You snapped the pics of your messy-mouthed munchkin starting solids and shared the get-go meal milestone, and at present you lot're wondering where to get from hither.

How much solid food should you offering your baby each solar day, and when should your child prefer a three-meals-a-day routine? What's the right ratio of solids to breast milk or formula — and should both be on the menu at the same fourth dimension?

Go answers to these questions, along with simple guidelines for setting up a general baby feeding schedule.

How oft and at what times should I feed babe solids?

There'due south no "perfect" time of twenty-four hour period to feed your infant — it'south whenever works for you. If you're breastfeeding, you might offer solids when your milk supply is at its lowest (probably late afternoon or early evening). On the other hand, babies who wake up bright-eyed and eager might be happy to sample solids for breakfast.

Yous'll quickly acquire when your baby is interested in eating and when she isn't, which she'll show yous by opening her oral fissure wide and willingly taking bites (or palming and gumming finger foods on her own) versus fussily turning her caput away. Follow the cues and don't force feedings — you can always try again later.

Start with ane repast a solar day, so move upwards to two (attempt one in the forenoon and one in the evening) for the next calendar month or and so. Every bit your baby gets older and approaches toddlerhood, you can work upwards to iii solid meals a day with a snack or two in between.

Baby feeding chart: How much should I feed my baby in one sitting?

baby feeding chart

A good rule of thumb when you're figuring out just how much to give your piffling one during each meal: Commencement small and work your way up.

While your babe's first meals may take consisted of a teaspoon or ii of solid food, one time she gets the hang of eating, you tin use the following baby feeding nautical chart as a full general guideline:

four to 6 months:

  • 24 to 36 ounces of formula or milk over 24 hours (or five to eight nursing sessions a twenty-four hours)
  • 1 to 4 tablespoons of cereal once or twice a day
  • 1 to 4 tablespoons each of a fruit and vegetable one time or twice a day

6 to viii months:

  • 24 to 36 ounces of formula or chest milk over 24 hours (now that your baby's a more than efficient nurser, you'll probably breastfeed her 4 to six times a twenty-four hour period)
  • 4 to 9 tablespoons each of cereal, fruit and vegetables a day, spread out over two to three meals
  • 1 to 6 tablespoons of a meat or other protein (similar yogurt, cottage cheese or crumbled egg) a day

9 to 12 months:

  • xvi to thirty ounces of formula or milk over 24 hours (or three to five nursing sessions a day)
  • Effectually one/4 to 1/2 cup each of grains, fruit and veggies twice a day
  • Effectually 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dairy foods a day
  • Around 1/4 to one/2 cup of poly peptide-packed foods a mean solar day

How exercise I determine the best infant food portion sizes?

General serving size recommendations can be helpful, only remember that every infant is different. It'due south perfectly normal for your little eater to chow downwards one day (and even have seconds or thirds) and clamp her tiny mouth shut the next.

Try not to worry if your cutie'south appetite isn't always exactly the same, or if what she chooses to consume doesn't quite friction match up with the recommended servings.

Forcing your baby to eat when she'south not interested isn't fun for either of you, and over time, information technology tin make it harder for her to melody in to her body's natural hunger and fullness cues.

Feeding Infant Solids Safely

Instead, focus simply on offering a variety of nutrient-rich foods in age-appropriate serving sizes and letting your little one take it from there. Your new nosher has the ability to take in what her body is asking for.

Equally long every bit y'all're offering balanced options, she'll probable become what she needs over the course of the twenty-four hour period or calendar week.

On the other hand? Trust your gut. Talk with the pediatrician if you lot suspect that your baby has a feeding issue, seems uncomfortable or unusually fussy after eating, or doesn't seem to be gaining weight every bit she should exist. Together, y'all tin figure out what'due south going on and brand mealtime more enjoyable.

How practice I incorporate breastfeeding or bottle-feeding once I innovate solids?

Fifty-fifty though your baby is at present slurping purées from a spoon (or, if you're trying a baby-led weaning approach, learning to gum at finger foods), the majority of her nutrition will still come from breast milk or formula. Consider the solids you lot serve at starting time as healthy supplements and a chance for your sweetie to explore new tastes and textures.

When should you bring out a bottle or your breast, and when should you dish out solids? There's really no gear up rule. Some parents find that an titbit of chest milk or formula is a skilful way to start off a meal, and so their little ones aren't also hungry to settle downwards to eat.

Other parents offer solids every bit a starting time grade and breast milk or formula for dessert. And then there are moms who like to completely separate solids from nursing or bottle-feeding sessions.

Since at that place's no hard and fast rule, experiment until you observe a feeding schedule that works for you.

