Kennedy’s 7 Month Old Schedule + Update

It’s true what they say, the days are long, but the years are short. I can’t believe Kennedy is 7 months old already! She is at the best stage of her development so far, and we are having so much fun watching her grow and discover the world around her. Last week, I got a bunch of baby related questions on Instagram. I figured now would be a good time to share Kennedy’s 7 month old schedule, answer some of the FAQ’S, and share some products we have been enjoying.

7 Month Old Baby Schedule

Before I jump into this, I want to put a disclaimer out that this is just what works for our family! That really applies to most everything in parenthood, right?

Kennedy has a loose schedule during the days she is home with us. She does go to daycare 5 days a week, and her schedule looks slightly different when she is there. It is normal for kids to operate on a different timeline at home vs daycare. The biggest difference in her schedule at daycare is her nap time at is later in the day and shorter. The schedule I am going to share is her typical ‘at home’ day.

6:30AM-7AM – Wake up, nurse

7:30AM – Play until breakfast

8:00-8:30AM – Eat breakfast, solid food.

9:00AM – Nap for about 45-60 minutes

10:00-10:30AM – Feed 6 oz bottle formula

11:00-12:30PM – Play. Depending on her mood and interest we may give her solid food as a ‘lunch’. Once she gets more into a feeding routing her formal lunchtime will be somewhere in here.

12:30PM – Nap, usually 1.5-2 hours

2:00PM – Feed, 4-6oz bottle of formula

2:30PM – Play

4:30PM – Nurse

5:30-6:00PM – Dinner, solid food.

6:30OPM – Start bedtime routine: Bath (every other day), 6 oz bottle formula, read 1-3 books

7-7:30PM – In bed for the night!

This does NOT happen every day! I am definitely not going to pretend we live a perfectly scheduled day over here. If we leave the house for any type of activity or errand these times just become a moving target.

Q: Are you still breastfeeding? How is pumping at work?

A: I am still breastfeeding twice a day. Once I went back to work, it was really challenging to keep up with a good pumping schedule. As a result, my supply dropped quite a bit. We started giving Kennedy formula when she was around 5 months old and she did great with it! I will continue nursing her for as long as my body allows, but I imagine she will be fully on formula by 8-9 months. As for pumping, I stopped pumping completely about 2 weeks ago because I was no longer producing anything. I actually ended up giving my Elvie pump to another mama in need about a month ago. You can read about my experience with the hands-free Elvie Pump here.

Q: How did you start introducing solid food?

A: We waited until 6 months to introduce solid food to Kennedy. At first, I was all in on trying baby-led weaning, which if you are not familiar with this, it’s basically a method of feeding primarily finger foods. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I wasn’t really too nervous about choking or introducing solids because I am trained in how to handle pediatric emergencies. But, Kennedy really did not act interested in finger foods and after a few days we decided to just ditch baby led weaning and now she is doing great with solids. Currently, she will eat purees or mashed up food and feed herself with a spoon. She does like some finger foods, like banana, pancakes, eggs. Right now, we are offering her a combination of puree and finger food and that seems to be working great. I do not pre-prepare any of her food. If I think there is something JD and I are eating for meals that can be modified by mashing, pureeing, finger foods, then I will offer it but otherwise we use pre-made purees.

I know there is a huge push for baby-led weaning (it’s like the new breastfed vs formula debate), but my advice is to DO WHAT IS BEST for your baby and for you.

Q: How did you come up with a good sleep schedule?

A: We used the Mom’s on Call method. Kennedy has been a good sleeper since the beginning of infancy. JD and I feel very lucky and are still waiting for her to punk us and stop sleeping through the night. She has slept through the night since 16 weeks-ish. As a pediatric provider, my advice on improving sleep in children really comes down to consistency and not being too hard on yourself as a parent. It is still considered perfectly normal for a 7 month old to wake up at night, especially if you are breastfeeding.

Q: How is daycare going?

A: Great! Kennedy goes to daycare 5 days a week while JD and I are at work. We love her teachers and are super happy with our decision to send her.

Q: Where are your favorite places to shop for baby clothes?

A: We dress her very causal for the most part! Old Navy, H&M, Carters, and Target are our favorite. For pajamas, we love Kyte Baby, Little Sleepies, and Burt’s Bees.

Q: Any advice for moms returning to work after maternity leave?

A: This is easier said than done, but try not to feel guilty about going back to work. I allow myself to feel all the other feelings, but I try to let go of guilt. You should never feel guilty about going back to work to support your family. Everyone’s situation is different, and what works for some families may not be what works best for yours. Our family functions better when I am at work and knowing that helps me work through any sort of guilt I may have about being away from Kennedy during the weekdays. It may also be helpful to set expectations with your partner or support system. When I returned to work I found myself overwhelmed with the responsibilities that come with being a wife, mother, and homeowner. JD and I had a discussion and we now try to get all the home tasks done on weekdays and Saturday mornings, and we reserve the remainder of the evenings for special family time with Kennedy. Also, don’t forget to carve out time for yourself. This is something I STRUGGLE with, but every time I make the time I am reminder how good it feels to ‘reset’.

To any of the moms, or moms to be, reading this…YOU ARE DOING GREAT!

Here are some items we have been using during this stage and would recommend!