Does anybody have a useful feeding schedule for a 6 month old baby?

Question

May be I should add more to my question to be clear. I've started to feed her solid foods, and need to know what and when to feed her without minimising her milk intake.

Answer 1

My son is 11 months old and only just starting to show a real interest in food. I started out with rice cereal in the mid-morning. I would nurse him first and then offer him a few bites of the rice cereal mixed with breast milk. Then I began also offering homemade pureed sweet potatoes or yams mixed with a little breast milk and rice cereal in the late afternoon after nursing him a little. I also gave him a little water in a sippy cup in between meals. He usually would only take a couple of bites, if that. You really should just follow babies lead. My son still sometimes chooses to only breastfeed. Today he ate some homemade zucchini and yellow squash well cooked and a bite a oatmeal this morning. He's big and thriving. If you're planning on making your own baby food at home (it's super easy, saves money and is way more nutritious) there is a great kit at drugstore.com called 'Fresh Baby'. It comes with an instructional DVD, a book that advises you what to feed and when, and two freezer trays for making baby food cubes. It's been a huge help to me.

Best wishes.

Answer 2

Your baby will let you know when he is hungry. You need to be a little more specific about what you are feeding your baby, also. Breastmilk or bottle? Are you giving him cereal yet, or just milk? I have a 5 1/2 month old that is given only pumped breast milk. He wakes at around 7:30, eats 5 ounces. Takes another 5 ounces around 9:30 for an am nap. Another 5 around noon, a small "snack" of about 2 1/2 - 3 oz to sooth him for an afternoon nap around 1:30. He takes another full 5 oz around 3:00pm and his last bottle is 5 ounces at his bedtime which is 6:00pm. He sleeps through the night.

Answer 3

Here's a bit of information I got in a book from my midwife. I really hope this can help you!

'Around sic months starting solids helps to get the feeding more regular too. Some babies are ready for a proper routine, with regular times by 5 or 6 months. You need to do what suits your baby and your hosuehold an dthese is no need to have a routine like this unless ou want to. Breastfed babies may prefer to feed to sleep or feed on waking and this is fine. However, some babies do benefit from some predictability about their day.

An example of a possible baby's day at around 6 months.

6am - Breastfeed on waking or bottle
7am - Complementary food (solids), playtime
8am - Settle to sleep
10am - Breastfeed on waking or bottle, playtime
12 noon - Settle to sleep
2pm - Breastfeeding on waking or bottle, playtime
4pm - Settle to sleep
6pm - Breastfeed on waking or bottle
6.30pm - Possible complementary food (solids)
8pm - Settle to sleep

It would be normal of a baby this age to have an overnight feed.

Complementary foods could include pureer fruits, vegetables.

For more information about introducing complementary foods see www.cyh.com.

Keep in mind that this pattern is only an example. It isn't necessary to have any particular pattern, although babies (and parents) usually are helped by some predictability in their day. There are many variations, do what suits you and your baby. For example, food in the morning may be given after the 10am or midmorning feed. It depends on what suits your baby and what fits in with the rest of the family'


'Starting Solids'
Breastmilk or infant formula is all your baby needs for the first 6 months, and is still the most important part of her diet for the next 6 months. So the best time to start solids is around 6 months, especially if your baby is breastfed. There is no rush, so allow plenty of time for your baby to learn the new skill or taking food from a spoon.

The first food is usually rice cerea. Mix a little with water or your baby's usual milk to a fairly runny consistency at first, then firmer as the baby gets used to it.

Offer a little cereal after a milk feed at a time of day when your baby is usually happy. Expect the process to be messy at first while your baby learns how to manage it.

Gradually increase the amount until your baby is taking several teaspoonsful each time, once or twice a day.

Next you can try pureed or mashed vegetables and fruit, one at a time at first, then mixed if you want.

You can make up a quantity of mashed food and freeze it in ice cube trays. Store the blocks in a plastic bag in the freezer, ready to defrost when needed.

After 6 pr 7 months you can try a range of other foods, such as custards and yoghurts, meat and fish. Move from pureed or well mashed foods to soft lumps by around 8 months, and then try finger foods (eg cooked vegetables, rusks)

If ou wish you can offer solids before milk around the middle of the second six months, and move to a regular 3 meals a day with some snacks.

By 12 months your baby should be enjoying similar foods to the rest of the family, cut up, and avoiding really strong flavourings. '

Answer 4

My son is 4 months old and his schedual is
Wake up about 9 am take an 8 ounce bottle
Lunch about 11-12
Another 8 ounce bottle about 2-3
Supper about 5-6
Bed time bottle about 8-9

Answer 5

when my son was 6 months i rotated the feeding schedule such as bottle two hours later i would do food two hours later another bottle two hours later food and so fourth until bed time and some cereal before bed to fill him up alittle before bed (my son didnt want to sleep at night though either)

Answer 6

I agree--feed them when they are hungry- a schedule is for you NOT the baby!

Answer 7

Feed them when they're hungry. Babies that age don't need schedules. You want to reinforce their natural tendency to eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full once they're toddlers.