8 month old feeding schedule?

[anonnancy]

Hi wise ones!

Just wondering what your 8mo’s feeding schedule looks like? I.e times of feeds and how much milk they drink in a typical day?

My 8m/o DS is rapidly reducing his formula intake since weaning at 6 months and I’m not sure if I should be concerned or if this is normal? He is my first baby so I am clueless! HV is impossible to get hold of so I’ve come to MN to try and get either reassurance that everything is alright orrrr some advice on how to make things better if this isn’t normal!

7am - wake and offer 7oz bottle (drinks around 3-4oz max ... he used to drain his first bottle but now doesn’t seem bothered!)

8/8:30am - breakfast - porridge made up with 3oz formula to make up for lack of milk intake from
First feed - he polishes the lot off!

9am - 1.5hr nap

10:45/11 - offer formula (always refused so have dropped this bottle and now offer fromage frais and water)

12 - lunch

12:30 / 1 ish - 1.5 - 2 hour nap

Depending on waking - 7oz bottle

4/4:30 - try for a quick power nap If woke from lunchtime nap early

4:45/5pm - dinner

6:15 - bath

6:30 - get ready for bed / sing songs / cuddles

6:45 - 8oz bottle and bed - asleep for 7.

He then wakes around 3/3:30 and has a 5oz bottle and sleeps until 7am.

He is a really happy baby and gaining weight etc... just worried I’m not giving him enough milk! Getting water into him is stressful and he hardly drinks any water! So think this is why I am worried about his milk intake.

Am I just stressing for no reason ? Lol x

I'd say that was quite a lot of milk for an 8 month old or at least certainly not too little. i wouldn't be worried at all - sounds like you're doing grand.

At 8 months my baby was eating like this:

6:30/7 - 5 oz bottle
8:00 - breakfast (weetabix or porridge)
morning nap
10:30 - transitioned off this bottle and offered snack instead at about 8/9 months
12 midday - lunch
afternoon nap
15:00 - 4/5 oz bottle
17:30 - tea
18:45 - 5/6 oz bottle
(slept through)

She lost interest in the mid-afternoon bottle at around 11 months so we then replaced that with a snack. At one year we ditched the morning bottle and she now eats a big breakfast at 7am. She still has her bedtime cow's milk in a bottle and only drinks about 5oz.

Sounds about right to me. I believe the recommended is 3 meals a day and 3 milks a day (around 24oz at 8 months)

They say babies won’t eat if they’re not hungry. So if he’s drinking the milk/eating the food then I would say it’s fine ☺️

The nhs says to move to 3 meals a day after 9 months but if your doing blw is different as they eat less. 8 months is nearly 9 so that sounds fine.

If your lo is having less than 17oz of milk a day then he needs to have vitamins too.

My son is 9 months and I had the same kind of issue with not having his 24oz. Although recommend to offer milk first I find my son takes it when he’s sleepy so we reversed it.

7am - wake up
7.30 - water and breakfast
9.30 - 8oz and naps
11 - wake up
12 - lunch
2/2.30 - bottle and naps
3.30 - wake up
5 - dinner
7/7.30 - bottle and sleep

Doesn’t wake for a night feed anymore so can’t advise on that front as he dropped it of his own accord

Sorry forgot to say we follow baby led weaning but to be honest, he normally gets a good chunk down him before feeding the rest to the dogs

Have you tried other cups for water? We didn’t use a bottle as he thought it was milk we were offering and even though he uses mam bottles we found he liked nuby drinking cups

Thanks all for your advice. Not been on MN for a while as had a lot going on and just not had chance to check for replies.

So I have basically reversed his meals and bottles, as he tends to drink his milk AFTER he’s had his solid meals which I know they don’t advise but it seems to be working. Each bottle he is taking at least 6oz now so pretty pleased with that. I am
Also offering a small milk feed when he wakes from his naps to top him up a bit in hopes that the more milk he has in the day, he will not need it at night (reducer night feed down to 4oz now).

Thank you all :) x