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.
Schedule 3: A formula-feeding night-shift-working mom of a 4-month-old
Editor's note: This schedule is a combination (parent-led and baby-led) routine
My little man is a creature of habit. Break his routine by too much and watch out — all hell can break loose!
6:30 a.m.: Mommy gets home from her night shift at the police department and quietly gets into bed next to her dear husband. (Our son just started sleeping in his own room this week, so I don't have to be as quiet.)
8 to 8:30 a.m.: Baby wakes with big grins for a very tired Mommy, making it very worthwhile for her to get up after only sleeping one and a half hours!
9 a.m: Diaper change, 8-ounce bottle.
9:30 to 10:30 a.m.: Playtime either in Mommy's lap or the bouncy seat.
10:30 a.m.: Swing goes into Mommy's bedroom, baby goes into it, and Mommy and baby sleep until 12:30 or 1 p.m.
1 p.m.: Baby wakes up a happy little man, gets a diaper change and an 8-ounce bottle.
1:30 to 3 p.m.: Playtime in his activity saucer and tummy time and back time on his play mat.
3 p.m.: Nap time for Mommy and baby.
4 p.m.: Mommy gets up to get ready for work. Little Man sleeps another 30 minutes to an hour, usually.
4:30 p.m.: Diaper change. Daddy gets home and takes over.
5:30 p.m.: Mommy leaves for work, baby gets an 8-ounce bottle and playtime with Daddy.
7:30 p.m.: Nap time in swing.
9 p.m.: Baby wakes up, every other night gets a bath.
10 p.m.: Baby gets an 8-ounce bottle and is in his crib for nighty-night. He sleeps soundly until he wakes in the morning.
I work four nights a week, so I go on about four hours of sleep on those days but try to catch up when I can. My husband is really good about watching our son so I can get a little extra sleep on my nights off. Our son is such a pleasure, though, that it's hard for me to sleep knowing he's awake and having fun with Daddy in the next room! I want to play, too.
Schedule 4: A breastfeeding stay-at-home mom of a 4-month-old and a toddler
Editor's note: This schedule is a combination (parent-led and baby-led) routine
7 a.m.: Wake up, nurse, get dressed. Amaya plays with Mom while her older brother watches Sesame Street.
8:30 a.m.: Down for her morning nap except when her brother has preschool.
10 a.m.: Wake from nap, nurse, and we leave for some activity.
12 p.m.: Come home. Amaya has tummy time while her brother eats lunch.
1 p.m.: Get her brother ready for nap, read lots of stories.
1:30 p.m.: Amaya nurses, then naps.
4 p.m.: Everyone is up, although Amaya typically wakes up earlier. She nurses and we either go to the gym or to the playground.
6 p.m.: Daddy comes home. He plays with our son or Amaya so each child has some one-on-one time with a parent.
6:30 p.m.: Family dinner. (I do most of the prep work during nap time, so it's easy to make.)
7 p.m.: Bath time, stories, bed. Amaya nurses.
She still wakes up somewhere between 2 and 4 a.m. to nurse. Also, if she takes a short afternoon nap, she may close her eyes for an hour sometime in the late afternoon.
Schedule 5: A breastfeeding and pumping working mom of a 4-month-old
Editor's note: This schedule is a combination (parent-led and baby-led) routine
6:30 a.m.: Wakes up and babbles to his mobile, Mommy gets ready for work.
7 a.m.: Nurse, pack bottles for daycare.
7:30 a.m.: Head out the door and commute to daycare.
8 a.m.: Drop off. He loves the daycare ladies and smiles at them every morning. He usually plays in the activity saucer first.
9:45 a.m.: He eats 2 tablespoons rice cereal with 4 ounces breast milk.
10 a.m. to noon: He naps. Mommy pumps at work sometime during this period.
Noon: He wakes up and plays in the bouncy chair, saucer, or swing.
12:45 p.m.: He eats 2 tablespoons rice cereal with 4 ounces breast milk.
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: He naps. Mommy pumps at work sometime during this period.
2:30 p.m.: He wakes up and has play time.
4 p.m.: He eats 2 tablespoons rice cereal with 4 ounces breast milk, Mommy pumps at work.
4:30 p.m.: He takes a short nap. (Mommy always wakes him when she picks him up.)
5:15 p.m.: Pick up at daycare.
5:30 p.m.: Home, put pumped milk in fridge, try to start a load of laundry, baby catnaps.
5:45 p.m.: Playtime with Daddy. Mommy picks up the house, pays bills, folds laundry, and so on.
6:30 p.m.: Nurse.
6:45 p.m.: Playtime with Mommy, tummy time.
7:30 p.m.: Start bedtime routine: Bath, lotion, change into pj's, sing, give reflux meds. He nurses. We used to read, but he was always fussy by that point and wanted to nurse.
8 p.m.: In bed, awake but sleepy, falls asleep watching the mobile.
