8 month old baby feeding schedule sample

7- and 8-month-old feeding schedules

How much does your baby need to eat and drink every day – and how can you make sure they're getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need? It can be tricky to find the balance, since 7- to 8-month-olds are eating more solid foods, but still need anywhere from 24 to 32 ounces of breast milk or formula each day. These feeding schedules for 7- and 8-month-olds will help you fit all the pieces of your baby's diet together.

At 7 and 8 months old, your baby is focused on moving more, playing more, and learning more about the world around them. Also big on their to-do list is experiencing new solid foods. Now that they've got the basics of eating down, it's time to start expanding their palate and introducing them to new flavors and textures.

It can be a big help to see what other parents are doing. Below, you'll find several sample schedules modeled on those of real BabyCenter parents and reviewed by a pediatrician on our Medical Advisory Board.

As you're creating a schedule for your baby, here are some things to keep in mind:

At 7 and 8 months old, babies need solid foods two to three times a day.
They're still getting most of their nutrients from breast milk or formula, though. A formula-fed baby will drink about 24 to 32 ounces of breast milk or formula in a 24-hour period.
At 7 months old, your formula-fed baby will most likely drink 6- to 8-ounce bottles three to five times a day. By the time they're 8 months old, they'll have three or four bottles per day. (Here's how to tell whether your baby is getting enough formula.)
Breastfed babies also need about 24 to 32 ounces of breast milk daily, though it'll likely be on the lower end of that range. Your baby will most likely nurse three to five times a day at 7 and 8 months old. (Here's how to tell whether your baby is getting enough breast milk.)

Now's the time to start increasing the amount and variety of your baby's foods and to introduce finger foods and perhaps a sippy cup. If you're baby-led weaning, your baby is already familiar with finger foods but may be ready for you to expand their menu.

If you started with easy-to-eat foods like avocado, banana, and applesauce, you can start encouraging your baby to get a bit more adventurous. In fact, you can work on incorporating foods from the major food groups, offering bits of shredded chicken or fish, yogurt and pieces of cheese, soft fruits and veggies, and whole grains in the form of hot or cold cereal.

Also, talk to your pediatrician about the best way to introduce high-allergy foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, egg, wheat, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, and sesame.

Keep in mind, though, that your baby's tummy is still on the small side, so they'll only eat a little bit of food at each meal. You can aim for 1 to 3 tablespoons of grains, fruits, veggies, and proteins per meal, and slowly increase that amount over the next few months.

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Sample 7-month-old feeding schedule

7 a. m.: Nurses.

8 a.m.: Breakfast – 3 tablespoons of baby cereal mixed with 2 ounces of breast milk, plus some pureed fruit.

8:45 a.m.: Playtime.

9:30 a.m.: Naptime.

11 a.m.: Nurses, then playtime.

11:45 a.m.: Naptime again.

12:30 p.m.: Lunch – 3 tablespoons of baby cereal mixed with 2 ounces of breast milk, some pureed fruit, and water in a sippy cup.

2 p.m.: Naptime.

3 p.m.: Nurses.

3:15 p.m.: Playtime.

5 p.m.: Dinner – 3 tablespoons of cereal mixed with 2 ounces of breast milk, some pureed veggies, and water in a sippy cup.

6:30 p.m.: Bath time.

7:15 p.m.: Nurses.

7:30 p.m.: Bedtime.

Sample 8-month-old feeding schedule

7 a.m.: 8-ounce bottle, then playtime.

8 a.m.: Breakfast – a pouch or jar of fruit.

9 a.m.: Playtime.

10 a.m.: 6-ounce bottle and nap time.

12:30 p.m.: Lunch – a pouch of meat and veggies.

1 p.m.: Playtime outside.

2 p.m.: 6-ounce bottle and naptime.

5 p.m.: 4-ounce bottle, then playtime.

6 p.m.: Dinner – half a jar of veggies and a half jar of fruit.

6:30 p.m.: Playtime.

7:15 p.m.: Bedtime routine, 8-ounce bottle, then bedtime.

Meal ideas for 7- and 8-month-olds

Not sure how to get started planning nutritious meals for your baby? You can follow the rule of four: give your baby one serving each of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and veggies. If you're not sure how much to feed your baby, check out our visual guide.

