Sample baby schedules for 3- and 4-month-olds
Sample baby schedules for 3- and 4-month-olds by Maureen Connolly Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board Last updated: June 2008
Getting into a routine with your baby is a personal thing. You’ll learn to read your baby’s cues to develop a pattern of eating, sleeping, and playing that meets your little one’s needs and works for your family.
That said, it can be a big help to see what other moms and dads are doing. We asked parents of 3- and 4-month-olds to share their baby’s daily schedule, then picked the seven below as a helpful representation. (If you have a baby this age, share your routine in the comments section at the bottom of this page!)
As you’re creating a schedule for your baby, keep in mind that at 3 and 4 months most babies need:
• 12 to 24 ounces of breast milk or formula in a 24-hour period, though this amount may be as high as 36 to 40 ounces. (Get specific tips on how to tell whether your baby is getting enough breast milk or formula.) Some parents start solid foods like rice cereal when their baby is 4 months old.
• About 15 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period — this includes nighttime sleep and naps. Three naps during the day (morning, afternoon, and evening) is typical. Read more about sleep needs at this age.
• Time for playing, developing important muscles, working on new skills, and interacting with you. Try reading to your little one, giving your baby a massage or bath, or going for a stroller walk.
Schedule 1: A breastfeeding stay-at-home mom of a 4-month-old
Editor’s note: This schedule is a parent-led routine
5 a.m.: Wake up, change Chase’s diaper, he nurses, and we fall back asleep.
7 a.m.: Wake up, he nurses and falls back asleep.
9 a.m.: He wakes up. I bathe him, change his diaper, and get him dressed.
11 a.m.: He nurses, then sits in his bouncer while I do laundry and dishes, then I change his diaper.
Noon: Tummy time, then we play with his toys.
1 p.m.: I change his diaper, then it’s nap time.
2 p.m.: He wakes up and nurses.
2:30 p.m.: He plays in his entertainment center while I clean.
3 p.m.: He sits on my lap while I watch TV or go on the Internet. I change his diaper.
4 p.m.: Chase’s dad comes home. I make dinner while Dad holds Chase and plays with him.
5 p.m.: Nurse, then nap time.
6 p.m.: I change his diaper, then he sits in his swing.
6:30 p.m.: Playtime.
7 p.m.: Nurse.
7:30 p.m.: Tummy time.
8 p.m.: Change diaper, get into pajamas.
8:30 p.m.: Sit in bouncer seat.
9 p.m.: Nurse.
10 p.m.: Change diaper, go to sleep.
Schedule 2: A formula-feeding working mom of a 4-month-old
Editor’s note: This schedule is a combination (parent-led and baby-led) routine
5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.: He wakes up smiling. I hold him for a while and try to feed him a bottle. He usually has about an ounce. He won’t eat for the first two hours that he’s up. (I guess he won’t be a breakfast kid!)
I get ready for work and play with him at the same time. We look in the mirror and laugh. He does some tummy time. I usually have CNN on so he looks at that on occasion — I turn him away from the TV, though, or he stares at it.
6:30 a.m.: We leave for daycare. He smiles all the way there (this baby does not cry). We have a mirror in the backseat near his car seat so he laughs at himself. Once there, I hand him over. (Sad.) Throughout the day he eats, does tummy time, takes naps, plays with other babies, and so on. They have no TV there, so he doesn’t watch television. He just plays and naps all day.
4:30 p.m.: I typically pick him up by 4:30. (I get to work early so I can get home early.) He is usually smiling. We go home.
4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: He wants to eat, then we play — he likes singing and patty-cake. He sits in his activity saucer, does tummy time — whatever he seems to be in the mood for.
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Bath time! His favorite part of the day! My husband usually gets home around this time. After his bath, we play some more. I just try to spend a lot of time with him.
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: We usually read to him, talk to him. Usually he gets hungry again. He eats a lot between 4:30 and 7:30 at night.
7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: He usually falls asleep by 8 p.m. He likes to chew on his toys until he drifts off.
11 p.m.: He wakes up to eat. My husband takes night duty and gets up with him until 5 a.m., when I take over.
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