Feeding schedule for a 8.5 month old

[Popsandpip]

I'm just so betwixt and between about the best approach. Please help.

My DD is happy, good natured and will eat pretty much anything we put in front of her. She will push food and her bottle away when she's full though and she's not finishing every feed.

Our current schedule is this:
7.30am (ish), 260ml of formula milk
11am, some solids such as a fish finger with roughly pureed vegetables plus sips of water from her cup
12pm, 260ml of formula milk
3pm, 260ml of formula milk
5pm, baby rice, formula milk and some pureed fruit plus sips of water from her cup
6pm, 260ml of formula milk

Over the last couple of weeks her appetite has markedlyincreased and she's waking up earlier for her bottle too (it was about 6.30am today and I'm NOT a morning person). She's also been wanting her 11am solid feed earlier. She goes to bed around 6/6.30pm as she's too tired to stay up later despite between 2-3 hours' worth of naps during the day.

My chubby, content baby can sit up if you plonk her in that position but can't get there by herself. She can roll over but she's not hugely active - just happy to play with whatever's in front of her.

I'd love a little bit of advice about:

• how much milk a baby of almost 9 months should be drinking. She's currently offered 1040ml a day across 4 bottles though doesn't always drink everything.
• should I try some hungry baby formula - maybe for her last feed of the day, or even for all of them? She's on Aptamil 1 (first milk).
• how often they should be eating (main meals, snacks, milk, water, etc.)
• should I be introducing a few snacks, e.g. some banana at 10am, and/or add some porridge as a meal at about 8/8.30am?
• I'm concerned that she'll get dehydrated if food becomes her main source of nutrients
• I'm concerned that she'll get fat if I give her too many calories. She's a lovely chubby baby - rolls around her thighs and wrists and a cute sticky-out tummy (she's not starving!) but I don't want her to get much bigger as she's not moving much yet.

Sorry for the list - I'm just a bit unsure of the best approach. There seems to be a lot of variables to juggle.

Thanks for your thoughts.

My DS is 8months. He doesn't want his milk until he has his solids. His feeding schedule is

8.30am 1 and a bit weetabix with cows milk and fruit puree
9.30am 150ml expressed breastmilk
12.15 breadstick whilst I make lunch
12.30pm bowl homemade soup, 1/4-1/2 slice wholemeal bread, sometimes small bowl custard. water to sip
2pm 180ml formula
4.30pm dinner e.g steak pie, mash and veg or pasta or fish and veg etc. water to sip.
7.30pm 240ml expressed breast milk

-I have been told DS should have between 500-600ml milk per day if taking 3 meals.
-I was told to stick to same formula not to change to hungry baby as it can affect their digestive system. Better to give more of the formula you are using.
-I would try to get 3 proper meals in place before offering snacks. Trying cereal at breakfast or swap baby rice at 5pm for protein, veg & carbohdyrate. I would offer this at 4pm if she is going to bed at 6/6.30pm.
-always offer water to avoid constipation. Food contains liquid too and if pureed you can increase the fluid as you wish though this alters the thickness obviously.
-Babies need calories to grow. Offering a well balanced diet will not lead her to be fat. If she eat/drinks too much at this age her tummy will not cope with it and she will be sick.

That's really helpful. Thanks so much for the speedy reply.
Does anyone else have some additional pearls of wisdom?

My 9 month old eats as follows:

7am - 7oz bottle
8am - breakfast of porridge (made with cows milk) with fruit
11am - cold herbal/fruit tea or water for a drink, and lunch of pasta/sandwich etc.
2.30pm - 7oz bottle, might have a ricecake/homemade teething biscuit.
5pm - dinner of pasta, meat, (like bolognese etc) with a little pudding of natural yogurt and fruit. Plus drink of water/cold fruit tea
6.30pm - 7oz bottle.

• baby should be having at least 21oz of milk a day.
• I wouldn't switch milks. Mine moved to hungry milk at 5 months, because he was very very hungry (also being BF at that time). I now use 'follow on milk' because it's easier to get hold of where I live, and is often on offer.
• Offer water/cold fruit tea when she's having her solid foods to keep her hydrated. Try to offer it in a beaker or from a sippy cup.

