My little one is 8 months and 6 days old – where has the time gone?! He is a happy and thriving baby. In the last month, his physical development has been going at the speed of knots. He’s gone from sitting (supported) to sitting totally unsupported, able to reach round, get onto his tummy, and is now even crawling backwards. He also got his first tooth, and it babbling and blowing raspberries! Mealtimes are shared with whoever else is in the house (so he rarely eats alone) – this is really important as babies develop through watching and learning from others. Role modelling is really key throughout the early years. We have a pretty laid back approach to weaning. We do a combination of spoon-fed feeding (started with fairly smooth food, currently more mashed / chopped consistency) and finger foods. So far, the only foods he’s not keen on is raspberries and porridge. However, even if a baby refuses a particular food, they need to try it nearly 20 times to know for sure that they don’t like it. So I will keep trying! He has an excellent appetite and is eating very reasonable portions of food too.
I know that I’ve googled ‘8 month feeding schedule’ to see how my little one is doing compared to others. I know that comparison is not helpful, but sometimes us parents just need a little reassurance that we’re on the right track. Sound familiar? So I thought I’d share his food and nap schedule with you, and give you some guidance around what to be aiming for an this age.
At 8 months old, there’s nothing a baby can’t eat (apart from added salt, sugar, honey and whole nuts). I cook our evening meal, and then set aside some for him before I add any salt. I usually use a hand blender to get the desired consistency. I give him meals like mashed up spag bol, chickpea curry, chilli, tomato & mascarpone pasta, sausage, mash and veg. He love spicy food and we try to give him lots of plant-based proteins (like chickpeas, lentils, mixed beans) as well more moderate amounts of meat and poultry.
What does a good weaning plan look like for an 8 month old baby?
A good weaning plan for an 8-9 month old is to offer 3 portions of starchy food, 1-2 portions of meat/fish (or non-meat alternative), at least one 1 portion of diary (in addition to breast or formula milk) and 2-3 portions of fruits and vegetables each day. Tap water should be provided in a non-valved cup at meal and snack times. Additional water will be needed according to thirst, e.g. in warm weather and when baby is unwell.
My 8 month old’s current feeding schedule
For ease, here is yesterday’s schedule. I’ve added other alternatives in brackets.
If you have a baby around the 8 month age, I hope this post gives you some ideas and inspiration. I also want to reassure you and encourage you that you are doing a great job weaning your baby! Soon you’ll look back at these months and you’ll miss them, so try to enjoy the mess and chaos! As always, feel free to contact me if you need some individualised advice, and please leave a comment to let me know if this helped you.
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