WWYD - 3rd nap for 7 mo old

So DD just turned 7 months last week. For the past month i have been flip flopping back from 2 naps a day to 3 and i need to stop confusing this poor kid. Typical day is

Wake at 6 but i dont get her till 7
Doesnt show sleepy signs till 9...
9-10:15 - nap
12:45-2 - nap

Heres where i get stuck

Most days she will stay up, bath at 6:15 ish, asleep by 7. But shes up 5 hours and i think thats too long. Shes sort of cranky these 5 hours but not bad and definitely manageable. But i feel like she needs to nap since shes up so long. I dont really want to move her bedtime any earlier if i can help it. She would be asleep by 6, and thats super early for our house.

If she naps again, it would be around 4;30-5. This pushes back bath and bedtime so she is asleep by 7:45-8:00. This is the one nap she will fight, has trouble going down, making me think she doesnt need it. It will last 20 mins, 30 at the most.

Either one she will wake up at 6 am so total amount of sleep is the same. So what would you do? Keep the nap or drop it? I know most babies are only taking 2 naps at
this age but they seem to be better nappers and their last
nap doesnt end so early. TIA!

Re: WWYD - 3rd nap for 7 mo old

My dd is 7 1/2 months and she has her naps at 8:00-8:30 and then around 12:30/1...she also gets cranky around 4ish/4:30..so when i get home from work we lay together and i wake her up by 5:30 to give her cereal and a bottle by 6:15. We give her a bath by 7:30 and bottle by 7:45 and she is asleep by 8. I find that if she doesnt get that 4/4:30 nap she is just soooooooooooo cranky. I rather her get a little rest and then we play n tire her out by 7:30.

Re: WWYD - 3rd nap for 7 mo old

Thanks! I know exactly what you're saying. I'm now wondering, how do I know when to drop a nap?