When you’re weaning your baby, it can feel like your whole day revolves around preparing purees and offering milk feeds.
Babies have tiny stomachs and can’t handle large amounts of solid food in one go, so they need small but regular meals, interspersed with milk feeds to provide the calories and nutrients that they’re not yet getting from their meals.
You’ll also be trying to fit meals and feeds in around your baby’s naps and regular daily activities like trips to baby groups and get-togethers with friends.
As your baby heads to the eight-to-nine-month mark, you may notice an increase in appetite, especially if she’s trying to crawl or even cruise, as she’ll be using lots more energy.
At this stage, in addition to her meals and milk feeds, you may want to introduce an extra snack into her daily routine to satisfy her hunger. Remember to offer two courses at mealtimes, as babies may quickly get bored of one taste, and their interest in the food can be regained by offering a new food.
When should your baby be eating?
Your baby’s daily routine will vary according to her appetite for milk and meals, and on her sleep patterns. If, for instance, she takes a nap around 12 noon, you’ll need to bring lunch forward to about 11.30am.
Don’t be too worried about adhering to ‘adult’ timings for meals; after all, your baby probably wakes up earlier than most adults, and is in bed by around 7pm (hopefully!), so you’ll need to tweak the routine to fit around her timings.
Your baby’s meal routine at seven to nine months
6-7am: Wake up
Breast or bottle feed
8am: Breakfast
Cereal or porridge
10am: Sleep (approximately one hour)
12 noon: Lunch
Cooked savoury course and sweet pudding
Breastfeed or bottle
1pm: Nap (one to two hours)
3pm: Milk feed or snack
5pm: Tea
Light cooked meal, pudding
Breastfeed or bottle
6.30pm: Bath and wind-down routine
7pm: Bedtime
Breast or bottle feed
All babies are different, and their eating habits may vary. This information is only intended as a guide to the stages of weaning and may vary according to both sleep and eating patterns. If you have any concerns about your baby’s development and her transition to solid food, please consult your health visitor or doctor.
