Life Admin for New Parents

Set the table

Patterns and rhythms that we talk about often, they are nice other times, necessary here. This timeline aims for having a well and happy baby—well fed, good sleeper—and a happy marriage by the time the terrible twos hit, which is a misnomer because the first signs show around 12 months and are usually roaring (occasionally literally) by 18 months.

 

Early days (and months)

• First 2 weeks: 

  • What schedule? Note about averages.

  • The two week birth weight milestone. 

  • Dad’s job

• 2-6 weeks: 

  • the 3 week demand (and the nursing and sleep early trade)

  • day night reversal 

  • day night reversal 

  • cluster feeds, and now we can talk…

• Semblance of a schedule

  • 8 weeks - 4 or so months, parents start driving the schedule

  • Figure out what you want it to be. Aim. 

  • Set the bedtime routine. Follow it, even if the little one wakes for a top up an hour later. 

  • Start collapsing cluster feeds around your preferred schedule. Collapse and then shift incrementally

  • Note, all of the other life admin stuff doesn’t start to get normal until now. 

    • The explosion of laundry. 

    • The convenience of breastfeeding doesn’t make much of an appearance until now. 

    • The new normal of a family schedule. 7pm is now a really busy time of your day.

    • Working some of your old life into your new life. 

 

The sweet spot, 6-9 months

• If you’ve generally followed the above, you have a healthy, content, decent sleeper, who stays in one place, eventually sitting up, when you put them down. Teething throws some wrenches in the works. Early cruisers might shorten this period.​