Forum : Mums

babies dont know it is bedtime for several months of doing the same routine so it is entirely up to you. some people keep baby down with them until they go to bed and some put them to bed at a regular time. i have been very lucky with both my children in that they have both wanted to go to bed at 8pm (bath at 7.15, milk at 7.30, in bed at 8pm), so i have always put them upstairs in the crib at that time. i then went to bed myself when they were having night feeds so that i had a few hours sleep before the 11pm-12 feed. once they stopped having night feeds i then put them to bed and then stayed up for a few hours.
i do believe though that the earlier you start a bedtime routine the easier it is to keep it, but it is all down to the baby - if your baby falls asleep after bath and feed then you can put him down to bed, but if he doesnt, then there isnt any point in you putting in in his basket until he wants to go to sleep as he'll end up getting upset. as i said, he isnt old enough to understand it is bedtime.
i have two children - a 4yr old and a baby who will be 12 weeks old tomorrow. we have pretty much had a bedtime routine since birth because that is what suited them.

Thanks very much for this. I will just continue to bath and get him ready for bed same time each night and see if he feels sleepy.
He stayed out for the first time this weekend and was as good as gold for my parents and slept for 4.5 hours through the night which he never does for us!!