Here are some simple things you can serve your 7- to 8-month-old.

Breakfast:

Yogurt with pureed fruit
Mashed sweet potatoes
O-shaped cereal
Baby oatmeal
Cottage cheese with pureed fruit
Scrambled eggs

Lunch:

Mashed black beans
Pureed chicken
Ground beef and pureed veggies
Lentils
Turkey and zucchini puree
Whole-grain crackers with a thin smear of peanut butter
Mashed banana with Greek yogurt

Dinner:

Pureed beef with steamed peas
Small pieces of whole grain bread with mashed avocado
Shredded turkey
Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce

Learn more:

Your 7-month-old's growth and development
Your 8-month-old's growth and development
Recipes for babies 6 to 12 months old
Age-by-age guide to feeding your baby

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8 Month Old Baby Feeding and Sleep Schedule

This article outlines the average 8-month-old baby schedule, including milk feedings for breastfeeding and formula-feeding babies, solids, naps, and nighttime sleep.

8 Month Old Baby Sleep Case Study now available – it includes tips on reducing and eliminating night wakings, lengthening naps, and coping with the 8 month sleep regression. Scroll down for details!

Skip to the schedule

8 month old’s sleep

At this age, many 8-month-olds can sleep through the night, without a feeding, but some won’t and will continue to need 1-2 feedings up through 9+ months old. And, 8-month-old babies take 2-3 naps daily for a total of 2-3 hours per day plus 11-12 hours at night. If you’re having trouble with naps, you might be interested in helping your baby nap.

All babies vary, but here are some rough schedules you can use to make your own for your unique baby. I should warn you that I am in the camp that breast milk or formula should be the primary nutrition for the first year and solids come secondary. Below are the amounts we recommend. For more information on starting your baby on solid food, we have a series of blog posts dedicated to the subject. We include recommendations about how and when to start solids, as well as helpful information on food allergies, recommended products, baby-friendly recipes, and more.

How Many Naps for an 8 Month Old?

Most 8 month old babies take 2-3 naps each day that total 2 to 3 hours. Babies this age stay awake and have wake windows between 2 and 3 hours at a time, on average, but up to 4 hours before bedtime if they are taking two naps. This is a common age for babies to drop the third nap.

Wake Windows for 8 Month Olds

The typical wake windows for an 8-month-old are 2-3 hours with the first wake window being one of the shortest. Usually, that first wake window is around 2 to 2 1/2 hours at this age. If your 8-month-old baby has already dropped their third nap, they are more likely to stay awake 3 1/2 to 4 hours before bedtime, though, unless they are a long napper.

8 Month Old Feeding

The amount of food at 8 months is very similar to the 7-month baby schedule, but you will most likely go to 3 small meals per day, rather than just 2.

Average amounts per day:

• At least 5 nursing sessions per day or 26-32 ounces formula or combination
• No more than 2-4 oz of water or juice (to ensure they drink enough breast milk or formula)
• 2-3 servings baby cereal or grains (1 serving cereal = 1-2 Tablespoons dry and grains include Cheerios, 2 crackers, etc.)
• 2 servings fruit (1 serving = 2-3 Tablespoons)
• 2-3 servings vegetable (1 serving = 2-3 Tablespoons)
• 1-2 servings 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 yolk (but possibly no egg whites until 1 year old due to allergens — check with your doctor)

The first schedule is what I call a “staggered” approach. My first son did better with a full feeding and then having solids a bit in between. He was a little hungry but not famished. He just didn’t do well with stopping nursing or his bottle mid-way to eat solids.

You May Also Be Interested In: Baby Food Recipes for 8 Month Olds and the Best Ways to Introduce New Foods To Your Baby

Sample 8 month old schedule

If your baby has already transitioned to just 2 naps, please see the 9 month old baby schedule for a sample schedule.

