Baby Schedules - Refining the Chaos

I am a big fan of keeping my babies on a schedule. A flexible schedule, but a schedule nonetheless. If that’s not your parenting style, that’s totally fine! But this post is probably not for you. If that is your parenting style and you’re looking for some examples as you move through transitions (ex. dropping a feeding, dropping a nap, etc.), then you are in the right place. Let’s chat about baby schedules!

I mostly based my approach off of On Becoming Baby Wise by Robert Bucknam, M.D., but I did a few things differently. Most notably, I didn’t really have set “nap times” until my babies were about 5 months old. They rarely slept longer than 30-45 minutes in the first 5 months; and if they did, it wasn’t predictable which nap would be the long one, so instead I focused on Feed-Wake-Sleep cycles (more on why in this post) and paid attention to wake windows sleepy queues. Then I implemented more structured nap times once they got older.

But regardless of your baby’s age, I think it’s okay to still have a target schedule, even if you know you’re going to deviate from the plan. For me, writing down a concrete plan brought me peace of mind. It allowed me to plan things outside of the house, plan when I would want babysitter coverage, etc. But I also managed my expectations by expecting to get off schedule frequently. If it stresses you out to get off the schedule, then maybe don’t make one until your baby is closer to 6 months old, when then they’ll be able to adopt a more consistent routine.

The most important thing to remember is this: Your control your schedule; your schedule doesn’t control you.

sleeping baby — Photo by Oh Miss Meghan Photography

Here are the baby schedules that worked for us:

Baby Schedules By Age

0-6 Weeks:

8+ Feedings

4:00am-6:00am: Feeding #1*, then right back to sleep

7:00am-9:00am: Feeding #2, wake, sleep

10:00am-12:00pm: Feeding #3, wake, sleep

1:00pm-2:30pm: Feeding #4, wake, sleep

4:00pm-5:00pm: Feeding #5, wake, sleep

7:00pm-7:30pm: Feeding #6, wake, sleep

10:00pm: Feeding #7**, then right back to sleep

12:30am: Feeding #8**, then right back to sleep

*With Jackson we let him sleep as long as possible in the morning because he was at a healthy weight, but with Charlie we woke him after 3-4 hours for a middle-of-the-night feeding because he needed it… That decision is between you and your pediatrician!

**The best way we found to handle round-the-clock feedings was to have Cooper take the late night shift (Feedings #7 & 8, which frequently lasted later than 1AM) and I took the early morning shift (Feedings #1 & 2). Some couples might prefer the other way around. Since I was nursing my babies for most feedings, I made this work at the beginning by pumping around 10pm or 11pm and then going straight to bed afterwards. This meant that I pumped only once in place of 2 feedings, but this was fine as I was having no problems with milk supply at this point in time. (Also, even if I was, I would have supplemented with formula to get that extra sleep because I can be the best mom to my babies when I get as much connected sleep as possible.)

6-10 Weeks:

7-8 Feedings

6:00am-7:00am: Feeding #1, wake, sleep

9:30am: Feeding #2, wake, sleep

12:00pm: Feeding #3, wake, sleep

2:30pm: Feeding #4, wake, sleep

5:00pm: Feeding #5, wake, sleep

7:30pm: Feeding #6, wake, sleep

10:00pm: Feeding #7, then right back to sleep

12:00am: Feeding #8 (optional Dream Feed), then right back to sleep

10-12 Weeks:

7 Feedings

7:00am-7:30am: Feeding #1, wake, sleep

10:00am: Feeding #2, wake, sleep

1:00pm: Feeding #3, wake, sleep

3:30pm: Feeding #4, wake, sleep

6:00pm: Feeding #5, wake, sleep

8:30pm: Feeding #6, wake, sleep

11:00pm: Feeding #7, then right back to sleep

3-5 Months:

6 Feedings

7:30am: Feeding #1, wake, sleep

10:30am: Feeding #2, wake, sleep

1:00pm: Feeding #3, wake, sleep

3:30pm: Feeding #4, wake, sleep

6:00pm: Feeding #5, wake, sleep

8:30pm: Feeding #6 + Bedtime

5-6 Months:

5 Feedings / 4 Naps

7:30am: Feeding #1

9:30am: Nap

11:00am: Feeding #2

12:45pm: Nap

2:30pm: Feeding #3

4:00pm: Nap

5:15pm: Feeding #4

7:00pm: Nap

8:00pm: Feeding #5

8:30pm: Bedtime

6-7.5 Months

5 Feedings / 3 Naps / Starting Solid Foods

7:30am: Feeding #1

9:15am: Nap (1.5-2 hours)

11:00am: Feeding #2

11:45am: Lunch

12:45pm: Nap (1.5-2 hours)

2:30pm: Feeding #3

3:00pm: Snack

4:00pm: Nap (30 minutes-1 hour)

5:00pm: Feeding #4

5:45pm: Dinner

7:00pm: Feeding #5

7:30pm: Bedtime

7.5-12 Months:

4 Feedings / 2 Naps

7:45am: Feeding #1

8:30am: Breakfast

9:30am: Nap (1.5-2 hours)

11:15am: Feeding #2

11:45am: Lunch

1:15pm: Nap (1.5-2 hours)

3:15pm: Feeding #3

3:30pm: Snack

5:30pm: Dinner

6:45pm: Feeding #4

7:00pm: Bedtime

1+ Year:

1 Nap / Done with Milk Feedings

8:00am: Wake up