Easy Baby Feeding Schedules for the First 12 Months
So many changes happen during a baby's first year…
…especially when it comes to what and how much a baby eats!
It's common for parents to worry about whether their babies are getting enough nutrients. Healthy babies will let you know if they're hungry, but as babies approach toddlerhood, eventually getting them on a schedule is helpful.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), feeding schedules for premature babies or babies with certain illnesses help parents and pediatricians ensure that babies are getting enough nourishment. But, if a baby is healthy and born around their due date, you can breast and/or bottle feed them on-demand using responsive feeding.
Keep reading for baby feeding schedules by age during the first year which eventually include solid foods. You’ll also find some tips on baby-led weaning.
How much breast milk/formula for babies 0-6 months?
Babies triple their weight in the first year and need enough food and nutrients to support healthy growth. However, they have tiny bellies and can only eat a small amount at a time.
For the first few months, babies only need a few ounces of breast milk and/or infant formula every few hours throughout a 24-hour period. Then, as they grow, babies eat more at each feeding, which holds them over longer. And eventually, even through the night.
Yes - it does happen. Hang in there!
Every baby is different, and your baby might be more or less hungry than the amount of nourishment recommended for babies by age.
For example, babies get hungrier when they go through growth spurts, usually around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. And more active babies have bigger appetites. So, as babies start crawling and taking some first steps around the house, they'll get hungrier. Babies can also lose their appetite if they're not feeling well or teething.
Here are typical baby feeding schedules for formula feeding and breastfeeding throughout the first 12 months.
Formula feeding schedules
Formula-fed babies usually bottle feed about every 3 to 4 hours over a 24 hour period.
Babies can regulate their own hunger, so they may not want the same amount of each day.
Even though formula-fed babies tend to feed on a more regular schedule than breastfed babies, it’s important to recognize and respond to your unique baby's hunger cues and fullness cues.
Talk to your pediatrician if your baby consistently drinks more or less than AAP's general guidelines below:
Newborn (first week): 1-2 oz per feeding
1-month-old: Gradually increase formula until the baby is taking 3 to 4 oz per feeding with a maximum of 32 oz per day
2 months old: 3 to 4 ounces per feeding with a maximum of 32 oz per day
6 months old: As babies get older, they can eat more per feeding and less often; at 6 months of age, formula-fed babies can drink about 6 to 8 oz per feeding at 4 to 5 feedings per day
Breastfeeding Schedules
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. While there are many benefits, breastfeeding doesn’t work for every family and that is ok, too!
If you choose to breastfeed your baby, I recommend feeding them on demand and feeding according to their hunger and fullness cues. It's common for breastfed babies to take smaller feedings and to feed more often.
Not only is every baby different, but every mom's breast milk storage capacity is different. For example, some babies get more breast milk per feeding than others. As a result, they'll need fewer feedings over a period of 24 hours.
Breastfed babies typically don’t follow a regular schedule. According to the La Leche League, exclusively breastfed babies feed about 8 times a day. But it can range between 4 to 13 sessions a day, depending on how efficiently a baby feeds as well as the mom’s milk supply.
Newborns will feed about 8 to 12 times a day. In the first few days, breast milk primarily contains colostrum. Colostrum doesn't provide many nutrients and calories, but it helps clear the meconium from your baby's intestines. And it boosts your baby's immunity!
Solid food & milk schedules for babies 6-12 months
Babies only need a small amount of food when they start solids at around 6 months old. For the first month or so after starting solids, 1-2 solid food meals per day is plenty! Breast milk and/or formula will continue to be the primary source of nutrition throughout the first year of life, so continue to offer about 32 oz of formula or 4 to 12 breastfeeding sessions per day at this point, in addition to solids. Offer tiny portions of complementary first foods, and don't worry if your baby doesn't want to finish them.
When the pediatrician has given you the go-ahead to start offering solids, pick a time when your baby is awake, happy, and alert to begin. Mealtime should be a happy and positive experience!
Here are a few schedules for each stage to give you a general idea of what to expect. Do note that every baby's needs are different, and sleep/nap schedules vary. What’s most important is feed responsively, start by offering solid food meals when your baby is alert and a little hungry, and move toward a dependable schedule of solid food meals throughout the day as your baby progresses.
6 to 7 months old
The bottle and/or breast is still a baby's primary source of nutrition when they start solids at around six months old. At this stage, babies eat 1 to 2 meals and approximately 4-6 bottles/nursing sessions daily, although the number of milk feeds can vary greatly.
Babies should be a little hungry, but not so hungry that they are in meltdown mode before a solid food meal. It works well for some babies to have a little formula or breast milk before the meal to satisfy a little of the hunger first, so that the baby is alert and ready to eat.
If babies are still hungry after a meal, you can top them off with a little breast milk or formula. Do what works best for your family.
