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

How much solid food should you offer your babe each mean solar day, and when should your child adopt a 3-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 time?

Get answers to these questions, along with uncomplicated guidelines for setting upwards a general infant feeding schedule.

How ofttimes and at what times should I feed baby solids?

There's no "perfect" time of 24-hour interval to feed your baby — it's whenever works for you. If you're breastfeeding, you might offer solids when your milk supply is at its everyman (probably late afternoon or early on evening). On the other mitt, babies who wake up brilliant-eyed and eager might be happy to sample solids for breakfast.

You'll rapidly acquire when your baby is interested in eating and when she isn't, which she'll show you past opening her oral fissure wide and willingly taking bites (or palming and gumming finger foods on her own) versus fussily turning her head away. Follow the cues and don't strength feedings — you can e'er endeavour over again afterward.

Start with 1 repast a solar day, then move up to two (try 1 in the morning and one in the evening) for the side by side month or and then. As your baby gets older and approaches toddlerhood, you lot can work upward to 3 solid meals a twenty-four hour period with a snack or two in betwixt.

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

baby feeding chart

A skillful rule of thumb when you're figuring out just how much to give your little i during each repast: Showtime small and work your style upwards.

While your baby's starting time meals may have consisted of a teaspoon or two of solid food, once she gets the hang of eating, you tin can use the following infant feeding chart as a general guideline:

4 to 6 months:

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

6 to 8 months:

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

nine to 12 months:

  • 16 to 30 ounces of formula or milk over 24 hours (or three to 5 nursing sessions a solar day)
  • Around 1/iv to i/2 cup each of grains, fruit and veggies twice a solar day
  • Effectually 1/iv to one/ii loving cup of dairy foods a solar day
  • Around 1/4 to 1/two cup of protein-packed foods a day

How do I determine the best baby food portion sizes?

Full general serving size recommendations can be helpful, just remember that every baby is different. It'south perfectly normal for your trivial eater to chow downwardly i day (and even have seconds or thirds) and clamp her tiny mouth close the next.

Effort not to worry if your cutie's appetite isn't always exactly the same, or if what she chooses to consume doesn't quite match upward with the recommended servings.

Forcing your babe to eat when she's not interested isn't fun for either of y'all, and over time, it can brand it harder for her to tune 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 accept it from there. Your new nosher has the power to take in what her body is request for.

As long as you're offering balanced options, she'll probable get what she needs over the course of the day or week.

On the other mitt? Trust your gut. Talk with the pediatrician if you doubtable that your baby has a feeding event, seems uncomfortable or unusually fussy afterwards eating, or doesn't seem to exist gaining weight equally she should be. Together, yous can figure out what's going on and brand mealtime more than enjoyable.

How do I incorporate breastfeeding or bottle-feeding once I introduce solids?

Even though your babe is now slurping purées from a spoon (or, if you're trying a baby-led weaning approach, learning to glue at finger foods), the bulk of her nutrition volition however come from breast milk or formula. Consider the solids you serve at first as good for you supplements and a chance for your sweetie to explore new tastes and textures.

When should you bring out a canteen or your chest, and when should y'all dish out solids? There's really no ready rule. Some parents find that an appetizer of breast milk or formula is a expert style to offset off a meal, and then their little ones aren't likewise hungry to settle downward to eat.

Other parents offer solids equally a get-go course and breast milk or formula for dessert. Then at that place are moms who similar to completely carve up solids from nursing or bottle-feeding sessions.

Since there's no hard and fast rule, experiment until you find a feeding schedule that works for y'all.

Sample babe feeding schedules

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

But go along in mind that, since the bulk of your baby's diet should still be coming from chest milk or formula until she turns 1, those liquid meals should go along to take priority.

You lot tin start off with simply one or 2 solid meals per day — whichever ones are most convenient for y'all.

For case, offering breakfast and dinner if your cutie is in day care and you want the honors of feeding her solids. If it'due south as well hard to squeeze in dinner before her bedtime milk feeding, begin with breakfast and lunch.

