Newborn schedule for baby’s 8th week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the eighth week of life. 7-8 week old newborn routine. Find out what to do with a newborn all day, feeding intervals, and playtime activities.

Family photo with two parents and 4 kids

This summary is for Brinley in her 8th week–while she was 7 weeks old.

NURSING

Brinley started to be more awake for her feedings this week, keeping her eyes open for the feedings. She hasn’t ever been consistently difficult to keep awake for feedings, but even so, she wasn’t completely alert during feedings. This week, she was alert.

Toward the middle of this week, I suddenly had a clogged duct in each breast. I woke the next morning to find they were red and hot to the touch. I feared mastitis was either here or imminent. It was Saturday, and I don’t like our Instacare (Urgent Care), so I decided to try to work it out and call my OB on Monday if it didn’t go away.

I got one side to go away by massaging it out. If you have never massaged a clogged duct, let me tell you, it doesn’t feel good. But it is better than mastitis.

The other side, however, was bad. It hurt so much that if her toe lightly touched my breast while she was eating, I flinched in pain. That day, I started every feeding on that side. I applied warm compresses and massaged and massaged. I also hand-expressed the milk out.

By Monday morning, it was fine! I was so happy. I really, really want to avoid antibiodics if possible because in my experience, that has led to thrush all but one time.

>>>Read: Mastitis

FEEDING INTERVALS

Brinley is old enough for a 2.5-3.5 hour schedule. She eats much better if she wakes on her own versus me waking her, so if she is still sleeping at the three hour mark, I let her go thirty more minutes before waking her.

She will then often have a 2.5 hour interval at some point in the day. Doing this doesn’t remove a feeding from our day, it just shifts the exact time of feedings.

POOPING

She kept to the once-per-week poop. It has been about 7 years since I had a once-per-week pooper, and it is rather nice! It is nice not changing a poopy diaper every time I change a diaper. I don’t mind newborn poop per say, but wet diapers are much easier.

SLEEPING

Naps have continued on as usual–which is fabulous.

Nighttime got even better. She extended her nights a bit, waking for her first time around 4 AM most nights. She also started sleeping consistently until my desired wake up time of 7:30 AM. I have to wake her each day to eat at 7:30.

SLEEPY TIME OF DAY

Brinley has a sleepy time of day, and it is the same as my other girls. She is super, super sleepy after her 1:30 PM feeding. I pretty much have to just feed her, change her diaper, and put her back in bed. My other girls were also sleepy at this time of day–especially Kaitlyn.

This does not have a negative affect on her schedule or night sleep.

MILESTONES

The smile came! Finally! I love it! I have even been able to catch it on camera. Oh those first smiles just make your heart melt!

Even if you have a baby that doesn’t cry much at all, you spend 4-6 weeks taking care of this person, adorable and all, who doesn’t utter a thank you or even give a smile in return.

Some, like Brinley, are quite cuddly and that is a nice thank you. But that first smile just makes it all okay! It is the best thank-you ever.

I also noticed Brinley’s eye-lashes are in and dark.

ADJUSTED AGE?

Adjusted age…this is such a difficult thing. So Brinley was born three weeks early. Do I count her age as 7 weeks old or 4 weeks old?

Babies born 36 weeks or younger often are adjusted to really start counting age from the due date, but a 38 or 39 weeker isn’t going to be adjusted…but shouldn’t they if they are still before their due date? And what about late babies?

In my mind, I treat her like a 7 week old; however, I also acknowledge the fact that she was born early and might meet eating, sleeping, and physical milestones later than she “should.” With sleeping, a huge factor is weight, so an early baby is often smaller than on-time babies.

>>>Read: How To Calculate Baby’s Age

MAKING BABY FOOD

I have been making baby food to freeze for Brinley. Most foods will freeze for around a year, so I can make the food now while it is in season and less expensive (or free…we have a garden and we have relatives who grow things we don’t) and freeze it for later.

>>>Read: How I Make Homemade Baby Food

A FABULOUS resource for easy baby-food making is Fresh Baby. Fresh Baby often sponsors giveaways on this blog.

Their instructions for making baby food are super, super simple and easy to follow. The way they have to you it is not intimidating in the least.

Another great resource if you are into lots of information (like a textbook) is Super Baby Food. I love that book.

>>>Read: Book Review: Super Baby Food

OUTINGS

I forgot to mention last week another big outing we had. We went to an LDS temple open house. It was super busy and crowded, so we were inside for a couple of hours.

She slept for one hour in our arms, then was awake for one hour. She was super good.

Once we got out, we offered her a bottle of breastmilk, but she only took an ounce. She is not a great bottle drinker yet. She often gags with it in her mouth. Hopefully that can change. We drove home and she nursed great.

We had family pictures done this week. I am very excited to see them! Brinley was good. No smiling, but no screaming.

WAKETME ACTIVITIES

These are the things we do during waketime. If there is a certain time of day we try to do something, I have noted it.

Bath (I always do this after her first feeding of the day)
Get held by siblings/parents (this happens a whole lot)
Tummy time (this varies based on mood–I like to do tummy time when she is happy and alert)
Gym play (I do this after her 10:30 AM feeding. I treat it like an independent play, though I am in the room with her while she does it)
Read stories (we do this before bed–after her 7:00 PM feeding)
“Play” on blanket
Lay there and have me take a million pictures of her
Walks

SCHEDULE

This is our daily schedule that we shoot for.

7:30–feed
8:20–nap
10:30-11:00–feed
11:20–nap
1:30-2:00–feed
2:20–nap
4:30-5:00–feed
5:20–nap
7-7:30 (time varies here)–feed, then bedtime
10:00–dreamfeed
then night feed(s). Typically, this happens between 2:30-3:30 AM.

HELPFUL BOOKS

Babywise Newborn summary week 8 pinnable image

Brinley Newborn Summaries

A list of all of the baby newborn summaries for Brinley. Get a week by week summary of what is going on and a typical weekly schedule and routine for a newborn baby.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week One

Newborn schedule for baby’s first week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the first week of life. Read all about this baby’s first week.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week Two

Newborn schedule for baby’s second week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the 2nd week of life. 1-2 week old newborn routine.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week Three

Newborn schedule for baby’s third week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the 3rd week of life. 2-3 week old newborn routine.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week 4

Newborn schedule for baby’s fourth week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the 4th week of life. 3-4 week old newborn routine.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week 5

Newborn schedule for baby’s fifth week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the 5th week of life. 4-5 week old newborn routine.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week 6

Newborn schedule for baby’s 6th week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the 6th week of life. 5-6 week old newborn routine. Find out what to do with a newborn all day, how to respond when a newborn is sick, newborn growth spurts, and wonder weeks at this age.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week 7

Newborn schedule for baby’s 7th week. Baby newborn schedule and routine for the seventh week of life. 6-7 week old newborn routine. Find out what to do with a newborn all day, newborn playtime activities, newborn growth spurts, and witching hour at this age.

Brinley Newborn Summary: Week 8