Book a date with your Diary

After your baby is born, you enter a whole new world which completely centres around the new arrival - at first anyway! The first few weeks are a special time when you get to know one another and adapt to your new life as a family.

What’s important in the early weeks is that your baby learns to feed well, settle & sleep well, be kept warm & dry and feels secure and loved. As new parents this involves a lot of new responsibilities. Your maternal (and paternal) instincts will kick in more than you will expect, but it’s great to have some guidance through those early weeks and months, and something to help you keep a track of your babies milestones and progress.

On that note, we have just updated the Philips AVENT Feeding Diary, which is a fantastic little booklet we’re all very proud of, and we hope you find it really useful too. In the early days and weeks it can be handy to jot down your baby’s feeds, wet and dirty nappies and sleeps. This provides your midwife or Health Visitor with information she can use to help advise you.

A little later, keeping a detailed record of your baby’s day can help you see patterns emerging in terms of feeds and naptimes which can be helpful when you are trying to plan activities and get out & about more with your baby.

Those early days can be quite hectic at times, and often unpredictable, that’s the nature of babies! Looking back on the ‘story’ of your baby’s first few months certainly shows you how far you’ve come as your baby gets older, and second time parents often tell me they were fascinated to look back on their first baby’s diary when number 2 arrives.

As well as being a place to make notes, the diary is full of information and tips on baby feeding - whichever method you choose.

Your baby’s feeding routine
I’m often asked what a baby’s routine should be, or why a baby needs one. Use the word ‘routine’ and ‘baby’ in the same sentence and the assumption is often made that the routine is a negative thing, working against the baby’s natural cycles and needs, and that the routine is more for the parents than the baby. In my mind this couldn’t be further from the truth - a routine to me is a way to get a baby organised into a regular cycle of feeding and sleeping which works with his natural cycles, respecting his need for regular feeds and sleeps. It should never involve making a hungry baby wait for his feed or leaving him to cry when very young.

Babies vary in how long they take to feed, and how far the gaps are between feeds. As a mum, you’ll soon get to know your baby’s ways and preferences and your feeding relationship and routine will develop. A baby’s digestive system works better and becomes more settled if he is encouraged to take full feeds rather than snacks-resulting in less wind and colic. His system has a chance to digest one meal before starting another.

At the very least, a routine is whatever works for you and your baby that you are happy with and that makes you feel confident in your new role.

Download a free copy of our updated feeding diary.