Data-Driven Analysis

Data-driven analysis - it's a business school and consulting catch phrase. Taking "data" - which I know is a generic term - and analyzing it to draw conclusions in order to better inform future decisions and actions. When I was a consultant, and now at WMG, we employ "data-driven" analysis to help us make strategic decisions. Well, most of the time. We look at trends and patterns, and try to come up with some meaningful observations.

So we have a spreadsheet to track Lina's behavior. The hospital gave us a simple worksheet to track feedings, but I had to create my own template and take it to the next level. We record the time and duration of each feeding, diaper changes (and type), and even sleeping patterns. What am I trying to figure out? (by the way, with Google Docs I can share this with you if you really want it.)

For example, all the books we read say that newborns should sleep 16+ hours per day. But they don't really break it down into optimal times and duration. If she takes 3 different 3-hour naps during the day, how does that affect her night sleep? What about 4 different 2-hour naps? And what times are optimal for these day naps so that she sleeps longer during the night? You see, I'm looking for the perfect scientific pattern that will yield the optimum sleep at night for Lina, so, selfishly, mommy and daddy can also sleep in peace and regain some (just some) normalcy in life.

I think maybe I'll expand the spreadsheet to include other things as well. If the burps come in the first 3 minutes vs. 5+ minutes, does that lead to a happier "awake and alert" period which leads to a deeper subsequent nap resulting in a better feeding next time which leads to sound night sleep? Hmm, maybe the type of cotton of her "onesies" has an effect too. Certainly Jacadi, Petit Bateau and other French labels are more comfortable and result in better bowel movements and therefore rest?

Oh wait a minute...
She's a baby. Right. And all babies are different. And, within certain guidelines and principles, there's really no science to it? Darn...