Reference eating and sleeping schedule for 5-6 months old baby

The article was professionally consulted by Resident Doctor Ho Thi Hong Tho - Neonatologist - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

It is not easy to arrange and build a meal schedule for a 5-month-old and 6-month-old baby, the main reason is because each baby has different habits and the way of living in each family is not the same. Getting into a routine with your baby is a personal thing. Parents need to learn to recognize their baby's cues to build a schedule of eating, sleeping and playing that suits the needs of both baby and family.

To create a feeding schedule for a 5-6 month old baby, parents first need to understand that the baby at this stage most needs:
About 1000 ml of breast milk or formula in a 24 hour period. Babies who don't get enough milk often cry a lot, have a cleft palate, wrinkled skin, little urine, and slow weight gain. Most babies start solids at this age, although they will still get most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula. Therefore, parents are also interested in the weaning schedule for 5-month-old babies. About 14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period - including nighttime naps and daytime naps. Babies usually get two naps a day in the morning and afternoon, although many babies will still take three naps. Time to play, develop important musculoskeletal systems, practice new skills and interact with people around them is also a necessity. Reading to your baby, giving them a massage, or going for a stroll in a stroller are fun activities that parents can do with their kids to strengthen the connection. Below are some referenced meal plans from families with babies between the ages of 5 and 6 months, built on basic needs.

This schedule is a parent-led process, is for reference only, and can be tailored to each family's circumstances.
6 a.m.: Baby wakes up and takes about 230 ml of formula. 6 to 7 am: Playtime with dad. Dad can read stories to his baby, sing with him or play with him with toys available in the house. This helps children feel the father's affection and develop the ability to interact with the surrounding environment. 7 a.m.: Cereal and pureed fruit are your baby's first weaning meal of the day. 8:30 to 10 a.m.: Nap time. This is a baby's first nap of the day, which can last up to 2 hours. 10 to 11 am: Playtime. At this time, usually the father has gone to work, the mother and other siblings in the house will be the one to play with the baby. 11 a.m.: Feed your baby a 180-200 ml 6- to 8-ounce bottle of formula and extra fruit with baby-friendly fruit. Noon to 2 or 3 p.m.: Nap time, the second nap of the day. Babies aged 5-6 months usually only need 2 naps during the day, although some babies get a third nap in the late afternoon. 3pm: Feed about 180-200ml of formula 3 to 6pm: Baby playtime 6 to 6:30: Mom takes baby for an evening walk in a full car 6:30pm: Time spent in the evening , the baby is given solid foods with the same menu during the day, including cereals and vegetables. 6:45 p.m: Bath time, baby is bathed every day, but not always using baby soap. The type of soap chosen should be those for sensitive skin or those used specifically for children. 7pm: Baby is given the last bottle of the day, about 200ml, and brushed teeth. 7:15 p.m.: The time to go to bed, babies at about 5 months old can usually sleep continuously until the next morning without waking up in the middle of the night to feed. =>> See more: 5 month baby weighs 6kg, is it malnourished?

6 to 6:30 a.m.: Baby wakes up, changes diapers, and breastfeeds for 10 to 20 minutes. 7 to 8 am: Put the baby in the crib, read to the baby or talk to the baby. 8 a.m.: Give your baby a nap, lasting about 1 and a half to 2 hours, while mom goes to work at home office or take care of the house. 10 a.m.: Baby wakes up, changes diapers, and has breakfast. The breakfast menu may include mixed fruit with rice cereal with 30 ml of breast milk; Feed your baby for 5 to 10 minutes. Weaning foods help your baby get extra beneficial vitamins and minerals. 10:30 am to 12 pm: Playtime, let your baby crawl on the floor or massage with baby exercises, listen to music or sit on a chair and watch Mom work. Noon: The next nap of the day, the baby naps from one and a half to two hours. 2 p.m.: Baby wakes up, changes diapers, and breastfeeds for 10 to 20 minutes. 2:30 to 4 p.m.: Baby's playtime, while mom can do some chores. 4 p.m.: Take a 30 to 45 minute nap. 4:30 to 6 pm: Baby plays with mother in bed, practicing crawling skills. Some 6-month-old babies may be entering the stage of learning to stand on all fours. 6 pm: Dinner. The dinner menu includes baby vegetables and 2 tablespoons of cereal with 30 ml of breast milk . Feed your baby for another 5 to 10 minutes. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Dad comes home from work, takes a shower, and plays with the baby. 7:30 pm: Baby bath. Mom can bathe the baby every night. 8 pm: Breastfeeding for 10 to 20 minutes, the baby often falls asleep while breastfeeding, if the feeding is not finished, the mother should wake the baby up. 8:30 pm: Bedtime, 6-month-old baby can sleep continuously until the next morning without waking up in the middle of the night for extra feed.

Here's a schedule built from a working mom with a 6-month-old baby. The baby is taken to the nursery with a fairly fixed schedule.
6 a.m.: Baby wakes up and starts talking to herself in the crib 6:15 a.m.: Speaks louder to let parents know it's time to get up 6:30 a.m.: Dad feeds baby 210ml bottle of milk, then plays with baby while mom takes a quick shower and gets ready for work 7 am: Dress baby and leave the house by 7:15 7:15 am to 8 am: Baby nap on his way to daycare 8 am: Kiss and goodbye to my mother, who went to work. At daycare, she spends her time playing with friends and rolling around on the floor. Sometimes teachers take the baby out to enjoy the fresh air 10 am: First weaning meal of the day with vegetables or fruit 10:30 am: Bottle feeding about 120 ml of milk 10:45 am to noon : Playtime Noon to 2 or 2:30 pm: Nap time 2 or 2:30 pm: Baby continues to suckle about 180 ml of milk. Then he gets to listen to stories and music, play with friends, and go outside if the weather is nice. 4:30 or 5 pm: Mom comes to pick up the baby after work. 5 to 6 p.m.: Baby naps on the way home. 6:30 p.m.: Dinner with some rice cereal mixed with formula. 7:00 pm: Playtime with dad while mom cooks dinner for the adults. 7:30 to 8 p.m.: Bath time and tummy time with mom. 8:30 p.m.: Bottle-feed the last 180ml bottle of the day, then cuddle with mom or dad until she falls asleep. Baby sleeps through the night and wakes up the next morning! To prevent diseases that babies often get, parents should pay attention to nutrition to improve children's resistance. At the same time, add supporting foods containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, B vitamins,... snacks and less digestive problems.
Parents can learn more:
Why do you need to supplement Lysine for your baby?
The role of zinc - Guidelines for reasonable zinc supplementation
Please visit the website Vinmec.com regularly and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.

Reference source: babycenter.com