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We are going to jump right into a real day in the life with my 5 month old. This is not the ideal or perfect daily schedule. Instead this is real life. You may want to know what other 5 month olds are currently doing.
We are not perfect and are just doing our best each day.
1:25 am Nurse
2:45 am Pacifier
4:10 am Nurse
6:30 am Nurse
7:45 am Wake Up
8:30 am Nurse
9:50-11:50 Nap #1
12 pm Nurse
1:50 pm Nurse
This nursing session was somewhat close to the last nursing session. When your baby eats right after waking up from a nap it is hard to give them an adequate awake time and put them down for a nap without nursing again. The goal is to get a long nap out of your baby. If you think they are going to wake up and be hungry they are less likely to successfully take a long nap.
2:15-3 Nap #2
The nap did not end up being long, but at least I can’t blame it on hunger.
4:25 Nurse
4:45-5:30 Nap #3
6:50 pm Nurse
We tend to have more frequent nursing sessions in the evening. I think it helps get through the witching hours. Babies are often just plum tired by this point in the evening. I also want a full baby when they go to bed. The goal is to drop nighttime feedings!
7:45 pm Nurse
8 pm Bedtime
Need extra rocking
9:25 pm Rocking
11:30 pm Rocking
Midnight Nurse
2:00 am Nurse
I should have just rocked or at least attempted to rock back to sleep, but was so tired. Nursing always works for me and at 2 am I don’t always have the best self-control.
4:45 am Nurse
7:45 am Wake Up
8:05 am Nurse
Overall the night wasn’t too bad. Ideally, that midnight and 2 am feeding could mash together into one feeding. We will continue to work on it though.
That was a look at a bit over 24 hours with a 5-month-old.
Now let’s talk about what you may be experiencing with your 5 month old or what you can expect in the near future.
Night Training
At 5 months old we are starting to introduce a bit of sleep training. Most experts recommend starting at 6 months, however, our baby is on the larger side physically. We are doing so gently.
We did not come out of the 4-month sleep regression well. Getting up for feedings on average 3 times a night is a bit too much for me at this stage.
Momma needs some sleep and honestly baby needs better sleep too.
We are trying to start working towards falling asleep more independently.
Our plan for right now is to rock or hold for 5 minutes and put them down. If they cry let them do so for 5 minutes. Then go back in and rock or hold for 5 minutes. We increase the crying time by 5-minute intervals each round.
When we go in to comfort the goal is to hold steady for the most part. We are trying to avoid rocking as it is helping put them to sleep. We are also looking at comforting for about 5 minutes, but this is not set in stone. The goal during this time is to comfort them and calm them down. We want to put them back down when they are drowsy but awake.
Sleep training for us right now is only focused on the initial bedtime. Nighttime wakings are not treated the same. We sometimes try just popping in the pacifier or doing a quick rock, but then if needed we nurse. We are trying to decrease nursing sessions very gently.
Sleep training is a very personal choice.
It is completely up to you if you are ready for sleep training. Make sure to pay attention to your baby and make the best decisions you possibly can.
Stronger Routine
As I always say we need to start waking up at the same time each morning. This will help give the day a more consistent routine. In general, I would recommend you are doing 3 naps at this point. Due to our schedule and tendency for short naps, we are typically doing 4 naps per day. The schedule I provided above was a weekend day which resulted in 3 naps. On workdays, we spend time in the car and often do 4 naps.
Find ways to create strong and consistent routines in both small and large activities during your day. These routines can be around the big events such as nap time and bedtime. You can also create routines around other parts of your day such as a morning routine.
Babies and toddlers thrive on routine and structure. It helps keep your house moving productively and keeps your children calm with predictability.
Introduction of Foods
You may have already introduced foods in some form by now but if you haven’t here are a few things to think about. First off, start getting your baby familiar with the eating environment. Set them in the high chair or wherever they will be eating. Give them toys and keep them happy here.
When you decide it is time to introduce foods make sure to keep the environment happy and calm. Don’t decide to introduce foods at your family Christmas party. Do it at home on a normal day.
Make sure not to do too much. Just think about your baby’s little stomach. They have only consumed milk up to this point. Their belly is going to be so confused at first.
Don’t overdo it on their little belly and digestive tract!
Watch for when your baby is showing signs of being ready and interested in food.
For more in depth on introducing solids take a look at Everything You Need to Know About Introducing Solid Food to Your Baby.
Be careful and watch for allergies. We pretty quickly realized certain food items were not settling well for our baby. She experienced rashes. We had to eliminate all teething puffs and items that were not single-ingredient foods.
Long story short, we came to the conclusion of egg and dairy allergies after doing some continued testing and working with an allergist.
If you think your baby may be at risk for food allergies check out How to Figure Out If My Baby Has Allergies.
Developmental Milestones
You may have noticed all of the sudden your baby is getting strong. They are changing and leaving the newborn phase behind.
They are starting to get more strength in their neck and making good progress on their head control.
You may notice that you no longer cradle them in your arms, but rather hold them up on your rib cage. Eventually, you hold them on your hip, but most babies at still too small for this at 5 months old.
As my baby has grown I have changed the way we nurse. In the beginning, I loved the football hold, but as they have grown longer and strong we have switched to just a simple and traditional cradle hold. Breastfeeding has also become much easier. They sort of help you more. Nursing sessions are also much quicker. We are typically under 10 minutes now.
Your baby is probably starting to learn how to work their hands. They are grabbing items and possibly transferring them between each hand. They are also working on bringing items to their mouth.
Your baby is likely tracking movements better than ever. They laugh and giggle. They could also be struggling with teething by now. With all the joys of parenting come the struggles too.
If you want to get prepared for that take a click over to read How to Survive a Teething Baby.
Conclusion
I think this age is a great one. You are starting to see their personality more and fall even deeper in love with them. Your baby is starting to be better able to control their body, but you still have the luxury of them staying in the same spot when you put them down. Crawling is right around the corner though!
Check Out My Articles
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