Inside: A sample 5 month schedule and all you need to know about this tricky age as it relates to feeding and sleep.

• The Ultimate Newborn Sleep Schedule: Week By Week
• A Sample Newborn Routine That Works Every Time
• The 3 to 6 Month Routine That Makes For Happy Babies

I am not into fortune telling… but I bet I can read your mind right now.

If you have a 5 month old baby…

And you are Googling routines and schedules and sleep help…

Then you came to the right place. 

This is where I tell you that 5 months is hard. Babies who used to sleep well might have gone through the 4 month sleep regression just in time to come to the 5 month conundrum. 

Take heart… you’ve got this. 

A Sample 5 Month Old Schedule Your Baby Will Love

So I’m going to give you a sample routine you can follow at this age, and then break things down to key components to help you get a grasp of what’s happening at this age.

It has worked for all 5 of my babies and – I hope – it’ll work for yours too. 

Some notes on this routine:

• Play at this age mainly consists of tummy time or time with family. 
• Some mothers prefer a morning bath and others an evening bath, just fit it in wherever you prefer. Note: babies don’t need a baby daily and that may even dry out their skin.
• If baby wakes up from a nap and doesn’t seem particularly hungry (you’ll know this if baby isn’t crying or fussy), simply wait until the normal feeding time to feed. If baby wakes up hungry, then feed baby and try to keep the routine if you can.

The Main Thing To Keep In Mind

There is something that cannot be understated at this age: your baby is hungry and getting hungrier every day.

In years past pediatricians encouraged us to start baby on some gentle solids at 4 months of age.

That’s no longer the case.

Now it’s 6 months. 

While that has changed, this fact remains the same… by 6 months of age baby will need some solids throughout the day to meet their nutritional needs.

This means at 5 months their bodies are gearing up for more food. And they are more hungry. And need more nutrient rich breast milk.

And thus sleeping and sometimes moods will suffer.

Behaviors You Might See In 5 Month Olds

• More fussy and irritable than normal
• Seems starving all the time
• Has disrupted sleep or irregular sleep patterns

Solution?

Feed baby often and do not despair. 

How To Keep A Consistent Routine Despite Interruptions

Now, at this age many babies can sleep through the night. It’s not a bad age for sleep training.

That may or may not be something you want tackle now, but either way I can’t understate the importance of a good routine. 

You can use the one above or another from my Big Book Of Routines, but either way, find a good daily rhythm and stick with it.

• If you haven’t already, start some wind down routines that’ll help baby sleep well at naps and nighttime.
• Start a regular morning wake time that works well with your family’s morning rhythm.
• Get a steady baby bedtime routine happening.

Read: Foolproof Baby Sleep Tips — Routines, Habits & Strategies or you may prefer… Want An Easy Baby? Then Use A Foolproof Baby Schedule

Set The Stage For Solids

So, within the next month or so baby will begin to need more solids. There’s also a chance – if you are nursing – that baby’s milk needs will change.

You may have a slightly lower supply than will meet baby’s current hunger demands and something similar to cluster feeding may help that.

One question you may be asking is this…

Is it okay to introduce solids at 5 months old?

Well, it depends. I would answer to go with what your pediatrician says. However, you can still do a lot right now to help prepare your baby for what’s to come.

Here’s how to help get your 5 month old baby ready for the big milestone ahead:

• Let baby sit with the family at the dinner table. Baby will be able to see you all eat and may even watch your food and mouth as you chew. This is a sign of readiness!
• Give baby a chance to practice their pincer grasp. Put cheerios, pieces of bread, or some other safe alternative onto their high chair so they can begin to practice. Since they do not need solids nutritionally yet, they can just use this as an opportunity to start practicing the life skill they’ll need to feed themselves.
• Help them perfect sitting up. When babies get to around 6 months of age (or when they begin sitting up) reflux symptoms often disappear. This is because the lower esophageal sphincter matures and allows food to go down, but not come back up. Babies need to be able to sit up fairly well to be stable in the high chair to eat solids.

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Need sample routines for babies 6 weeks to 5 years?

By now, you know how to handle the newborn days, but what after? The good news is this: you’ve set your baby up for a foundation of success.

Now all you need to do is continue to find routines that work for you and your baby as they grow up and begin getting bigger and bigger. Sob. After having had 5 babies with 5 different personalities, I know a thing or two about finding a good schedule.

This is why I’ve created a book of sample routines and schedules for babies ages 6 weeks up to 5 years.

The book includes information on how long to let baby stay awake, how much play time is good for each age, what to do with baby when baby is awake but not quite mobile, and even how to manage toddler and baby joint routines.

Chapters covered in Rhythms, Routines & Schedules  include:

Section One: Sample Schedules

• 6 Weeks to 3 Months Old
• 3-6 Months Old
• 7-9 Months Old
• 9-12 Months Old
• 12-18 Months Old
• 2-3 Years Old
• 4-5 Years Old

Section Two: Tips and Tricks

• Tips for Managing the Day With Multiple Children
• Daily Rhythms for an Only Child Ages 1-4 Years Old
• Daily Rhythms for Multiple Small Children Ages 0-5
• Sample Bedtime, Mealtime, and Playtime Routines
• Tips for Keeping Kids Busy Throughout the Day

For more sample routines, mom tested and approved schedules for babies ages 6 weeks and up, check out Rhythms, Routines & Schedules right now.