Charting & Routine

I never understood the importance of a routine until I became a parent. My husband and I would get back in our car after a visit with friends or family and say "we can't be like that when we have kids!" Well, guess what? We are THOSE parents. And thank goodness we are! Routine is key to a happy baby, better napping, better night times and a much happier YOU! So my husband and I took it to the next level. When we were preparing to leave the hospital after having our first baby, A, we were given a little chart where we could record the number of wet diapers, feeds, etc......then the chart ran out! So, I hurried to the store and bought a cute notebook to continue the charting routine because without it, I felt lost. It made the most sense for me since, one, babies don't come with manuals and two, it was our first. We continued to chart her feedings, length of feed times, nap times and lengths until the book ran out...ten months later and then we were ok on our own. Then when baby number two, C, came along, we started the process all over again...partly because I have a love affair with cute notebooks…to be honest (have you seen the stationary section at Chapters? Drool!)

So, charting has many great benefits. It's great to keep my mind straight. Especially at the beginning, when I am feeding the baby every 2-4 hours, depending on the baby. It's nice to just look at the notes to see when I fed last. Half the time I am walking around like a sleep deprived Zombie. Days blend into each other and I forget if the last feeding was at 9 a.m...or was that yesterday at 9 a.m…?

Secondly, if I am able to pump and feed my baby as well, it frees me up to be able to have my partner do some of the feeds. Both of us can look at the notebook to see when the baby last fed and how long it took. If I am napping or sleeping early and it's my partner's turn to feed the baby, he doesn’t need to wake me to get the latest details.

Thirdly, and most importantly, for the times when I am able to do a day trip, or date night out or girls night or WHATEVER sans bébé, having the milk supply and the notebook will help whoever is taking care of the babes, then when I return home and Mommy Duty kicks back in, I can pick up from where I left off, without a hitch.

We've also used charting to record things like medication intake and times, as well as great things like milestones, first foods and new teeth popping.

Since we charted with our first, it was like having a manual for our second when it came time to introduce solid foods. I was able to go back through the months and make a list of foods I needed to steam, blend and freeze to have ready at the appropriate months for C. It was a fantastic resource that I didn't even think about when I was charting for A, but I'm so glad that I did. I didn't want to have to reinvent the wheel with C, and I was able to fall back into the same feeding routine this way with her. This also cut back on any unnecessary stress which allowed me to be a calmer Mommy for baby #2.

So, next time you are around people who have children, and you think to yourself that they are strict with their schedule, you'll have an idea why. And the parents with young kids, who are taking a much needed break from them, and are enjoying their time either together or with their BFF at Le Nordik Nature Spa, will be able to go back and pick up from where they left off without messing up their Zen.

xo