Schedule 1

7:00 – Wake and Breast milk or Formula
8:15 – Breakfast
9:00 – Morning Nap (at least 1 hour)
10:00 – Breast milk or Formula
11:00 – Lunch
12:30 – Breast milk or Formula
1:00 – Early Afternoon Nap (at least 1 hour)
2:00 – Breast milk or Formula
4:00 – Optional Catnap (30-45 minutes)
4:30 or 5:00 – Dinner
6:15 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Breast milk or Formula and Bedtime (goal to be asleep at this time)

+Plus possibly 1 nighttime feeding

If your baby doesn’t mind a more “consolidated” approach to eating, like my second son, here is another type of schedule:

Schedule 2

7:00 – Wake
7:15 – Breakfast plus Breast milk or Formula feeding
9:00 – Morning Nap (at least 1 hour)
10:00 – Breast milk or Formula
11:00 – Lunch
12:30 – Breast milk or Formula
1:00 – Afternoon Nap (at least 1 hour)
3:00 – Breast milk or Formula
5:30 – Dinner plus Breast milk / Formula feeding
6:15 – Begin bedtime routine
7:00 – Breast milk or Formula

+Plus possibly 1 nighttime feeding

Note: When giving any feedings during your bedtime routine, be careful not to create sleep associations, which we saw become important at 4 months old.

Want more information about how to help your 8 month old sleep well? Check out our detailed case study about Carrie, Ben, Elliot, and Andrew.

Read how Carrie and Ben helped 8 month old Elliot learn to sleep longer stretches at night (and, eventually, to sleep through the night completely!) and take better naps – and how they helped to change those sleep associations that were keeping Elliot awake! Just join our VIP Members Area, and access the case study instantly. And that’s not all – our VIP Members Area is packed with additional premium content and resources: e-Books, assessments, more case studies, peer and expert support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately!

Looking for more sample 8-month schedules?

We have over 40 sample schedules for all ages in our e-Book, Mastering Naps and Schedules. Banish naptime battles and regain control of your day (and your sanity) starting today!

You Might Also Like:

The 8/9/10 Month Sleep Regression Explained
The 8-10 Month Sleep Regression Survival Guide: EXPANDED EDITION (Members Area article)
Custom Schedule Maker (for members only)
Mastering Naps and Schedules (Members Area digital e-Book)
Chat Live with a Sleep Consultant (for members only)
3 Signs It May Be Time For Night Weaning Your Baby
Night Weaning Quiz: Is Your Baby Ready To Night Wean?
8 Month Baby Sleep Coaching Case Study (Members Area case study)
How To Put Your Baby On A Schedule (Members Area audio recording with founder)
How to Nap Train (chapter in Mastering Naps & Schedules)
Day-by-Day Nap Training Plan (Members Area article)

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Click here to learn more about how to get your free guide.

A better daytime schedule could be just a few clicks away. So don’t wait – download now, and start your journey to better napping today!

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Daily routine of an 8-month-old baby: table, schedule by the hour

Contents of the article

Sleep - what are the features?
Nuances of nutrition
Improving physical skills
Walking and hygiene
Approximate landmarks
Educational games

The eighth month in a child's life is a period of great change. From now on, the baby will sleep less and less during the day, devoting more and more time to communicating with parents, games, and movement. He already sits confidently, crawls beautifully all over the apartment, deftly manages toys and more and more actively asks for partner attention of adults in games and communication. Such dynamics requires a special attitude of parents: it is important to provide the fidget with enough time for rest and walks, proper nutrition. We will tell you what and how to include in the daily routine of a child at 8 months.

The main regime moments for an eight-month-old baby are as follows:

sleep at night;

daytime sleep;

walks;

gymnastics;

massage;

bathing;

food;

hardening;

educational games.

Sleep - what are the features?

The daily routine of a child at 8 months is not much different from the previous one (the same 5 feedings, the same 2 walks). The only difference is that the time of daytime sleep is reduced due to the fact that now the little one can calmly withstand 5 or even more hours of wakefulness in a row.

For a child under one year old, sleep is one of the fundamental factors of proper development, but its amount is systematically reduced, which must be remembered. A baby at 8 months cannot sleep as much as at 4! Now he needs 11-13 hours of sleep per day, of which only 2-3 are in the daytime.

One of the main features of sleep in the 8th month of a child's life is the transition to two phases: superficial and deep sleep. That is, now, if the baby is fast asleep, he will not react to external stimuli, the nervous system is truly resting: its activity is minimal. But at the same time, according to the researchers, most toddlers sometimes see colorful dreams!

