Best time to Give Baby Breakfast: The Simple Chart for Best Result
Feeding your baby can be pretty tricky. This is why you need to know the best time to give baby breakfast.
Most mothers usually do not know the best time to give baby breakfast in the morning.
They also do not know what time to feed their babies at different times of the day.
It is important to breastfeed your baby consistently until six months of age.
However, how can you tell the best time to feed your baby breakfast and during the day?
The answer to this is quite simple!
There’s no specific time to feed a baby breakfast because babies have to be fed whenever they are hungry. While it is a fact that babies need to be fed whenever they are hungry, when a baby is hungry, you should tell.
The most popular sign that your baby is hungry is when the baby starts crying. However, when a baby starts crying, it is hard for the baby to settle down and eat well. This is why it is best to identify when a baby is hungry even before the baby starts crying.
How to Tell When Your Baby is Hungry
Babies do not know how to talk, so they make gestures that mean that they are hungry. Some of these signs are;
- When a baby starts to lick his/her lips, the baby is probably hungry and should be fed.
- When a baby starts sticking out his/her tongue, it usually means the baby is hungry.
- When a baby starts moving its head and mouth in search of the breast, it usually means the baby is hungry and should be fed.
- If a baby keeps putting his/her hand to his/her mouth over and over again, it could be a sign that a baby is hungry
- Another way to tell when a baby is hungry is when the baby starts sucking everything around it.
- When a baby starts getting fussy, it probably means the baby is hungry.
Although all these signs, including crying, could indicate hunger, it is not a given because your baby shows one of these signs the baby is hungry. Sometimes, it could just mean that the baby needs to be changed or just cuddled.
You’ll be able to tell the difference over time.
Best Time to Give Baby Breakfast
One of the most critical decisions for new moms is determining what time of day to give their baby breakfast.
When you are a new mom, you are trying to figure out many things at once.
Waking up with the sun and taking full advantage of every moment is pretty exciting.
Baby’s schedule gets established very quickly, and you want to make sure you get yourself organized. Most of the time, it is said that it is best to wait until the morning meal, and it will be likely for the baby to sleep longer during the night.
However, other studies are suggesting that a baby can be given a light breakfast in the morning.
This may not be ideal for newborns, though.
For those parents expecting a baby soon, you may want to consider having time to give your baby a balanced meal in the morning. The best time to give baby breakfast is when your baby wakes up from its nap. This is because he/she recently had a rest, which makes him/her feel energetic again.
Giving breakfast at this time keeps your baby’s energy going for the rest of the day, so they have more fun with you.
The Time of the Day to Feed Baby solids: 4-Month-old Baby Feeding Schedule Solid Food
When a baby is below four months, it is not advisable to feed the baby any solids.
However, when a baby gets to 4 months and above, solids can be introduced in minimal amounts into the baby’s feeding schedule. When a baby gets to 4 months old and above, they become coordinated enough to push food down their tongue for swallowing.
Looking out for this trait is the best way to tell that a baby is ready for eating solids.
Other signs to look out for include;
- The baby should be able to hold his/her head in a stable upright position.
- Ability to sit with support.
- The baby should show interest towards food by leaning in or opening his/her mouth
If your baby can do these, it means your baby is ready for solids. You can start feeding the baby small amounts of solids and breastfeeding, and increasing the amount as the baby gets older.
The next thing to consider is what solids to give your baby, the number of solids to give your baby, and when to feed the baby solids and liquids. There are ways to go about starting to feed your baby solids alongside breastfeeding the baby about 32 ounces of breast milk daily.
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Start Small
You shouldn’t be in a rush to increase the number of solids you feed your baby. When starting, give a single ingredient and watch out for any reactions before combining elements.
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Consider Nutrients
Always make sure the food you give your baby is giving your baby enough nutrients. Zinc and iron are essential in your baby’s first year. Hence, give your baby pureed meats and single-grain, iron-fortified cereal to get these nutrients.
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Bowls of Cereal
When serving your baby cereals, mix a tablespoon of iron-fortified, single-grain cereal in 4 tablespoons of breast milk. Instead of serving from a bottle, sit the baby and feed him/her with a spoon after breastfeeding the baby.
Once the baby starts adjusting to it, increase the liquid content and improve the overall quantity.
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Fruits and Vegetable
It is good to add single-ingredient, salt, and sugar-free pureed vegetables and fruits after a while. You need to wait for about four to five days between each new food. Taking these steps, you can feed your baby solids.
Although, knowing when to breastfeed and the best time of the day to feed solid baby foods depends on what works for you. When your child starts eating solids, you may still be wondering the best time to give baby breakfast.
The answer is simple!
You may decide to give your baby a little solid food in the morning and another in the evening when milk supply will be at its lowest.
Another might decide to give the baby solid foods in the afternoon once daily.
Below is the feeding timetable for four months, including solids.