As your baby hits eight or nine months and starts eating more foods (and drops to but a morning and afternoon nap, freeing up more than fourth dimension in the day), you can transition to iii meals.

These sample schedules beneath may assistance you envision how solids tin can fit into your baby's day — just recollect that every child (and every family unit!) is different. Your picayune one'southward schedule may not exist predictable or consistent until she hits toddlerhood. However, you might find that a typical day looks something like this:

Sample babe feeding schedule for 4- to vi-calendar month-olds

This schedule assumes that your 4- to 6-month-old is taking iii naps (though some 6-calendar month-olds will drop downwardly to ii) and you're introducing solid foods by spoon-feeding purées.

If your family unit is post-obit a baby-led weaning approach, solids (in the course of soft, gummable finger foods) would non be offered until after the 6-month marking, when your child is likely more capable of self-feeding.

  • 7:00 a.thou.: Wake and nurse or canteen (vi to viii ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:45 a.yard.: Breakfast (1 to iv tablespoons infant cereal, 1 to 4 tablespoons mashed banana)
  • 8:45 a.chiliad. – 10:45 a.m.: Nap
  • 10:45 a.m.: Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 12:00 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:xxx p.1000. – two:30 p.m.: Nap
  • 2:30 p.chiliad.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 4:30 p.thou. to v:00 p.m.: Nap
  • 5:00 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (half dozen to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • v:45 PM: Dinner (one to 4 tablespoons mashed sweet spud, 1 to four tablespoons puréed peas)
  • 6:45 PM: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:00 PM: Bed

Sample babe feeding schedule for 7- to 9-month-olds

This schedule assumes that your 7- to 9-month-old is taking two naps (though some vii-month-olds may however demand iii).

  • 7:00 a.thou.: Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to viii ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:45 a.m.: Breakfast (2 to three tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, ii to 3 tablespoons thinly sliced strawberries, 1/4 piece whole grain toast)
  • 9:thirty a.k. – 11:30 a.m.: Nap
  • 11:30 a.grand.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:15 p.m.: Tiffin (1/4 to 1/2 crumbled or sliced difficult-boiled egg, 2 to three tablespoons mashed or sliced avocado, one/4 to one/2 whole grain pita cut into strips)
  • 1:45 p.k. (Nurse or bottle) half-dozen to 8 ounces breast milk or formula
  • 2:00 p.thou. – iv:00 p.thousand.: Nap
  • 4:00 p.one thousand.: Nurse or canteen (6 to eight ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 5:30 p.k.: Dinner (2 to iii tablespoons mini meatballs fabricated with turkey or beef, ii to 3 tablespoons cooked whole grain pasta, 1 to 2 tablespoons steamed broccoli florets)
  • 7:00 p.one thousand.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:30 p.m.: Bed

Sample schedule for x- to 12-month-olds

  • seven:00 a.yard.: Wake and nurse or bottle (half-dozen to viii ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast (1/iv cup cooked rolled oats, 1 to 2 teaspoons peanut butter, two to three tablespoons smushed blueberries)
  • 9:30 a.yard. – 11:00 a.m.: Nap
  • eleven:00 a.m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:00 PM: Dejeuner (i/4 to 1/ii blackness bean and cheese quesadilla on whole grain tortilla sliced into small pieces, two to three tablespoons steamed carrot half-moons, 1/iv thinly sliced ripe pear)
  • ii:30 p.m. – four:00 p.m.: Nap
  • 4:00 p.yard.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 5:45 p.thousand.: Dinner (3 to 4 tablespoons flaked salmon, 3 to 4 tablespoons baked sweetness murphy wedges, 3 to 4 tablespoons steamed light-green beans with butter)
  • 7:00 p.thousand.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • seven:30 p.k.: Bed

It will take some trial and error to figure out the best feeding schedule for your baby, but every bit long every bit your little ane is eating a diverseness of foods and growing and thriving, you tin can rest assured that she'due south well-fed.