8 month old babies are on the move which means it might be time to rethink their feeding schedule. The right schedule can help your baby sleep through the night, take longer naps, and be happier all day. Use these sample schedules for your baby based on my 15+ years as a sleep consultant.
In this article:
How Much Milk in Your 8 Month Old’s Feeding Schedule?
8 month old babies typically get milk every 3 to 4 hours. While the breastfeeding frequency varies, most babies this age will not go longer than 4 hours without nursing except at night. Similarly, if your baby is drinking formula, most babies are going 3 to 4 hours between bottles.
The average number of milk feedings in a 24-hour period is usually breastfeeding 5 times during the day and once at night, 24-30 oz of breast milk in a bottle, or 26-32 oz of Formula.
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How Many Solid Meals at 8 Months?
Starting solids can be an exciting time but if your baby isn’t too excited about them, yet, don’t worry too much just, yet! Most 8 month old feeding schedules have two or three solid meals a day but not all babies are keen on them. Keep in mind that solid food should NOT reduce milk intake very much, if at all. If your baby starts going longer than 4 hours without milk during the day, make sure you cut back on solid food. Otherwise, you may start to see night feedings increase!
How Much Solid Food in an 8 Month Old Feeding Schedule
Remember, your baby’s tummy is small so don’t overdo solid food. And, keep in mind that babies are good at self-moderation. Be sure to follow their cues that they are done eating such as keeping their mouth closed and turning their heads.
Here are the average amounts of solids per day:
- 2-3 servings of baby cereal or grains (1 serving cereal = 1-2 Tablespoons dry and grains include Cheerios, 2 crackers, etc.)
- 2 servings of fruit (1 serving = 2-3 Tablespoons)
- 2-3 servings of vegetables (1 serving = 2-3 Tablespoons)
- 1-2 servings of protein (1 serving = 1-2 Tablespoons)
- 1 serving Dairy (1 serving = 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/3 cup cottage cheese or 1 oz grated cheese)
- You can also offer cooked egg (due to allergens, check with your doctor first)
Lastly, be sure you offer no more than 2-4 oz of water to ensure they drink enough breast milk or formula. Breast milk and formula have plenty of water!
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When to Offer Solids to an 8 Month Old (and When to Cut Back)
Most parents offer solids about halfway between milk feedings. This way, they are a little hungry but not famished. By the time they digest the solid food, they are ready for their milk.
On the other hand, there are some babies who have large enough appetites and bellies to drink milk and eat solids together, but I have found many babies either don’t drink enough milk or don’t eat much solid food that way. That isn’t a “bad” thing if your baby sleeps through the night, but if you haven’t been able to night-wean, you might want to try offering solids halfway between bottles or breastfeeding sessions, instead.
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Sample 8 Month Old Feeding Schedules
Here are two different sample 8 month old feeding schedules based on 2 to 4-hour wake windows:
Staggered Feeding Schedule With 3 Naps
7:00 AM – Wake and Milk
8:15 AM – Breakfast
9:00 AM – Morning Nap (2-hour Wake Window; at least 1 hour long)
10:00 AM – Milk (when they wake from their nap)
11:30 AM – Lunch
12:30/1:00 PM – Early Afternoon Nap (2 1/2-hour Wake Window; at least 1 hour long)
2:00 PM – Milk
4:00 PM – Catnap (2 to 2 1/2-hour Wake Window; ~30-45 minutes long)
5:00 PM – Dinner (mixed with Milk)
6:15 PM – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 PM – Milk and Bedtime (2 1/2 to 3-hour Wake Window; goal to be asleep by this time)
+Plus possibly 1 nighttime feeding
Consolidated Feeding Schedule With 2 Naps
7:00 AM – Wake
7:30 AM – Half Milk Feeding + Breakfast + Remaining Half Milk
9:00 AM – Morning Nap (2 to 2 1/2-hour Wake Window; 1-2 hours long)
11:30 AM – Half Milk Feeding + Lunch + Remaining Half Milk
2:00 PM – Afternoon Nap (3-hour Wake Window; 1-2 hours long; max 3 hours total per day)
3:30 PM – Milk
5:30 PM – Dinner Mixed with Milk
6:30 PM – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 PM – Milk + Bedtime (goal to be asleep by this time)
If night feedings come back on this schedule, cut back on the amount of solid food at each meal and see if that helps. If your baby is waking frequently, they could be going through the 8 month sleep regression, too.
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I hope this article has helped you with your 8 month old’s feeding schedule. Always remember that every baby is unique. For more sample schedules, be sure to check out our e-Book, Mastering Naps & Schedules.