Reviewing a day in the life of an average five-month-old baby may help you with your own baby's routines.
Baby's Morning
Our baby's day starts at about 7:30 a.m. After a good night's sleep, she is up, hungry, and ready to eat. She nurses for about 10 minutes and is then awake and alert for a while.
By about 9:00 a.m., she is already getting sleepy and goes down for her first nap, which lasts about one and a half hours.
She is up again at 10:30 a.m., nurses again, and then is awake for about three hours. This is when we do some tummy time, spend some time in her Rainforest Jumperoo or Baby Bumpo, or run errands.
Afternoon Routine
By 1:30 p.m., she is ready to breastfeed again and then take her second nap. This is her longest nap of the day, and it often lasts about three hours.
She is up again at 4:30 p.m., nurses, and is awake for a few hours. This offers another opportunity for tummy time, a bath (if it is bath day), and more play time.
By 5:30 p.m., she may take a short 30- to 60-minute nap.
Early Evening and Bedtime
She is usually up in the early evening until 7:30 or 8:00 p.m., when she breastfeeds for the last time. She then goes to bed by about 8:30 p.m.
Although she had been sleeping through the night for about six weeks, she did begin waking up for a feeding at about 1:30 a.m. a few weeks ago. This must have just been a growth spurt, as she is now sleeping through the night again.
Tips on Your Baby's Routine
- try to stick to your baby's routine as much as possible
- be prepared to be flexible sometimes, like if your baby gets tired earlier than usual or wakes up and seems hungry
- be aware that some five-month-olds may be on different routines, including eating baby food once or twice a day, napping more often, or eating at night
