What is the best feeding schedule for your baby's first year? (2023)

You've taken photos of your obnoxious munchkin starting to eat solid food and sharing the first mealtime milestone, and now you're wondering where to go.

How much solid food should you give your baby each day and when should they adopt a three-meal-a-day routine? What is the correct ratio of solid food to breast milk or formula? Should both be on the menu at the same time?

Get answers to these questions along with simple tips for putting on a generic babyfeeding schedule.

How often and when should you give your baby solid foods?

There is no "ideal" time of day to feed your baby; when it suits you. if youbreast-feeding, you can offer solid foods when your milk supply is at its lowest (probably in the late afternoon or early evening). On the other hand, babies who wake up with bright eyes and wake up restless may want to try solid foods for breakfast.

You'll soon know when your baby is interested in food and when he's not, which he will show by opening his mouth and voluntarily biting (or stroking and chewing) instead of restlessly turning his head. far. Follow the signs and don't force feed; you can always try again later.

Start with one meal a day and increase to two over the next month (try one in the morning and one in the evening). As your baby grows and approaches toddler age, prepare up to three solid meals a day with one or two snacks in between.

Baby feeding schedule: how much should I feed my baby at one time?

A good rule of thumb for figuring out how much to feed your little one at each feeding: start small and work your way up.

While your baby's first meals may have consisted of a teaspoon or two of solid food, once your baby gets used to the food, you can use the following baby feeding chart as a general guide:

4 to 6 months:

• 24 to 36 ounces of formula or milk for 24 hours (or five to eight breastfeeding sessions per day)
• 1 to 4 tablespoons of cereal once or twice a day
• 1 to 4 tablespoons of each of fruits and vegetables once or twice a day

6 to 8 months:

• 24 to 36 ounces of formula or breast milk for 24 hours (now that your baby is breastfeeding more effectively, you'll probably breastfeed four to six times a day)
• 4 to 9 tablespoons of cereals, fruits and vegetables per day, divided into two or three meals
• 1 to 6 tablespoons of meat or other protein (such as yogurt, cottage cheese, or broken egg) per day

9 to 12 months:

• 16 to 30 ounces of formula or milk for 24 hours (or three to five breastfeeding sessions per day)
• About 1/4 to 1/2 cup of grains, fruits and vegetables twice a day
• About 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dairy products daily
• About 1/4 to 1/2 cup of protein foods per day

How do I determine the best serving size for baby food?

General serving size recommendations can be helpful, but remember that every child is different. It's perfectly normal for your little eater to eat one day (and even eat for seconds or thirds) and keep his mouth shut the next.

Try not to worry if your girlfriend has an appetitenot always exactly the sameor if what you decide to eat doesn't match the recommended portions.

Forcing your baby to eat when he's not interested isn't fun for either of you, and over time it may become harder for you to tune in to your body's natural hunger and fullness signals.

Instead, focus on offering a variety of nutritious foods in age-appropriate portions and let your little one take care of it. Your new nosher has the ability to absorb whatever your body requires of it.

As long as you offer balanced options, you'll likely get what you need in a day or week.

On the other hand? Trust your gut. Talk to your pediatrician if you suspect your baby is having a feeding problem, seems uncomfortable or extremely fussy after feeding, or doesn't seem to be gaining weight as it should. Together you can find out what's going on and make the meal more enjoyable.

How to breastfeed or bottlefeed after introducing solids?

Although your baby is now sipping puree from a spoon (or if he haschild-led approach to weaning, learning to chew with your fingers), most of the food comes out anywaybreast milk or formula. Think of the solid foods you start out as healthy supplements and a chance for your pet to discover new flavors and textures.

When to express the bottle or breast and when to introduce solid food? There is really no hard and fast rule. Some parents find that a snack of breast milk or formula is a good way to start a meal so that their little ones don't get too hungry to sit down to a meal.

Other parents offer solid foods as an appetizer and breast milk or formula for dessert. There are also mothers who like to completely separate solid foods from breastfeeding orbottle feeding sessions.

