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6 weeks oldJack is 6 weeks old now.

I’ve never been one to say ‘time has gone by so fast!’ as to be honest, I feel every single day. However, writing ‘6 weeks old’ does actually feel a little unbelievable this time round.

Around 6 weeks old, you should start to notice that naps are starting to be a little more predictable.

It is also a great time to be more solid on routines, both for naps and for bedtime. At this point, I am doing a bath for Jack most nights now and I am doing a top up feed in his bedtime routine (see previous post for more info).

Just like when looking at developmental stages for babies, we base sleep expectations on the adjusted age. For example, it is common that a 12 week old baby can do a 1.5 hour awake period comfortably. If your baby was born 2 weeks early (at 38 weeks) then it may be more around the 14 week mark that you move to a 1.5 hour awake period.

The same goes for the 6 week turning point. If your baby was born earlier than 40 weeks, they may not be quite there yet. Naps may still be unpredictable, or night time sleep may not have consolidated quite yet.

Jack was born at 38 weeks. I can see we are getting more structured and we have had one night with only one feed (ripper!). However, we are still not quite at the predictable point as yet.

This variance in readiness, when it comes to age, is always something to remember and consider.

Try to do baby’s naps in the bassinet or cot when possible (I have popped Jack in the cot now) but one or two day naps on the go is absolutely fine – whether it be in the carrier, pram or car. Just time them according to the awake time so you don’t end up with an overtired bub on your hands.

I would still be doing a 45 minute awake time at this age in the day. You should find, however, you can do a 1 hour awake time prior to bedtime now (if baby has been well rested in the day).

On another note, Jack has the WORST cradle cap.

My older boys also got it terribly.

For my first born, I just left it and it lasted months and months. With my 2nd I gently worked it off with a comb whilst I was feeding and it seemed to disappear pretty quickly so I plan on doing the same this time.

I also use a drop of QV Oil in Jack’s bath. This helps soften the cradle cap so I can gently budge it. If you are experiencing this too, just be careful not to be too vigorous during the removal process as infections can occur under the skin if there is too much irritation. Oh the joys..it smells terrible too!

Hopefully life with your newborn is going well and you are starting to settle into the big life change that it is. Getting in a good rhythm with your routines and goals will be the way forward now. I will check in again soon with some tips on the best ways to settle your baby, without introducing sleep props.

For more detailed information on Newborn Sleep, check out my Newborn Package.

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