For a generally accepted feeding chart for feeding babies of 4 – 6 months old:
- 24 to 36 ounces of formula or milk (or five to eight nursing sessions a day)
- 1 to 4 tablespoons of cereal once or twice a day
- 1 to 4 tablespoons of fruit and vegetable once or twice a day
The key to this category is to start small and leave adequate spacing between new single foods.
For the time to feed your baby, although it depends on when the baby gets hungry.
A standardized time table for feeding could look like this:
Breastfeeding
- Feeding 1 – 6:00 a.m.
- Feeding 2 – 8:30 a.m.
- Feeding 3 – 11:30 p.m.
- Feeding 4 – 2:30 p.m.
- Feeding 5 – 5:30 p.m.
- Feeding 6 – 8:30 p.m.
- Feeding 7 – 11:30 a.m.
- Feeding 8 – 4:30 a.m.
Formula Feeding
Formula feeding (or artificial breastfeeding) is a popular alternative to breastfeeding.
It’s not for everyone, and if you can breastfeed, it should be the first choice as it has many benefits for the baby.
If you decide formula is right for your baby, take a look at this guide to help with making an informed decision!
- Feeding 1 – 6 a.m.
- Feeding 2 – 10 a.m.
- Feeding 3 – 2 p.m.
- Feeding 4 – 6 p.m.
- Feeding 5 – 10 p.m.
- Feeding 6 – 2 a.m.
The above timetables are just a generalized example of when to feed your baby.
However, your feeding timetable depends on your baby and his habits and needs.
Your feeding timetable should be tailored to fit your baby’s needs.
When your child starts eating solid foods, you can feed them solids simultaneously as you feed the rest of your family. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are suitable to begin with, but snacks at this stage are not advisable yet.
Food at this stage should have a light texture to make it easy for the baby to swallow.
Quantity is not something you should get worried about.
It is more about exposing the child to new flavours than it is about nutrition.
Your baby will get enough food from breastfeeding or formula feeding.
6-Month-Old Baby Feeding Schedule With Solids and Breastfeeding
When a child gets to 6 months, it is usually fascinating because you will add more solid foods to your child’s diet. Although you will still need to keep breastfeeding, a variety of solid foods can be added to your child’s diet.
The time table of a 6-month-old baby should be something like;
- Wake – 7:30 AM – nurse or bottle
- Breakfast 8:00 AM – Serve rice cereal or oatmeal
- 9:30 AM – Nap
- 10:30 AM – nurse or bottle
- Noon – Lunch – go with something related to veggies/fruits/meat
- 12:30 PM – Nap
- 1:30 PM – nurse or bottle
- 3:30 PM – Nap
- 4:30 PM – nurse or bottle
- 6:00 PM – Dinner – go with something related to veggies/fruits/meat
- 7:30 PM – nurse or bottle (sleeping time)
This is a generalized feeding timetable for a baby above six months.
However, it is essential to build the time around the habits and needs of your baby. Take into consideration things like; how much food your baby eats, what time your baby sleeps, and other factors when setting up a feeding timetable for your baby.
Which is Better, Breastfeeding on a Schedule or Breastfeeding Whenever Your Baby Seems to be Hungry?
The Best Breastfeeding Time Schedules remind mothers to feed their babies at specific hours each day. Even if that means waking them up in the middle of the night.
These feeding schedules often detail what time the baby should be fed, how long they should be provided. It also includes whether it is necessary to wake the child up or if earlier breastfeeding can just be counted as part of their bedtime routine.
Breast-feeding on a schedule may guide how much a mother should breastfeed a child, as well as how often. Some women continue having regular nursing sessions, while other women might need more support with this concept.
Although some women don’t like to breastfeed on a schedule.
It is still vital to breastfeeding on a schedule to get enough nutrition.
How Can You Get Your Baby on a Feeding Schedule?
Every newborn baby is different.
When it comes to getting your baby on a feeding schedule, it’s not as easy as you might think.
The good news is that setting up a schedule for your newborn child is possible and can save you time down the line. To start, you can follow the Feeding schedule outlined above.
As your baby grows, you can adjust the schedule to fit him/her perfectly.
What Would Happen If a New Baby Drank Water Instead of Milk?
Babies indeed need milk to grow, but it turns out that if a newborn drinks only water, many of his or her organs can’t develop correctly. A baby gets all the nutrition when it is breastfeeding.
This feeding will boost the growth of your baby and also build up the resistance power of the infected body from many diseases.
Final Takeaway
Breastfeeding is healthy for babies.
It helps you establish a much closer bond with your infant.
It is crucial to choose a feeding schedule to breastfeed and ensure a healthy breastfeeding routine for your infant. With the information provided in this article, you can learn how breastfeeding works, the best time to give a baby breakfast, and have a healthy baby!
3 Comments
by Diane
I do feed my baby on schedule. But i think the timetable you provided above looks more realistic and maybe effective compared to what i made use of previously
by omotayoaola
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I’m glad you found this article helpful.
by Zoe
Going through this post you made, i have learnt new stuffs. Especially about knowing when a baby is hungry. Thank you for sharing this.