Since there are no hard and fast rules, experiment until you find a feeding schedule that works for you.

Examples of infant feeding schedules

Your baby's first few days should be on solid foods to help him get into the rhythm of family meals. Ideally, you also eat when everyone is at the table.

Remember that since most of your baby's nutrients should still come from breast milk or formula up to 1 year of age, these liquid meals should still be given priority.

You can start with one or two sets of meals a day, whichever works best for you.

For example, offer her breakfast and dinner if your girl is in kindergarten and you want her to be assigned solid food. If preparing dinner before bed is too difficult for you, start with breakfast and lunch.

When your baby is 8 or 9 months old and starts eating more (and napping in the morning and afternoon, which gives you more time), you can move up to three feedings.

These sample charts below can help you visualize how solid foods might fit into your baby's day; just remember that every child (and every family!) is different. Your little one's schedule may not be predictable or consistent until he reaches infancy. However, a typical day might look like this:

A sample feeding schedule for babies 4 to 6 months old

This schedule assumes your 4-6 month old baby has three naps (although some 6 month old babies do two) and you introduce solids with spoon fed mush.

If your family is using the weaning approach, solid foods (in the form of soft chewable snacks) are not offered until 6 months of age, when your baby is likely to be able to feed herself.

• 07:00. m.: Wake up and feed or bottle feed (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 7:45: breakfast (1 to 4 tablespoons of baby cereal, 1 to 4 tablespoons of mashed banana)
• 8.45 – 10.45: siesta
• 10:45: Wake up and feed or bottle feed (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 12:00: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 12:30 pm. – 14.30: Siesta
• 2:30 in the evening. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 4:30 in the afternoon. until 17:00: Siesta
• 5:00 PM: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 5:45 PM: Dinner (1 to 4 tbsp sweet potato puree, 1 to 4 tbsp pea puree)
• 6:45 PM: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 7:00 p.m.: Room

Sample menu for infants aged 7-9 months

This schedule assumes your baby takes two naps between the ages of 7 and 9 months (although some 7-month-olds may need three more).

• 07:00. m.: Wake up and feed or bottle feed (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 7:45am: Breakfast (2 to 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 2 to 3 tablespoons of thinly sliced ​​strawberries, 1/4 slice of whole wheat toast)
• 9.30 – 11.30: siesta
• 11:30. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 12:15 pm: Lunch (1/4 to 1/2 hard-boiled egg, crushed or sliced, 2 to 3 tablespoons sliced ​​or mashed avocado, 1/4 to 1/2 sliced ​​whole wheat pita)
• 1:45 p.m. (moisturizes the bottle) 6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula
• 2:00. – 16:00: Siesta
• 4:00 PM. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 5:30 PM 1:00 PM: Dinner (2 to 3 tbsp mini turkey or beef meatballs, 2 to 3 tbsp cooked whole wheat pasta, 1 to 2 tbsp steamed broccoli florets)
• 19:00. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 19:30: Like

A sample lesson plan for children aged 10-12 months

• 07:00. m.: Wake up and feed or bottle feed (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 08:00. m.: Breakfast (1/4 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 to 2 teaspoons peanut butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons mashed blueberries)
• 09:30 – 11:00: Siesta
• 11 o'clock in the morning. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 12:00: Lunch (1/4 to 1/2 black bean and cheese quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla cut into small pieces, 2 to 3 tbsp steamed carrot stalk, 1/4 thinly sliced ​​ripe pear)
• 14:30 – 16:00: Siesta
• 4:00 PM. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 17:45 13:00: Dinner (3 to 4 tbsp grated salmon, 3 to 4 tbsp baked sweet potato, 3 to 4 tbsp steamed green beans with butter)
• 19:00. m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula)
• 19:30: Like

Finding the best feeding schedule for your baby will take some trial and error, but as long as your little one is eating a variety of foods and growing and developing, you can rest assured that he will be well fed.