5 month old bedtime routine - what do you do?

[bluebells1234]

Hello,
Im interested in what people do with their babies just before bed. I’ve been advised by the dr to only bathe DC 1-2 a week (he has eczema) so currently doing a change and a book. Keen to hear what others are doing. TIA.

My two are 5.5months old. They are bathed every other day so on the nights they dont have a bath they have a top/tail wash, clean pjs, bottle and a cuddle. Then into their cot for 8pm. On bath nights its a bath instead of the top/tail wash. I still feel they are very young for a 'strict' routine so it does vary slightly day-day

I have an older DS too. Bath DS2 twice a week (toddler every other day). Routine is nappy change, pjs (I usually sing twinkle twinkle), feed (breastfed), sleep sack and into cot. I cant remember when I introduced a book with my older DS, I used to do a poem instead and rock to sleep/drowsy. DS2 is usually put down awake even if he falls asleep during his feed.

We have never bathed more frequently than every 7-10 days.
At 5 months it was fed cuddle sleep.

She was a lunatic if we tried a bath before bed or a book. At 2 she could have her weekly bath before bed and started a bedtime story before that it was a recipe for a very late night!

Bath bottle and bed between 6-7.

Worked for my DD1 so we're carrying on the same routine.

I think it depends on your baby. Mine hated everything any anything at night time at that age lol so it was just change into 'pyjamas' and then feed to sleep.

10 months now now she has a bath before bed most nights. Then I 'chat' to her about our day and she feeds to sleep. I like to keep it as simple as possible!

I believe there's no need for much of a routine at all until closer to 1. And no real point in a story until that age too. Bath is usually 2ce a week for baby and toddler.

Routine for 7 month old is, approx 2-3hr after last nap (depending on how much sleep she's had in the day), into pj's, sleeping bag, white noise on, feed in bed. Often falls asleep, but wakes on putting into her cot. Usually 5min of stroking her tummy and she's back to sleep.

23 month old dropped bedtime milk at around 13 months. She has quiet time (now in the night garden but from our recorded TV at whatever time suits us), then upstairs for pj, Vitamin drop, teeth, into sleeping bag, 3 or 4.. or 5 or 6 stories. Then she often messes about further, before calming.

Think we started the bedtime stories around 11 or 12 months and she was only really interested around 14 months.