One of the most difficult things as a mom is waking up to a baby needing your attention and having no time to yourself in the morning.
When my first born was a baby, I didn’t follow a morning routine, and we were both cranky. But with my second born, I decided to follow a flexible morning routine while she was a baby, and it made ALL the difference!
I had to go to bed earlier so that I could wake up earlier and have alone time in the morning before having to be ready for “mom duty”.
I encourage moms to wake up before their kids, because when you wake up before your kids, you wake up FOR them – not TO them.
However, I know that waking up before your kids is not always possible. In fact, I get emails from moms a lot. They say things like, “My baby wakes up at 6:00 in the morning. I just don’t know how I’m supposed to wake up before then!”
And you know, I don’t blame you. Personally, I think anything before 6:00 is just too early, at least for me. And especially when you have a baby who isn’t sleeping through the night, it makes waking up earlier even more difficult.
So if you struggle to wake up before your baby, please don’t feel bad about it. It may not be the answer for you and your family.
After I had my second baby, I didn’t wake up before my her for a at least 4 months. I needed my sleep durning those newborn days. However, I still was intentional with my mornings. That’s what I encourage you to do as well. Don’t wait until noon to change out of your PJ’s.
The following is an example morning routine with a newborn baby to give you an idea of how you can still be productive even when you wake up at the same time as your little one. The times are approximate and may be totally different for you.
2 Tips for Your Morning Routine
1. Create a morning plan.
Write out 3-5 things you need to get done each morning. It should include eating breakfast, getting your kids dressed and getting yourself dressed for sure. The rest of the plan is really up to you.
Maybe you want to throw in a load of laundry or clean up the kitchen after breakfast. You may even want to plan a morning walk while you push baby in the stroller.
Whatever you decide, make sure you write it down so that you have a flexible plan. That way you know what needs to get done each morning and you have a celar start to your day.
2. Avoid turning on electronics.
After you have a plan in place, you’ll want to make sure you aren’t defaulting to the TV, phone, or other screens. It’s so easy to turn on the television in the mornings or scroll social media, and before you know it, an hour or two has passed by.
That’s the reason I found myself in my PJ’s until noon during that first year of motherhood. Half the day would be gone and I hadn’t accomplished anything! When I started leaving the TV off in the mornings and instead got myself moving, that’s when I felt more motivated and productive.
One last thing I’d like to point out is this. If you really do want to start waking up before your kids, start small. Try waking up just 10 minutes earlier and then 15 minutes. Also, make sure that you are getting enough sleep at night.
If you have babies, or children who are waking up at night the best thing you can do for more sleep is to go to bed earlier.
Baby Morning Routine
7:00 WAKE UP
Change diaper.
Feed baby.
7:20 MOM EATS BREAKFAST
Don’t skip this! You need healthy fuel for the day. Your newborn baby can lie in a swing or an older baby could sit in a bouncy seat nearby.
Clean up from breakfast.
- Clear the kitchen table
- Put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher or wash them
- Wipe down the table
- Sweep up any crumbs
7:45 GET BABY DRESSED.
While you dress your baby, be sure to make a connection and give them your attention.
Smile, sing, count their toes, ect.
You may even want to get in a few little snuggles!
8:15 TIME FOR MOM TO GET READY
Once your baby has been fed and had quality time with you, this will make it easier to get yourself ready without (too many) interruptions.
What your baby does at this point is really up to you, but here are some ideas.
- first nap of the day
- lay your baby in the crib with lights on and a mobile or ceiling projector
- lay in playpen with ceiling projector or music
If you have a toddler, they can play in their rooms while you get ready and the baby is safe.
When my son was 3 and my daughter was a newborn, he played with his mega blocks while I took a shower. I had him build a tower as tall as he could and then I would ask to see it when I was done with my shower. This made him excited to build and kept him occupied.
Other days he would line up his cars in his room, and I would always ask to see what he did after I was done getting ready. This made him feel like he was working hard on a project for me!
The key is that we played with his other toys the rest of the day and tried to keep the blocks and cars for mainly the time I was in the shower.
Click here for my tips on a self care morning routine for moms.
8:45 START A LOAD OF LAUNDRY
It’s really important to do something productive but simple in the mornings. This will give you the momentum you need for the rest of the day.
Starting a load of laundry is really easy, but also super effective because your family needs clothes to wear and it is one less thing you’ll have to worry about getting done.
Related Post: How to have a productive morning.
9:00 START YOUR DAY
By this time you are dressed and fed. The baby is dressed and fed. The kitchen is clean and your laundry is started, and you didn’t have to wake up before your baby.
What a productive morning! Now, you can move on with the rest of your day feeling good.
Hopefully this example baby morning routine shows that it it possible to have a successful morning routine even as a new mom without giving up your own needs. This way you and your baby will be much happier! Speaking of happier babies, you’ll want to follow a baby sleep schedule too. I used the babywise sleep method.
Your morning routine doesn’t have to look exactly like the one above. Come up with one that works for you.
Also, before you go, I’d love to help you balance all. the. things. Have a clean house, dinner on the table, and family time with the FREE Balanced Mom Checklist!
Pin it for later!
