and time. Nonetheless, the following suggestions and recommendations
are appropriate for both conditions.
Challenges with the Routine
- In general, parents should try to keep their baby on a regular routine.
With a reflux baby, you might consider feeding more often than the 2½ to
3 hours generally recommended (possibly every 2 hours). This may be
easier on your baby, as he will not try to get as much food at one time.
The fullness could place more pressure on his stomach, worsening his
reflux. Whatever time increment you find to be helpful, use it routinely. - The basic principles of Babywise remain the same, including the
establishment of healthy feed, wake, and sleep cycles. (Although a well-
established sleep pattern can take longer to accomplish due to the reflux,
it will come.) In Asher’s case, the goal of full nighttime sleep was
achieved by six months of age, but it is also not uncommon for reflux
babies to begin sleeping through the night between 13 and 18 weeks. - Work on keeping your baby’s wake-times as close to the stated times
in chapter 7. Keep the environment calm and quiet. To help with this
consider wrapping your baby snuggly to minimize extra stimulation and
stress. When physically interacting always hold him gently, avoiding
bouncing, jiggling or excessive patting on the back. Your goal is learning
how to manage his condition by balancing his feeding, wake-time and
naptime activities which may not always line up with the Babywise book
recommendations. And that last comment leads to our next point. - It’s okay that your baby does not follow the book exactly. No baby
does. Just keep in mind that you are not competing with anyone and in
spite of his digestive condition, learn to enjoy the uniqueness of your
infant. As a parent, your first priority is to find a management method
that will help relax, comfort and soothe your baby during times of
discomfort. This may be achieved by having him snuggle in a front pack,