Collins’ Schedule – Why I Love It!

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I’ve talked several times about the schedule we are using with Collins on my Instagram Stories. We choose to follow the Moms on Call books written by two pediatric nurses from Atlanta. Several of our friends followed this book with their kids and seeing them sleeping through the night at an early age gave me hope that following along with Collins would result in the same behavior. And so far, we have been very successful!

Because I work for home, having a schedule to our day is important to me. I’m also a Type A that likes to organization and knowing that from this time to time Collins will be eating or sleeping. I like to eliminate stress when I can and with the challenges that come with being a new mom, having some structure makes me happy!

The Moms on Call book has a TON of really good information. We originally bought it because of the schedule advice. It also gives you the run down on things like bathing, bowel movements, what to have in your medicine cabinet for a baby and how to clip their fingernails. They have other sections for illnesses, feeding, sleeping and safety. The first book talks about what a typical day should look like starting at 2 weeks to 6 months. I read the book all the way through (think of this book as a guide – a very easy read) before Collins was born. We didn’t start implementing the schedule until she was 2 weeks old but we read some part of it every day up to that point. As a new mom you have so many questions so having a book that can give you quick advice is nice!

I get a ton of questions on the schedule that Collins is currently on. She has 2-3 naps per day and is sleeping through the night. I am so thankful that we starting following Moms on Call when we did. Being a mom while running a business full time is hard. I need my sleep just as much as Collins needs hers.

Below is where we are with her schedule currently. This will change a little once we start introducing solid foods with her! Chris joked that a lemon should be her first food….UM NO! Haha

Collins’ Schedule

• 7a – Wake and eat, some playtime until first nap – usually on play mat
• 8:15-8:30a – Sleep
• 10a – Eat and playtime
• 11:15a – Sleep
• 1p – Eat then playtime – lots of talking to her and listening to her “talk”
• 2:30p – Sleep
• 4p – Eat. She usually stays up after this feeding until we do bath, bottle, bed but sometimes she takes a short nap before bath. Chris gets home during this time so we either go for a walk or he plays with her when he gets home.
• 6:45p – Bath. No matter what the rest of the day is like, this part of the schedule is the most important to keep in tact. I truly think she sleeps the way she does at night because of the consistency of the night time routine.
• 7p – Bottle. Chris feeds her a 7oz bottle of breastmilk every night. This is their special bonding time together! Plus it gives me a break to either get dinner started or finish up things for work.
• 7:30p – Sleep. She will sleep from this point until 7a. She started sleeping through the night at about 10 weeks. Our pediatrician okayed her to do so and said she was at a healthy weight and could go 12 hours between feedings. I truly think the 7oz bottle helps keep her full and asleep all night which is another reason we give her a bottle instead of breast at this feeding.

This schedule will shift a bit when we introduce solids but the bath, bottle, bed portion will stay the same. I have friends who shift the timing a little back so that they are restricted to being home every night by 6:30 so that’s an option too.

I try to make sure that she is getting 2 of the 3 naps in her crib at home but that’s not always the case. If we are out and about, then she will sleep in her carseat. If I need to run errands or we are planning to go out then I try to make it at a time that is right after she has eaten so she will likely fall asleep in her carseat. Everyday is different but this is what is working for us currently!

I truly think that because of this schedule and routine, I am able to work the way I do while she is young. I do have help everyday with running Loverly Grey and then help with Collins three days a week. If I was working a corporate job or doing any other job, I would already be back to work by now.

I wanted to add in a work wear look because I know a majority of my followers do work outside of their home. A blouse and skirt combo is an easy outfit to put together. No matter where you are in life – interviewing for your first job or going back to work after having a baby, this look will work for you!

Both pieces are from Ann Taylor. I love the quality of their items and truly think they will last for several years. This blouse is the prettiest shade of green that you can wear into fall and the skirt would look great with a white top and black blazer if you wanted something a little more classic. I am wearing XS in the blouse – TTS, and 00 in the skirt. I would suggest sizing down one in the skirt as they typically run a little big.

The faux leather tote comes in nine colors and is under $10. It’s a great bag for work! It’s been a sturdy option but will probably be best long term if you don’t weight it down too much.

I hope the information on Collins’ schedule and what a snap of her day looks like is helpful! I promise you won’t regret following along with the Moms on Call schedule! I’ll link the book and this outfit below!

Thank you to Ann Taylor for gifting the pieces for today’s blog post.