Don't worry about her not moving much, babies all develop differently. If she doesn't want any more she'll let you know, or if she's had too much she'll be sick!

She should be on 600 ml of first stage formula per day between 6and 12 months. Once she reaches 12 months you can stop the formula and give her 300ml of full fat cows milk per day.

I'd try giving her some breakfast around 8.30 ish, about an hour after her first bottle. She probably won't take much at first but it should help her last until lunchtime. Try something like ready brek made up with full fat cows milk and mixed with chopped banana, raisins or berries, eggy bread, toast or weetabix with fruit.

Until she's one she should be having her milk an hour before solids, so could you swap the lunch and bottle around at 11 and 12? I seriously wouldn't stress if you can't. The recommendations are there to stop baby taking less than the 600 ml of formula a day and I don't think your dd is in danger of this

Would she take a snack and a drink at 3 for you? Just thinking that this may get her to nearer the 600 ml recommended amount? You could try her with fruit, a breadstick, a rice cake or if you check out your supermarket baby aisle, they'll have lots of snacks for babies. There are some snack recipes here or just try her with something like a breadstick and cream cheese or hummus and sliced peppers.

Is there a particular reason she is having purees for tea? Providing you eat fairly healthily and watch the salt levels she could have what you are eating. You can mash it or just give it to her and let her feed herself. The Mumsnet weaning pages have some great information, including a useful timetable of when to move them on. If you want some inspiration of what to give her try the MN baby and weaning recipes

If she is tired early and waking early could you try moving her bedtime on a little? If you do it in 10 or 15 minute chunks she should be able to cope. So move it by 15 mins tonight, then in a few days move it on another 15 mins. By the end of next week you can hopefully get her sleeping 7 to 7 .

Sorry did a mammoth post and didnt even answer all of your questions. She won't get dehydrated it you keep a sippy cup where she can always get it. Just give her water in it and shell be fine. Don't forget that lots of foods are high in water. Try her with soup, melon, jelly, broccoli and cauliflower.

As others have said, at the moment I'd concentrate on giving her the 3 meals a day before worrying too much about the snacks.

Hungry baby milk won't give her any extra calories, its just harder to digest and makes them feel fuller for longer. I'd see how you get on once she's eating more solids. You can always give one or more feeds with hungry baby formula later if you like.

Don't worry too much about her weight. She'll start moving around soon and then it will start to reduce. We're not supposed to get them weighed more than once a month anyway, so why not take her towards the end of feb and ask them to measure her length too. That way you will see if she's in proportion and can discuss with the HV (if you've got a good one) whether you need to make any further changes

Aw thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I'm sorry about my delayed reply. Work has been hectic.

I think I'm going to adopt the following approach and see what happens.
7.30/8.00am (when she usually wakes up) - 260ml milk
8.30/9.00am - breakfast (something like Ready Brek with banana and milk, for example)
Maybe a snack in between if absolutely necessary and offer water...
Midday - lunch (solids - maybe a sandwich, or protein, veg & carb, followed by some fruit) and offer water
1pm - 260ml milk (though I anticipate that she'll drop this feed in time)
3pm - 260ml milk
Maybe a snack in between if absolutely necessary and offer water...
5pm - tea (solids - maybe a sandwich, or protein, veg and carb, followed by some fruit) and offer water
6pm - 260ml hungry milk

I think this should do the trick nutritionally, give her some variety, will ensure she isn't dehydrates and shouldn't be too arduous for me to make happen!

I know she won't have 260ml at every feed but she'll certainly make up her 600ml requirement!

It looks like a good plan. Does she have the 1pm feed before a nap? Is so, I would think about swapping her 3pm bottle for a light snack and a drink of water.

Oh and what are her centiles like? 600 ml is an average recommendation and if she's particularly tall she may actually need the extra milk she is getting.

DS is 9mo this week, his milk/food schedule is as follows:
6.30am - bf
8am - breakfast of porridge with fruit, a yoghurt and half a piece of toast
11am - 5oz formula (often doesn't finish this)
12pm - lunch, usually a jar of something followed by a yoghurt or two and some finger food of some description-eg cucumber, rice cake etc
2pm - 5oz formula (again hardly ever finishes this)
4pm - dinner - followed by some baby rice and fruit
5.30pm - yoghurt for supper
6pm - bf and bed