5 month olds - a typical day

[bubbaloo]

I'm just curious as to what a typical day looks like for other mums of 5 month olds. I realise it will vary a lot, of course, but I'm interested in knowing what other 5 month olds are up to... how many day sleeps, how long the naps last, how many feeds, that sort of thing.

As for me... My little one seems to be changing his patterns on a daily basis lately - some days feeding every 2 hours when it's usually around every 3 or 3.5 hours; some days not wanting to feed much at all; some days having good naps, other days (like today! ) not wanting any day sleeps at all.

Thanks!

[Beach Mama]

From memory (like it was sooooo long ago ) Izzy was in a similar routine to now. Up anywhere from 630-8, up for 2 hours (at 5 mths it was more like about 1 1/2 hours) then down for a nap. So generally 3 naps a day. She was feeding about 2 1/2 -3 hourly too although she does go through phases of feeding more frequently at times, hot days, when shes started doing something new - like rolling etc. or if shes feeling grizzly. I do a feed/play/sleep routine although sometimes its more like play/feed/play/sleep!

I found about 3 -4 weeks ago that keeping her up for 2 hours meant she settled quicker for her naps and she sleeps for 1-2 hours at every nap now. At least one nap each day is 2 hours long.
Her bedtime is usually around 7-730! Good luck!
HtH!

[Liviam]

At 5 months we were working on a 4 hour routine which usually started at 6 - 6.30am. It would be b/f, nappy, play which took about 1 1/2 hours and then sleep for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Her days were always basically the same and at night, starting from about 5pm, it would be b/f, play with daddy, bath, story and bed about 7 to 7.20with a dream feed at about 10pm. I dropped her dream feed at about 5 1/2 months when she started solids. Mind you this routine was destroyed when she hit 6 months and refused to sleep at all but we are getting back into it again and surprisingly exactly the same one.

[kungfubecca]

Hi,

Still a little younger here although at 4 months we have a very similar routine to the previous 2 replies.

However I know of lots of babies with different routines that are the same age as yours in the july baby buddies group. You are more than welcome to join us all. It is a great group of ladies some are first time mums and others are onto their 2nd or 3rd

[nay23]

hi this is a great question... im also interested in the replies
My DS just turned 5 months and over the past week i am working on implementing a play/feed/sleep routine. I try and work on an hour for each, but most of the time he will be awake for two hours and sleep for half an hour at a time. I would like him to sleep for longer so i am making him stay in his room for an hour even if i am sitting next to him while he is chatting in his cot. I think it is all trial and error! I tried the routine cos we have a set play with dad, bath, feed, bed routine at night and he has always slept really well at night so i decided to try it during the day
Its all trial and error and all our babies are different good luck with yours
take care
xox

[mrscricket]

NelleBelle - we are 3 days off being 5 months (oh where did the time go??) and seem to have developed a fairly standard routine.
Wakes at 7.30 am - feed, quiet play, then back to bed at 9.00am.
Generally sleeps for 2.5 hours - wakes at 11.30am and has feed, gets dressed and we play or go walking.
Normally stays awake for about 2 hours so back to sleep at about 1.30pm and sleeps until 4.00pm.
Has a feed and plays then goes back down for a quick nap at about 5.30-6pm (usually about half an hour).
Wakes, has play and a bath - then bottle and bed about 7.30ish.
He generally sleeps thru although if he doesnt he will wake for a feed at 3.58am on the dot - i swear it is that time when i look at the clock!

Some days are different - i think he is starting to get teeth so has been a bit grizzly for day sleeps over the weekend - but i try to stick to a routine now that is what he seems to have set for himself.

I am another July Mummy, along with Becc

Oh just realised you mentioned feeding - Tom seems to go about 4 hours between feeds, sometimes 3 and a half. He has 4 feeds a day - although somedays he will only have small amounts and these are the days i know he will wake during the night for a 5th feed.

[Charlyfrog]

DD is just about to go on 6 months - unbelievable! So all still fresh in my mind

6.30/7am - feed
8am-ish - nap (approx 2hrs)
10.30/11am - feed
12/12.30pm - nap (approx 1&1/2hrs)
2/2.30pm - feed
3.30pm - nap (approx 1hour max)
5.30/6pm - feed
7pm-ish - bed (catnap - maybe 1hour?)

8.30/9pm - top up and then straight to bed.

In the past week DD has dropped the fifth feed so now her days are looking like:
7am - feed
8.30am - nap (approx 2&1/2hrs)
11am - feed
12.30/1pm - nap (approx1&1/2hrs)
3pm - feed
4/4.30pm - catnap (maybe 45mins? to an hour)

7pm - feed then bed - although she does natter to herself for a little bit, maybe half hour or so (we may have to go in and flip her onto her back as she can only roll from back to tummy atm and hates staying on her tummy! )

As you can see she begins with a really big nap, the next is shorter and the 3rd is really only max 1 hour but probably more close to 45mins. Just a social bug in the evenings - everyones home so it really is too boring to be in bed!

[Beach Mama]

nay23- Have you tried keeping him up for the full 2 1/2 hours? By 5-6 mths 2-2 1/2 hours is what the Sleep School I recently attended recommended as the rough time they could be awake and naps should be 1 1/2 -2 hours long....
I found by keeping Iz up for an extra half an hour- she started settling much better and sleeping for longer for at least one nap during the day.

[nay23]

hi Tanstar i did try that I called Nagala aswell about trying to get him to sleep longer and he just doesn't I even tried keeping him awake longer if he wanted to sleep before the 2 1/2 hours was up and if he is tired he just goes pscho baby :P I used to get really stressed about it and try to make him sleep but that just made us both upset so now Im happy if he stays in his room for an hour even if he only sleeps 1/2. He seems ok with that though so maybe he will be one of those lucky people that can be perfectly happy on less sleep than the rest of us. And I really can't complain cos he sleeps 9 hours at night
This is great finding out what everyone else does! Oh for 2 hour sleeps
Take care everyone
xox