6 - 7.5 Month Old Routine
You made it to six months!! You are about to embark (if you haven’t already) on the exciting journey that is starting solids. This should be a really wonderful time, filled with lots of fun and enjoyment for both you and your little one. If you haven’t already, check out the masterclasses and articles on starting solids – this is an excellent starting point.
Many families are really unsure as to how to incorporate solids into their routine, when first starting out…Should solids replace milk feeds? How long after a milk feed should I offer solids? When is the right time to offer solids?
There is no right time during the day to offer solids to your little one, as it is important that solids fit in as seamlessly as possible to your existing family routine. However, I do recommend, if you have the flexibility, to offer mid-morning, between the first and second nap. This ensures your little one is well rested, you are limiting the impact any digestive discomfort may have on overnight sleep, and when you offer allergens, you are ensuring you have adequate time to monitor for a reaction.
Below, I have written out a few routines, based on naps and whether your little one is breast or bottle fed. This is not the only routine to use, and every baby will be different, but this can be a good guide. The key take home points are to ensure milk feeds DO NOT drop – you aren’t replacing milk feeds with solids feeds, and aiming for solids 45-60 minutes after a milk feed is a great starting point. One meal a day is all that is necessary at this age, when first starting solids.
Breastfed
0700 awake + breastfeed
0930 nap 1
1000 awake + breastfeed
1100 solids
1200 breastfeed
1230 nap 2
1430 awake + breastfeed
1630 nap 3
1700 awake + breastfeed
1800 breastfeed
1830 bedtime
+/- overnight feeds
Bottle Fed
0700 awake + bottle
0930 nap 1
1000 awake + bottle
1100 solids
1200 bottle
1230 nap 2
1430 awake
1500 bottle
1630 nap 3
1700 awake
1800 bottle
1830 bedtime
+/- overnight feeds