Bottle/breast feedings and times may vary, but a typical feeding schedule might look like this:
6:00am Upon waking: bottle or breast
8:00am Morning meal: solid food
9:00am Nap
10:30am Breast or bottle
1:00pm Breast or bottle
1:30pm Nap
3:30pm Breast or bottle
5:30pm Breast or bottle
6:00pm Evening meal: solid food
7:00pm Evening breast or bottle
Optional overnight breast or bottle
8 to 10 months old
Around 8 to 10 months old, most babies are ready for about three solid food meals a day. The number of bottles/nursing sessions will vary, but most formula-fed babies will take about 24-32 oz of formula daily. They still might be taking overnight bottles as well and napping in the morning and afternoon.
An example of a feeding schedule at this age might be:
6:00am Upon waking: bottle or breast
8:00am Morning meal: solid food
(9:00am Breast or bottle if needed before nap)
9:30am Nap
10:30am Breast or bottle
12:30pm Afternoon meal: solid food
2:30pm Breast or bottle
3:00pm Nap
5:00pm Breast or bottle
6:00pm Evening meal: solid food
7:00pm Evening: breast or bottle
11 to 12 months old
By 11 to 12 months old, most babies are taking 1-2 naps and eating 3 solid food meals per day, with a variable number of daily bottle/nursing sessions.
Here’s a sample feeding schedule:
6:00am Upon waking: breast or bottle
8:00am Morning meal: solid food
10:00am Breast or bottle
12:00pm Afternoon meal: solid food
12:30pm Nap
3:30pm Breast or bottle
5:30pm Evening meal: solid food
7:00pm Evening Breast or bottle
How do you know if your baby is getting enough nourishment?
Count the daily diapers. Newborns should have about 2 to 3 wet diapers for the first few days. Then, about 5-6 wet diapers daily. The frequency of stool is different for breastfed and formula-fed babies.
Monitor the growth charts. Growth charts compare your baby's growth to healthy standards. But, they're also a measurement of your baby's progress. When a baby isn’t gaining weight appropriately and falls off their growth curve or moves to a higher percentile than usual, it could indicate that they're getting more food than they need or not getting enough.
Look for signs your baby is hungry. Babies give subtle cues like increased alertness and not-so-subtle cues like crying to let you know they're hungry.
Signs your baby is hungry for more food
Babies show subtle signs of increased alertness and more obvious signs that they're demanding food. But crying and sucking aren't always signs that your baby is hungry. So, when cuddling and diaper changes don’t work, look for these other common baby hunger signs from the AAP.
Sucking on hands or other items
Fussiness and crying
Rooting (moving head or mouth usually in search of the breast)
Sticking tongue out
Licking lips
Opening the mouth
Putting hands to the mouth repeatedly
Signs of Readiness for Solids
The AAP, WHO, AND, and other major health organizations recommend waiting until around 6 months old to start solids when babies are showing all of the developmental signs of readiness. Some babies are ready a little earlier depending on their development, but there are risks associated with starting solids before 4 months of age. Your baby might be ready to start solids if they are close to 6 months of age and 32 oz of formula or frequent breastfeeding doesn't satisfy their hunger. Talk to your healthcare clinician before getting started.
Even if your baby has a big appetite, you want to ensure your baby is ready to swallow food safely.
Look for these signs that your baby is ready for solids before starting them on solids:
Baby can remain sitting upright with minimal support
Baby can hold their head/neck steady when sitting
Baby tends to grab larger objects and pull them to the mouth
Baby is interested in food and may try to grab some from you or your plate
Baby-Led Weaning Tips
Baby-led weaning is a method of starting solids that comes with many benefits for both babies and parents. This feeding style allows babies to self-feed finger foods from the family table that include various flavors and textures (i.e., lumpy foods) which may even reduce the likelihood of picky eating down the road, once your baby is weaned.
Here are some baby-led weaning guidelines for introducing purees and finger foods to your baby for self-feeding.
Offer both purees on a preloaded spoon and soft finger foods for self-feeding, so that your baby gets used to different textures.
Prioritize iron-rich options like baked salmon, steak, soy, mashed beans, hard-boiled egg, hummus or nut butter spread thinly on toast, lentil, and sweet potato stew, or chickpea pasta.
Use responsive feeding to identify and respond to your baby’s hunger and fullness cues.
If you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, download my FREE Baby-Led Feeding Essential Checklist to make sure you have everything you need to get started. You might also want to check out my new online course for parents, based on my best-selling book which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids using a baby-led approach.
Alternatively, if your baby is almost ready to start solids and you’re looking for someone you trust to map out the entire first 12 weeks of your baby’s solid food feeding journey, check out my new Safe & Simple 12 Week Meal Plan! Over 30 recipes, weekly shopping lists, tons of balanced baby meals, a complete plan for top allergen introduction, & lots of guidance (with photos) on how to safely serve each food.
And if you're looking for personalized nutrition support for yourself, your babies, or your kids, I am currently accepting new clients in my virtual private practice. Looking forward to meeting you online…