOIL A BABY.

Please know that Babywise has been linked to failure to thrive in babies, and is recommended against by the American Academy of Pediatric Medicine. They recommend that all babies, and especially breast fed babies, be fed on demand for the first several months. Basically demand feeding, allows you to respond to babies needs, and not force them into a schedule. With my baby, I fed her when she had hungry signs, such as rooting and sucking on her hand, and I made sure she ate at least every three hours during the day, so that she got enough food during the day to help her sleep at night. One thing that helped me get in good feedings during those first sleepy weeks was that when I would feed her, I would move her arms and legs around, and help her "exercise" while we nursed. This kept her awake, and let her get a good feeding in at a time she might have fallen asleep during nursing. She fell into a general schedule of eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day, but it wasn't strict. Just be very careful with Babywise, especially with a baby that young. Just google "Babywise controversy" or "Ezzo controversy" for some good reading on the issues surrounding Babywise.

I used Babywise with my 3- it worked great. I waited until they were at least 2 weeks old to start it though. I would basically feed them every 2-2 1/2 hours during the day, whether they were napping or not, so as to start getting the food they needed during daylight hours. My first two were sleeping through the night (8 hours) by about 6-7 weeks, and my 3rd did take until about 11 weeks, then he jumped from like, 6 hours, to about 10-11 the very next night and he hasn't changed since (he's 22 months now). We did have to fight through that wake them up routine, but it "can" be done- naked, cold washcloths,... It sounds mean, but you're trying to get them on a schedule that they can live with and that you know what's coming when. Their body DOES adjust and then you know "what the schedule is". That was always such a help to me. They're crying now because they should have eaten 15 minutes ago, etc...

Hang in there! You're just at the very beginning of it! :)

I followed the Babywsie techniques and am so happy I did. I, too, had a more difficult time in the begining. My son was in the intensive care unit for 5 days with a miconium pneumonia and came home with digestive problems, brestfeeding difficulties and sleep issues (he would only sleep 6-8 hours out of every 24, it was hellish at first).

But I stuck with it the best I could even though he never slept I just kept up with the schedule I devised. Eventually it worked eventhough I would bet I only was able to follow through with about 75% of the techniques because of my son's unique hurdles. He slept 7 hours by 8 weeks and 8 by 12 weeks through the night.

My advice is to just stick with it and know that it does work even if you don't follow it to 100%, just follow it the best you can to fit it into your unique situation.
You won't regret sticking with it I promise. It may be the hardest 12 WEEKS but you'll get YEARS of payoff from it!!!

About you milk supply...If you have a pump at home just use it at the time you would normally feed, your body will adjust to make more if she wants to feed a hour after you pumped. Or you can give the pumped milk in a bottle to her if she depletes your supply.

Good Luck!

Like other moms I agree that structure is good but I personally don't agree with babywise. I think that when a baby cries it is because they are needing something. Transitioning from being inside of the womb into the world is a rough transition. Don't get me wrong Im not one of those moms that believe that babies should never cry. I believe that they need to learn to self sooth but not until they are older somewhere between 8 or 9 months. i think that babies need to realize and believe that when they cry their needs will get met. I agree that starting a bed time routine is helpful. But like another mom said you need to remember that your little one is only 11 days old! don't expect so much from her.... things are crazy for awhile. But as you get to know her you will know what she needs.

Congrats on the baby R.! I did babywise with my son and loved it. But - I'm a firm believer in not everything works with every kid...This worked for ME. I needed a schedule b/c I went back to work part-time and I had to schedule my pumping and such. I'm kind of discouraged by some of the other comments about babies not thriving. My son is now 9 months old and gaining good weight and tons of height. He's developmentally slightly advanced and a great eater. At first things are REALLY hard. I constantly had to wake my baby up to feed up. I never let him go more than 3 hours during the day, but I also fed him more if he wanted more. All newborns are very sleepy, so give your daughter some time to adjust and try being patient. I used to cry breastfeedng because he would scream to eat and then not latch on, and then when he would latch on he'd fall asleep. I would have to get him naked and use a baby wipe on his body while eating, and change his diaper inbetween boobs to keep him awake. I'm proud to say he is still breastfeeding. He is on a great schedule! I love knowing his needs and not having to second guess myself. He was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks (on his own), one night he just slept straight through. I do agree that babywise should be used as a guide. Don't get too stressed about following it exactly, and don't worry if one day she gets "off schedule", tomorrow is a new day. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that you just need to be patient and decide what's best for you and your baby, for me it just happened to be babywise.

