9-Month-Old Feeding Schedule
by Baby Earth
Nov 21, 2018
Your baby is growing fast, and as your child grows (and becomes more mobile), his or her nutritional needs will continue to change. Your baby's diet will shift from a majority of his or her nutrition coming from breast milk or formula to most of it coming from solid foods.
As your baby's diet shifts and changes, so will his or her feeding schedule. Although your child will still be eating multiple times per day, he or she will only need to nurse or have a bottle a few times per day as opposed to every three to four hours.
Best Solid Foods for 9-Month-Olds
As your child begins to eat more solid foods, you are probably wondering what foods your child should be eating. Just like an older child or adult, your child should be eating a wide range of foods to make sure his or her nutritional needs are met.
While breast milk and formula will meet all of your child's nutritional needs in the first few months of life, as your child gets closer to his or her first birthday, more of your child's nutritional needs will need to be met by solid foods.
As your child gets older, the types of foods you are able to offer him or her will continue to broaden. Your child can now eat a variety of meats, vegetables, and grains depending on what he or she can tolerate. Most children will also be able to eat food with multiple textures. Instead of just feeding your child pureed or mashed foods, you can now offer soft food cut into small, bite-sized pieces.
How Often Should I Be Offering Formula or Breast Milk?
Even though your child is eating solid foods at least three times per day, your child will still need to eat 24 to 32 ounces of breast milk or formula each day. That usually translates to about approximately four six-to-eight ounce bottles of formula or breast milk each day.
How Do I Know If My Child is Eating Enough Each Day?
Just like when your child was a newborn, your child will give you clues as to whether he or she is getting enough to eat.
- Wet diapers: Your child should be wetting five to six diapers per day.
- Steady weight gain: Your child's weight should continue on an upward trajectory throughout the first year.
- Your child seems satisfied: Your baby seems happy and satisfied after each feeding.
However, if you're still worried that your child isn't eating enough each day, make sure to talk to your pediatrician.
Sample Breastfeeding Schedule for Your 9-Month-Old
7 a.m. - Nurse
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
11:30 a.m. - Nurse
12:30 p.m. - Lunch
4:30 p.m. - Nurse
6:00 p.m. - Dinner
9:00 p.m. - Nurse
3 a.m. - Nurse (This nursing session can be deleted for children who sleep through the night.)
Sample Formula Feeding Schedule for Your 9-Month-Old
7 a.m. - Bottle
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
11:30 a.m. - Bottle
12:30 p.m. - Lunch
4:30 p.m. - Bottle
6:00 p.m. - Dinner
9:00 p.m. - Bottle
Remember that these are just sample schedules. You can adjust each schedule to fit your child's needs. If your child is hungry more often during a growth spurt, adjust his or her schedule to meet your child's growing needs.
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