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

How much solid food should yous offering your babe each day, and when should your child adopt a three-meals-a-twenty-four hours routine? What'due south the correct ratio of solids to breast milk or formula — and should both exist on the menu at the same fourth dimension?

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

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

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

Yous'll speedily learn when your baby is interested in eating and when she isn't, which she'll show yous by opening her mouth wide and willingly taking bites (or palming and gumming finger foods on her ain) versus fussily turning her head away. Follow the cues and don't forcefulness feedings — you lot tin always attempt once again later.

Showtime with one meal a day, then motion upward to two (try 1 in the morning time and i in the evening) for the next month or so. Every bit your baby gets older and approaches toddlerhood, you tin can work up to 3 solid meals a 24-hour interval with a snack or two in between.

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

baby feeding chart

A practiced rule of pollex when you're figuring out just how much to give your picayune one during each meal: Start small and work your way up.

While your baby'southward starting time meals may have consisted of a teaspoon or two of solid nutrient, once she gets the hang of eating, you tin use the following baby feeding 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 hour period)
  • 1 to 4 tablespoons of cereal once or twice a twenty-four hours
  • 1 to four tablespoons each of a fruit and vegetable once or twice a 24-hour interval

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 half-dozen times a day)
  • 4 to 9 tablespoons each of cereal, fruit and vegetables a day, spread out over two to three meals
  • 1 to vi tablespoons of a meat or other protein (like yogurt, cottage cheese or crumbled egg) a day

9 to 12 months:

  • 16 to 30 ounces of formula or milk over 24 hours (or 3 to five nursing sessions a twenty-four hours)
  • Around 1/4 to ane/2 cup each of grains, fruit and veggies twice a twenty-four hours
  • Around 1/iv to ane/2 cup of dairy foods a day
  • Around 1/4 to ane/2 loving cup of protein-packed foods a twenty-four hour period

How do I determine the best infant nutrient portion sizes?

General serving size recommendations can be helpful, simply remember that every baby is dissimilar. It'south perfectly normal for your little eater to chow downward one day (and even take seconds or thirds) and clamp her tiny mouth close the next.

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

Forcing your infant to eat when she'south not interested isn't fun for either of y'all, and over time, it can brand information technology harder for her to tune in to her body's natural hunger and fullness cues.

Feeding Baby Solids Safely

Instead, focus simply on offering a multifariousness of nutrient-rich foods in age-advisable serving sizes and letting your lilliputian one take it from in that location. Your new nosher has the power to take in what her body is asking for.

As long as you're offering balanced options, she'll likely get what she needs over the course of the 24-hour interval or week.

On the other hand? Trust your gut. Talk with the pediatrician if you suspect that your baby has a feeding issue, seems uncomfortable or unusually fussy afterwards eating, or doesn't seem to be gaining weight every bit she should be. Together, you can figure out what's going on and make mealtime more enjoyable.

How practice I comprise breastfeeding or bottle-feeding once I introduce solids?

Fifty-fifty though your baby is now slurping purées from a spoon (or, if you're trying a babe-led weaning approach, learning to gum at finger foods), the majority of her nutrition volition still come from breast milk or formula. Consider the solids you serve at commencement as healthy supplements and a take 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? At that place's really no set rule. Some parents observe that an appetizer of breast milk or formula is a good way to start off a meal, so their lilliputian ones aren't too hungry to settle downwardly to eat.

Other parents offering solids as a starting time class and breast milk or formula for dessert. Then there are moms who like to completely separate solids from nursing or bottle-feeding sessions.

Since at that place's no difficult and fast dominion, experiment until you detect a feeding schedule that works for yous.

Sample babe feeding schedules

Your baby'south early days with solids should be about helping her get into the flow of mealtime with the family. Ideally, she'll consume at times when everyone else is at the table, too.

But go on in mind that, since the bulk of your baby'southward diet should still be coming from breast milk or formula until she turns i, those liquid meals should keep to take priority.

You can start off with just one or two solid meals per 24-hour interval — whichever ones are about convenient for you.

For instance, offering breakfast and dinner if your cutie is in day intendance and you want the honors of feeding her solids. If information technology's too hard to squeeze in dinner before her bedtime milk feeding, begin with breakfast and lunch.

Every bit your infant hits 8 or 9 months and starts eating more foods (and drops to merely a morning and afternoon nap, freeing upwardly more time in the mean solar day), yous can transition to three meals.