8 to 10 p.m.: Mommy prepares bottles for the next day, freezes extra milk, does laundry and starts the dishwasher, and picks up the house while Daddy cooks dinner. We eat, talk, and watch TV. We're in bed by 10 p.m.
12 a.m.: Wake, nurse, right back to bed.
4 a.m.: Wake, nurse, right back to bed.
6:30 a.m.: Start all over again.
Schedule 6: A breastfeeding stay-at-home mom of a 3-month-old
Editor's note: This schedule is a combination (parent-led and baby-led) routine
Addie and I have fallen into a natural routine. She nurses every two and a half hours or so during the day and will sleep through the night without waking up to be fed.
5 a.m.: Addie wakes up. I lift her into bed with me where I nurse her in a side-lying position. She usually falls back asleep beside me, but if I get up then she will too.
8:30 a.m.: Nurse Addie again in the nursery and wash her face with a warm washrag, put on lotion, take off pj's, sing some songs, and have tummy time. I lay her in the crib in the nursery while I get dressed and beautified. This is Addie's most talkative part of the day — she babbles a lot.
10 a.m.: I carry Addie around with me while I pick up the house. She's usually ready to eat again by 10:30, so we take some time out to breastfeed and listen to the radio.
11:30 a.m.: Addie is getting sleepy — time for a mid-day nap in her swing. I eat lunch and do a load of laundry. Or I take her out and she sleeps in her car seat while we run errands in town. It's much easier to grocery shop while she sleeps.
Between 12:30 and 1 p.m.: She wakes up hungry and nurses again. We usually read a book or two after this feeding, then have playtime if she's up for it.
2:30 p.m.: She eats again, then goes into the front carrier for a while.
4:30 p.m.: She eats again. Addie takes a nap, but no sleeping past 6 p.m. or she won't sleep at night! Usually I vacuum the house because the hum of the vacuum always puts her to sleep. Then I lay out clothes for bedtime and get things ready for the bath (towels, tub, lotion, and hairbrush).
6 p.m.: My husband and I eat dinner. It's a team effort — one cooks and the other cleans. Usually I cook while he holds Addie, then he washes dishes while I give Addie a bath.
Between 6:30 and 7 p.m.: She has half a feeding (on only one breast) then bath time for 30 minutes. We give her a quick massage with lotion, put her pj's on, and brush her hair. She nurses on the other breast at about 8 p.m. My husband dims the lights and turns the television down.
8:30 p.m.: The whole family begins to wind down and relax. We read a book with Addie.
9 p.m.: My husband rocks Addie in the rocking chair and sings along to mellow music.
10 p.m.: She nurses again for the last time. After she nurses on one breast, we change her diaper and swaddle her. Then, while I'm nursing her on the other breast, my husband turns on the vacuum in the other room. I lay her in the bassinet beside our bed, and she falls asleep by about 10:30. I crawl into bed shortly thereafter, and we begin the whole routine again at 5 a.m. the next day.
Schedule 7: A formula-feeding working mom of a 3-month-old
Editor's note: This schedule is a combination (parent-led and baby-led) routine
Landon usually gets up between 5:30 and 7 a.m. and has a 5-ounce bottle. He plays in his bouncy seat while I get ready for work.
I run a day care, so Landon is in the nursery there, just down the hall from my office — a perfect setup. He generally drinks 5 ounces every three to four hours. He takes two naps while we're at work. The afternoon nap is anywhere from two to three hours long.
We get home between 5 and 6 p.m., and I feed him a bottle. Then he has playtime and tummy time on the floor. He'll usually take a cat nap around 7, then will get up for some time with Mommy and Daddy. Around 9 p.m., Landon gets a bath and then his bedtime bottle of 5 ounces. We rock and cuddle until he goes to sleep. He generally sleeps through the night but occasionally gets hungry in the middle of the night and will wake for a bottle and then go right back to sleep. He's an excellent baby, and my husband and I both know how blessed we are.
Schedule 8: A formula-feeding stay-at-home mom of a 3-month-old
Editor's note: This schedule is a baby-led routine
Our 3-month-old is in a great routine (I prefer that word to "schedule"). He wakes each morning at 6:30 a.m. and has a 6-ounce bottle. He's awake for about an hour and a half and then takes a 45-minute nap. He has another 6 ounces at 9:15 a.m., then we play for about an hour. He goes down for a nap in his crib around 10:30 a.m. and sleeps until noon or so.
He has another 6-ounce bottle at noon or 12:15 p.m. Then we get out of the house for a little while to do errands, visit friends or family, and so on. He will usually sleep for about 30 to 45 minutes in his car seat. At 3 p.m. he has another 6-ounce bottle. Then it's playtime for an hour or so and down for a nap in his crib at around 4:30 p.m.
He usually sleeps until 6 p.m. I've been concerned that this is a late long nap compared to other babies, but it's when he's tired and it works for us. After waking up, he plays with us until about 7:45 p.m., then gets a bath, has a 4- or 5-ounce bottle, and sleeps until morning!
source: babycenter
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