Here I am again in Camden helping a family with their third baby. I’ve helped sleep routine their other two children so they know the routine well! But with every baby comes different challenges.
Johnny is three weeks old and luckily for a third child is very low maintenance and has to fit around a busy household. This can be tricky when establishing a routine where the goal is to have a baby sleeping through the night.
Having a peaceful night sleep is dependent on your day routine, getting enough milk and awake time is key. Teaching baby good associations from the start, efficient feeding, confidence to play without being constantly carried and dragged around on school runs will certainly help when trying to juggle three children with different needs and routine.
There has to be some give and take when establishing a routine with three children. Everyone’s routine has to shift slightly with the understanding that Mum must concentrate on caring for the new baby while simultaneously making sure siblings are involved as much as possible, with nappy changing, baths etc. Quality time is needed for all children so yes, it’s a balancing act. One thing that should definitely not change, and the new baby must fit around, is the other children’s bedtime routine. If a child is made to feel rushed, or lacking of attention this could lead to upset with their own sleep patterns and bedtime routine.
At the moment, with my help, the elder children and Johnny are not yet too affected during the week but there is a marked difference at the weekends. Johnny sometimes wakes early for a feed during the day and then again early during the night. Mum really has to concentrate on feeds and keeping him awake whilst feeding which is hard with the distractions of the other two little munchkins, who incidentally are incredibly sweet and loving towards little Johnny.