Sample infant feeding schedules

Your babe'south early days with solids should be most helping her get into the catamenia of mealtime with the family. Ideally, she'll eat at times when anybody else is at the table, too.

Just keep in mind that, since the bulk of your infant'south diet should all the same be coming from breast milk or formula until she turns one, those liquid meals should continue to have priority.

You can starting time off with just i or two solid meals per mean solar day — whichever ones are well-nigh convenient for yous.

For instance, offer breakfast and dinner if your cutie is in day care and you want the honors of feeding her solids. If it's too difficult to clasp in dinner before her bedtime milk feeding, brainstorm with breakfast and dejeuner.

As your baby hits eight or 9 months and starts eating more than foods (and drops to simply a forenoon and afternoon nap, freeing up more time in the day), you tin transition to three meals.

These sample schedules beneath may help you envision how solids can fit into your baby's twenty-four hour period — just think that every child (and every family!) is dissimilar. Your little one's schedule may not be anticipated or consistent until she hits toddlerhood. Nonetheless, you might find that a typical mean solar day looks something similar this:

Sample infant feeding schedule for 4- to six-month-olds

This schedule assumes that your 4- to six-calendar month-quondam is taking 3 naps (though some vi-month-olds will drop downwards to 2) and you're introducing solid foods by spoon-feeding purées.

If your family unit is following a baby-led weaning approach, solids (in the form of soft, gummable finger foods) would non be offered until subsequently the six-calendar month mark, when your child is likely more capable of self-feeding.

  • 7:00 a.m.: Wake and nurse or bottle (half-dozen to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:45 a.chiliad.: Breakfast (1 to 4 tablespoons baby cereal, 1 to 4 tablespoons mashed assistant)
  • 8:45 a.k. – 10:45 a.grand.: Nap
  • 10:45 a.m.: Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to viii ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:00 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (six to eight ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:30 p.grand. – two:thirty p.yard.: Nap
  • 2:30 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to eight ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 4:30 p.m. to v:00 p.m.: Nap
  • 5:00 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 5:45 PM: Dinner (1 to 4 tablespoons mashed sweet irish potato, one to 4 tablespoons puréed peas)
  • 6:45 PM: Nurse or bottle (six to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:00 PM: Bed

Sample infant feeding schedule for 7- to nine-month-olds

This schedule assumes that your 7- to 9-calendar month-old is taking 2 naps (though some vii-calendar month-olds may nevertheless need iii).

  • seven:00 a.thou.: Wake and nurse or bottle (half-dozen to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:45 a.m.: Breakfast (2 to 3 tablespoons plainly Greek yogurt, 2 to 3 tablespoons thinly sliced strawberries, 1/iv piece whole grain toast)
  • 9:30 a.yard. – eleven:30 a.thou.: Nap
  • 11:30 a.k.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 12:15 p.thousand.: Dejeuner (ane/iv to 1/two crumbled or sliced hard-boiled egg, 2 to 3 tablespoons mashed or sliced avocado, one/four to one/2 whole grain pita cut into strips)
  • i:45 p.m. (Nurse or bottle) six to 8 ounces breast milk or formula
  • two:00 p.grand. – iv:00 p.chiliad.: Nap
  • 4:00 p.m.: Nurse or canteen (vi to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 5:xxx p.m.: Dinner (2 to 3 tablespoons mini meatballs made with turkey or beef, 2 to iii tablespoons cooked whole grain pasta, 1 to 2 tablespoons steamed broccoli florets)
  • 7:00 p.m.: Nurse or canteen (vi to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • seven:30 p.thousand.: Bed

Sample schedule for 10- to 12-calendar month-olds

  • 7:00 a.grand.: Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast (one/iv cup cooked rolled oats, 1 to ii teaspoons peanut butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons smushed blueberries)
  • 9:30 a.yard. – eleven:00 a.m.: Nap
  • xi:00 a.one thousand.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:00 PM: Lunch (1/4 to i/two black bean and cheese quesadilla on whole grain tortilla sliced into small pieces, 2 to iii tablespoons steamed carrot half-moons, 1/4 thinly sliced ripe pear)
  • 2:xxx p.k. – iv:00 p.m.: Nap
  • 4:00 p.1000.: Nurse or bottle (6 to eight ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 5:45 p.1000.: Dinner (3 to 4 tablespoons flaked salmon, 3 to 4 tablespoons baked sweet potato wedges, iii to 4 tablespoons steamed green beans with butter)
  • seven:00 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to eight ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 7:30 p.yard.: Bed

It will have some trial and fault to effigy out the best feeding schedule for your baby, merely as long as your little 1 is eating a variety of foods and growing and thriving, you can residuum assured that she'due south well-fed.