Now there is no need to create mausoleum silence for the little one. How to feed him at night - parents should have dealt with this a month ago.

Nuances of nutrition

Baby's nutrition is becoming more and more varied. Now in his menu, in addition to breast milk (or mixture, if the baby is bottle-fed), there are multi-component cereals, vegetable and fruit purees. The diet of a child at 8 months, as already mentioned, includes 5 meals, two of which (in the morning and before bedtime) are the usual crumbs of milk or mixture, the rest are complementary foods from the above products.

Many mothers think that having a variety of foods on their baby's menu is a reason to stop breastfeeding. But experienced pediatricians believe that breast milk should be left in the diet of crumbs for as long as possible, albeit twice a day. Therefore, try to keep breastfeeding for as long as possible.

The baby's daily diet now looks something like this:

0068	Sample Ingredients
First breakfast	Milk or formula
Second breakfast	Cereal, tea or juice
Lunch	Soup with vegetables and meat or vegetable puree, juice (fruit drink)
Snack	Cottage cheese, kefir or fruit puree
Dinner	Milk or formula

The child began to eat adult food, you teach him to use a spoon, a plate. Therefore, start accustoming your child to washing their hands before each feeding (especially if the baby is actively grabbing food with his hands, not knowing how to manipulate the spoon yet). This useful habit will remain with the child for life and will come in handy in kindergarten.

Improving physical skills

A child under the age of one is actively developing physically: he grows, masters new motor skills, his muscles and ligaments are constantly getting stronger. Very soon he will learn to walk without the support of adults.

Parents can help their child to consolidate skills and master new skills through developing gymnastics aimed at strengthening growing muscles and ligaments, which is recommended for this age by pediatricians. It includes:

flexion-extension of arms and legs;
straight leg lift;
swings and rotations of arms and legs;
rotations with feet, cams.

The duration of such exercises for this age is up to 20 minutes per day. Before they start, it is important to ventilate the room, take into account the time of eating - about an hour should pass after it.

Muscle strengthening, normalization of their tone, as well as night sleep is facilitated by massage, which should consist of soft, careful movements: rubbing, kneading, stroking. The massage takes about half an hour, usually preceding a nightly bed after bathing.

Refuse gymnastics and massage if the baby is unwell. There will be no benefit from them, and at elevated temperatures they are completely contraindicated.

Walking and hygiene

A child's daily routine must necessarily include sufficient time outdoors. Sufficient means at least two walks lasting at least two hours each. Of course, without fanaticism. A strong wind, a downpour or a bitter frost is a reason to leave the crumbs at home, simply by airing the room.

Summer days should be used for maximum walks. The child can be outdoors most of the day, including nap hours. After all, fresh air is most useful for the development of crumbs. It contributes to the active oxygen supply of all organs, tissues, brain cells of the child, the normalization of sleep.

With regard to hygiene, morning hygiene and washing does not replace evening bathing. Firstly, when bathing, the child's body is cleansed of sweat and dirt particles, and secondly, cellular respiration improves. Thirdly, the small body relaxes, prepares for a long deep sleep.

Bathing can be every night, and in summer, in addition, it is advisable to refresh the little one during the day. Splashing in the water for half an hour in the evening also helps to strengthen muscles and improve coordination. However, parents should follow simple rules so as not to harm their baby during a useful procedure.

Watch the temperature of the water, add hot water if necessary, so that the baby does not get too cold. Hardening is not about putting the baby in a warm bath and pulling it out only when the water has cooled. For hardening, you should simply pour the child at the end of the bath with a little cooler water than the one in which he bathed.
A child of eight months does not lie in the bath, but sits, while often actively manipulating bathing toys. Therefore, do not leave him alone for a minute, otherwise he may slip and get injured, plus everything - get scared.
Do not remove the stopper from the tub while the child is in the water. The sound of noisily receding water can also scare the baby and cause a fear of bathing for a long time.