I followed BabyWise only to a certain extent, with my now 30-month old daughter, so I can't say for sure if I would recommend it or not, as it was sometimes a lot 'off-ish'. I read the book front to back and deviated (quite a bit) as I felt necessary based on our lifestyle and what I thought was a little too 'strict' for an infant. Remember, they need to eat since there tummies as so tiny! If anything, just establishing a schedule was way worth it but I am sure that can be done on your own without having to read BabyWise.

Sleep at this point, although very nice to have during the night, you will learn to cope with what you get. Take advantage of the routine naps during the day and it will come. It was nice when a 'schedule' was developed that way 'Mom' has a little down time between the naps. My daughter was sleeping thru the night at about 4-5 months old.

Good luck!!!

I had four babies -- all before Babywise. They all eventually got on a schedule. Babywise has its positive points, but, mothers should repsond to thier infants needs. Sleep deprevation is always an issue for new moms. Keeping an infant to a schedule can be counter productive, especially if there are health issues. You can get her on a schedule later. Right now, your job is to feed her when she's hungry, sleep when she sleeps, and don't worry about your schedule being random.
Now, I'm a grandmother of 7 and write on family nutrition and health:
http:www.BabyBites.info

Personally, I think that the Babywise program is very UN-wise. Just continue to let your baby nurse when she is hungry, to do otherwise will disrupt you milk supply even more. Good luck!

Take a step back and worry about being a mom and bonding with your child. The rhythm and routing of feeding, changing and playing will come as you two become more comfortable with each other. It takes a few weeks for a newborn to become oriented and for you to establish a steady milk supply. Just go with it and try not to be so rigid about following a particular methodology.

Hi R.,
I would like to make a gentle suggestion that Babywise isn't so wise. Yes, you get children that do what you want on a schedule. Great for the adults, eh? But you sacrifice responding to your baby's needs when YOUR BABY needs you. In other words, what sounds great is really great for the parents and not so great for the baby. Please rethink Babywise. . .my two are just fine without it.

Hi R.-
CONGRATS on the new baby!! How exciting. I read Baby Wise and when my son was about 2 months- so many people raved about it and said it was the wya to go. But I was not in a hurry to follow it step by step. I read it and took what I liked about it and put it into my schedule that fir my son. I did the demand feeding until he was 2 months b/c he was a baby and he needed it, I couldnt follow that strict of a schedule that early. But around 2 months I started more of a solid schedule, and it chnged daily, sometimes it would be 3 hours in between feedings sometimes it was 2 1/2 or other times 4 hours. So you see what I am saying, you have to go off your baby and be realistic. My son started sleeping 8 hrs a night when he was 2 months old and by 5 months he was sleeping 12 hrs and is now a great sleeper at 17 months. I am also very big on routine though (the timing may change but we do the same actions every night), its dinner, bath then bed. Even when I was nursing, I would give him a bath and then it was my last night time feeding. SO routine is a big thing to, its helps kids know what to expect and what is going to happen. I think that played a huge role rather than making sure it was a certain time every day.
I did think some of the things in the book were a little out there, as you may see as you baby grows, plus the book even says that it may change with every child. SO dont take it to heart if you cant hold out for 3 hours and need to feed her or if she is still sleeping and its been 4 hrs, it will change every day. Just every day try to keep the timing the same if you could, if that makes sense.
Ok, I know I am rambling, just thought I would share my opinion.
Good luck and enjoy it!! Breast feeding your baby is one the greatest things ever, enjoy it.