Baby Routines From 0-12 Months
I’m often asked…
What is a typical baby routine at month 3,4,5,6 .. to 12 months old?
So I thought I’d lay out some age related routines based on The 7pm to 7am Sleeping Baby Routine method.
1- 6 Weeks of Age.
This routine is based on a baby who has regained birth weight with a consistent weight gain. The length of awake time increases to 2 hours at each feed period by week 4-8.
6.45am Wake up – 7am Milk Feed
8.30/9am Nap
10.45am Wake Up – 11am Milk feed
12.30/1pm Nap
2.15pm Wake up – 2.30pm Milk feed
4/4.30pm Nap
5.45pm Wake up – 6pm pre bath feed
6.30pm Bath
6.45pm Bottle
7.30/8pm Bed
Baby led nights with 1-2 night feeds
6-12 Weeks of Age
This routine has progressed with increased quantity of milk per feed, longer periods awake at each feed and longer stretches of sleep overnight.
6.45am Wake up -7am Milk Feed
9/9.15 Nap
10.15am Wake Up -10.30am Milk
1/1.15pm Nap
2.15pm Wake up – 2.30pm Milk feed
4.30/4.45pm Nap
5.15/5.45pm Wake up – 5.30/6pm pre bath feed
6.30pm Bath
6.45pm Bottle
7.30pm Bed
Baby led nights with expected 1-0 night feeds.
4-6 Months of Age
Contrary to popular advice babies are ready to wean between the age of 4-6 months. The routine below gives the timings for meals of which your baby may be ready for or not.
Weaning on The Sleeping Baby Routine is a gradual process introducing one meal at a time, when weaning closer to month 4, and two to three meals at 5 -6 months. For more advice on weaning please do head over to my consultancy page and book a weaning support call or support package.
The third nap of the day is the first to phase out between the age of 5 – 7 months. If your baby is still having a nap this is either at 4.30pm if waking for the lunch nap between 2 – 2.30pm or at 5pm if waking from lunch nap at 3pm. You will see below that the routine fits dinner around this third nap also at either 4.30pm or 5pm.
6.45am Wake up -7am Milk Feed
8am Breakfast
9.30am Nap 30-45 minutes
10.15am Wake Up
10.30am Milk feed
12pm lunch
12.30/1pm Nap 1.5-2 hours
Milk feed on waking 2.30/3pm.
If waking 2pm – 4.30pm nap 5pm dinner
Waking 2.30pm – 4.30pm dinner and
5pm nap ( 20-30 minutes)
Waking close to 3pm , no nap and dinner at 4.30/5pm
5.30/6pm pre bath feed if you are not offering dinner yet.
6/6.30pm Bath
6.30/45pm Milk
7/7.30pm Bed
The only changes to the above routine for month 5 – 6 months is to drop the pre bath feed once dinner is introduced and is a substantial meals. Changes for month 7 to 8 is the third nap is phased out.
Month 8 – 13 the morning nap is phased out. To help this process you can move lunch and the mid day nap can move slightly earlier temporarily until your baby can cope with the longer morning.
For help and support with sleeping routines, head over to my baby sleep Consultancy page