Approximate guidelines

Pediatricians help to make the optimal daily routine for a particular child. But parents themselves can do this, taking into account the characteristics of their baby and focusing on some norms, which are reflected in the following table:0003

Time	Operating torque
6:00 am – 8:30 am	Getting up, morning hygiene, breakfast, air baths
8:30 am – 10:00 am	Morning dream
10:00 – 10:30	Second breakfast
10:30 – 14:00	Active wakefulness, gymnastics, educational games
14:00 – 14:30	Lunch
14:30 – 16:00	Daytime sleep (better to spend in the fresh air - instead of walking)
16:00 – 18:00	Wakefulness, physical activity, educational games
18:00 – 18:30	Fourth meal
18:30 – 20:00	Walk in the street
20:00 – 22:00	Calm games. Reading books, bathing, massage
22:00 – 22:30	Late dinner, bedtime
22:30 – 6:00	Night sleep

Deviations from this scheme are unavoidable. Some children like to wake up later in the morning, others need less time for outdoor games, others have developmental features (lag, prematurity), in which it is better to focus on the younger age regimen. Therefore, you need to choose the time individually.

In addition, often disruptions in the schedule occur unplanned: the baby is teething, the time of daytime sleep or lunch coincides with a visit to the pediatrician, the child falls ill. In the latter case, it is not advisable to adhere to the regime at all. A child can eat, sleep and play during an illness when he wants, and as much as he wants. And special rituals will help him quickly return to his usual course: for feeding, bathing, playing, sleeping.

Educational games

What to do with your child during waking hours? Useful games for the development of motor skills, attention, memory, logic.

Example:

laying out toys from containers;
shifting cubes, disassembling pyramids;
throwing toys out of the crib;
hide and seek;
simple finger exercises;
rocking on mom's lap, "flying" in dad's arms;
looking at pictures in books;
unwrapping items in bright packaging;
exploring wildlife while walking;
bathing favorite toys in the bath;
manipulation of kitchen utensils;
animal onomatopoeia, etc.

The daily routine of an 8-month-old child is much more intense, and developmental activities are more complex than a couple of months ago. And then this trend will continue, because the baby is constantly developing. But the more interesting it is to watch him and the greater the responsibility of parents in the upbringing and development of the baby. The daily routine here plays one of the fundamental organizational roles.

sample diet for a week, menu for a day with artificial and breastfeeding for an 8 month old baby

Published: 02/10/2021

Reading time: 3 min.

Number of reads: 99577

The author of the article: Ponomareva Yuliya Vladimirovna

Pediatrician, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Allergist-Immunologist . The process of intensive growth and development continues - the baby is rapidly mastering new motor skills, improving in speech and cognitive activities.

The pace of growing up and high activity determine the clear requirements for the nutrition of the baby, which must quantitatively and qualitatively meet the needs of children at this stage of life. By the 8th month of life, the child's digestive tract is already quite mature. It is able to digest and assimilate the products of the main food groups. Let's look at the basic principles of compiling a baby's diet, and also develop a menu for 8 months, indicating an approximate list of dishes and a meal plan for a week.

Contents: Hide

General principles
A must in the diet
Sample menu for a week for 8 months

General principles

It is fine if a mother continues to breastfeed at this age Breast milk is no longer the basis of the diet, but continues to be a source of easily digestible and beneficial nutrients, and also protects the baby from many infectious diseases. If the baby is artificially fed, use an adapted mixture in the diet that suits him well and matches his age. In addition to breastfeeding, an 8-month-old baby's eating schedule includes 4-5 meals. Of these, three are basic (breakfast, lunch and dinner), two are additional (second breakfast and afternoon tea). The baby already withstands 3.5–4 hours between meals and at least 6 hours at night. The volume of each feeding is 170–200 ml and approximately 1000 ml/g per day.

Mandatory in the diet

Your 8 month old baby's daily menu should include the main food groups that guarantee the supply of vital nutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates. What products must be included in the menu at this age? Porridge is one of the first and most important complementary foods. It is rich in all the main nutrients, provides long-lasting satiety and has a pleasant taste. By the 8th month of life, babies digest and assimilate dishes from various cereals well, therefore, multi-component cereals with natural fruit or vegetable additives, dairy-free or based on specially prepared milk can be used in nutrition.

Vegetables and fruits do not have a high nutritional value, but are a major source of fiber. Therefore, they are also required in the daily menu. Meat complementary foods are a source of protein that is complete in terms of amino acid composition, and a baby should receive 60–80 grams of meat per day. Dairy products are another source of complete protein and easily digestible fat.