Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I want to start incorporating reading a book to DS before he goes to bed. His bedtime routine goes something like this: I feed him between 7-8:30 from one side, change diaper, oil or lotion massage (starting this tomorrow), put on pjs, swaddle him, eat from the second side, burp and put him to bed. Every 2/3 days I add a bath after the first feeding. He is sleeping in the bassinet by 9/10.

Sometimes DS falls asleep during the second feeding and we have to wake him up to burp him. Then we have to put him to sleep. Where in the routine would I add reading the book time? I was thinking after the second feeding after we have burped him.

Do you normally read your DC one or more books?
How many books do you have in your bedtime reading rotation?

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I used to read to TJ every night as an infant in his rocking chair.

With Derek, I usually just put him in my lap when I am reading to TJ before he goes to bed.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I would start off by reading a book that YOU want to read, even if it's very adult-themed. At this age, DC just want to hear your voice. They don't understand plot lines yet...

You can read during the entire feeding/nighttime ritual, whenever you are able to prop up a book and read it. When DS is old enough not to fall asleep in the middle of a feeding, then you can transition to more child-friendly books.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I usually read to DD before the whole bedtime routine..kind of as a wind-down for the day. She goes to bed at 7 so around 6, we dim the lights and snuggle on the couch and look at books. Then around 630, we start the whole going to bed routine. She is 6 months old and I think it calms her down now from the activity of the day.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

Thanks for the tips.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

We do bath, change into PJ's, vitamins (if I don't forget), DH reads her a book in the rocking chair and then I nurse her before bed.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

Posted by GoldenRod

I would start off by reading a book that YOU want to read, even if it's very adult-themed. At this age, DC just want to hear your voice. They don't understand plot lines yet...

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ITA-I used to do this with my extremely young sister when I was in law school-when I baby sat her, she just wanted to hear my voice so I used to read her my Civil Procedure casebook-it put her to sleep almost as fast as it put me to sleep.

I plan on just reading whatever I am looking at to DD when she is born.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I would read to him before you start feeding him. If you do it after all is said in done he will either be falling asleep, or you will be waking him up and then he won't go to sleep.

DD is older, but I read to her before the whole bedtime routine. Read, brush teeth, bath, pj's, bed.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I bf, and if my son falls asleep on the boob, I don't wake him to burp him anymore (he is 12 weeks)

he eventually just farts in the morning

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

Well right now I usually read to DD during the day when she is attentive.

But I also want to start a nighttime routine so I try to read to her right after her bathtime.

SO our schedule is something like this:

She gets fussy around 7:30 ish
Bathtime then quick infant massage
Read to her on the rocking chair
Then BF her to sleep

OR sometimes DH will read to her while I BF her.

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

I'll start reading to him before his first feeding. By the second he looks like he's ready to conk out. Thanks

Re: Reading a book to newborn before bedtime

We have been reading the same bedtime book to my DS since about 3 weeks. We do it WHILE he's drinking his bottle which I don't love but in all the chaos of new parenthood, that's where it happened and where it has stayed for now. My DH reads while I feed him a bottle. Now he shows interest in the book and stares at DH while he's reading.

Just make sure that you don't make your bedtime routine too long. You want to do something that you can do consistently which is hard with a long routine if they happen to be too hungry or too tired.

Our routine is diaper, PJ, bottle and book. I think I'm going to incorporate lotion into it this week though. HTH!