diff --git a/initialProject/lib/seedDatabase.js b/initialProject/lib/seedDatabase.js
index 8c6ac68..c2e29f2 100644
--- a/initialProject/lib/seedDatabase.js
+++ b/initialProject/lib/seedDatabase.js
@@ -13,15 +13,15 @@ const query = async (statement) => {
   try {
     return (await conn.query(statement)).rows;
   } catch (error) {
-    throw new Error(`\DB error: ${error.message}`);
+    throw new Error(`DB error: ${error.message}`);
   }
 };
 
-(async () => {
+const initializeDatabase = async () => {
   try {
     let exists = false;
     try {
-      exists = (await query(sql`SELECT to_regclass('public.todo') as exists`))[0].exists == 'todo';
+      exists = (await query(sql`SELECT to_regclass('public.todo') as exists`))[0].exists === 'todo';
     } catch (e) {}
     if (!exists) {
       console.log(new Date().toISOString(), 'Initializing database');
@@ -31,5 +31,26 @@ const query = async (statement) => {
   } catch (createError) {
     console.log(new Date().toISOString(), 'Error initializing database', createError);
   }
-  process.exit();
-})();
+};
+
+const MAX_RETRIES = 5;
+const RETRY_INTERVAL = 5000; // 5 seconds
+
+const initializeWithRetry = async (retryCount = 0) => {
+  try {
+    await conn.connect(); // Try to establish a database connection
+    await initializeDatabase(); // Try to initialize the database
+    process.exit(); // Exit after successful initialization
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(new Date().toISOString(), 'Error connecting to database:', error.message);
+    if (retryCount < MAX_RETRIES) {
+      console.log(`Retrying in ${RETRY_INTERVAL / 1000} seconds...`);
+      setTimeout(() => initializeWithRetry(retryCount + 1), RETRY_INTERVAL);
+    } else {
+      console.error('Maximum retry attempts reached. Exiting...');
+      process.exit(1); // Exit with non-zero status to indicate failure
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+initializeWithRetry();