These sample schedules below may assistance y'all envision how solids can fit into your baby'southward day — only retrieve that every kid (and every family!) is unlike. Your little ane's schedule may not be predictable or consistent until she hits toddlerhood. However, you might find that a typical twenty-four hours looks something like this:

Sample baby feeding schedule for 4- to half-dozen-month-olds

This schedule assumes that your iv- to 6-calendar month-quondam is taking three naps (though some half dozen-month-olds will drop down to 2) and you're introducing solid foods past spoon-feeding purées.

If your family is post-obit a baby-led weaning arroyo, solids (in the form of soft, gummable finger foods) would not be offered until later on the 6-month marker, when your child is probable more than capable of self-feeding.

  • 7:00 a.thousand.: Wake and nurse or bottle (half-dozen to viii ounces chest milk or formula)
  • seven:45 a.m.: Breakfast (i to 4 tablespoons baby cereal, 1 to 4 tablespoons mashed banana)
  • 8:45 a.m. – ten:45 a.m.: Nap
  • 10:45 a.chiliad.: Wake and nurse or bottle (half-dozen to viii ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:00 p.one thousand.: Nurse or canteen (6 to eight ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:30 p.one thousand. – 2:30 p.m.: Nap
  • 2:30 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (half dozen to eight ounces chest milk or formula)
  • iv:xxx p.chiliad. to 5:00 p.m.: Nap
  • v:00 p.m.: Nurse or bottle (vi to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 5:45 PM: Dinner (1 to 4 tablespoons mashed sweet potato, 1 to 4 tablespoons puréed peas)
  • 6:45 PM: Nurse or bottle (half-dozen to eight ounces breast milk or formula)
  • seven:00 PM: Bed

Sample baby feeding schedule for 7- to nine-calendar month-olds

This schedule assumes that your 7- to 9-month-erstwhile is taking 2 naps (though some 7-month-olds may however need 3).

  • seven:00 a.m.: Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • vii:45 a.thousand.: Breakfast (ii to 3 tablespoons apparently Greek yogurt, 2 to 3 tablespoons thinly sliced strawberries, ane/4 slice whole grain toast)
  • 9:30 a.m. – 11:xxx a.m.: Nap
  • 11:thirty a.m.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:fifteen p.m.: Lunch (1/four to 1/2 crumbled or sliced hard-boiled egg, 2 to three tablespoons mashed or sliced avocado, ane/4 to 1/2 whole grain pita cut into strips)
  • one:45 p.m. (Nurse or bottle) 6 to eight ounces chest milk or formula
  • two:00 p.k. – 4:00 p.one thousand.: Nap
  • four:00 p.one thousand.: Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 5:xxx p.chiliad.: Dinner (ii to 3 tablespoons mini meatballs made with turkey or beefiness, 2 to three tablespoons cooked whole grain pasta, i to 2 tablespoons steamed broccoli florets)
  • 7:00 p.grand.: Nurse or bottle (half-dozen to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • vii:30 p.m.: Bed

Sample schedule for 10- to 12-month-olds

  • 7:00 a.grand.: Wake and nurse or canteen (6 to 8 ounces chest milk or formula)
  • 8:00 a.g.: Breakfast (1/4 loving cup cooked rolled oats, 1 to 2 teaspoons peanut butter, two to 3 tablespoons smushed blueberries)
  • ix:30 a.m. – xi:00 a.thou.: Nap
  • xi:00 a.yard.: Nurse or bottle (6 to eight ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 12:00 PM: Tiffin (i/four to ane/2 black edible bean and cheese quesadilla on whole grain tortilla sliced into small pieces, 2 to 3 tablespoons steamed carrot half-moons, 1/4 thinly sliced ripe pear)
  • 2:30 p.one thousand. – 4:00 p.m.: Nap
  • iv:00 p.1000.: Nurse or canteen (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • five:45 p.m.: Dinner (3 to four tablespoons flaked salmon, 3 to four tablespoons baked sweetness spud wedges, iii to four tablespoons steamed green beans with butter)
  • 7:00 p.thousand.: Nurse or canteen (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
  • 7:30 p.m.: Bed

It will have some trial and mistake to figure out the best feeding schedule for your infant, but as long every bit your piffling i is eating a variety of foods and growing and thriving, y'all can residue assured that she's well-fed.