🕒 24-Hour Feeding Schedule (8–12 Months)
🕒 24-Hour Feeding Schedule (8–12 Months)
Balancing Breastmilk, Solids, Snacks & Sleep for Growing Babies
By 8 to 12 months, your baby is more active and curious — ready to enjoy 3 meals a day, with snacks and milk feeds in between. Breastmilk or formula still provides key nutrients, but solid foods are now a vital part of their daily diet.
✅ General Feeding Guidelines:
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3 solid meals daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
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2 healthy snacks between meals
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3–4 breastmilk/formula feeds per day
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Sips of water with meals to support hydration
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Continue offering iron-rich, protein-rich, and energy-dense foods
📅 Sample Daily Feeding Schedule (8–12 Months)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | Wake & Breastfeed / Formula | First milk feed of the day — baby wakes up hungry. |
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast | Offer 2–4 tablespoons of soft solids: e.g., oats porridge with mashed banana or Dr. Annie cereal with date syrup. |
| 9:00 AM | Morning Nap | 30–60 minutes, depending on baby’s sleep routine. |
| 10:00 AM | Snack | Small mashed fruit (e.g., pawpaw, mango, or boiled pear) or soft-boiled egg yolk. |
| 11:30 AM | Lunch | Mashed rice + fish or beans, soft-cooked veggies, mashed yam with chicken powder. Serve 3–5 tablespoons. |
| 12:30 PM | Nap | 1 to 1.5 hours — key for brain development. |
| 2:00 PM | Breastfeed / Formula | Mid-afternoon milk feed or after nap. |
| 3:30 PM | Snack | Soft finger foods: avocado slices, ripe plantain, baby biscuits, or millet cracker. |
| 4:30 PM | Optional Short Nap | 30–45 minutes if needed. |
| 5:00 PM | Dinner | Light meal: mashed potatoes + vegetables, oats with chia powder, or soft eba with kontomire. |
| 6:30 PM | Play / Bath / Wind-down Routine | Gentle evening routine. |
| 7:30 PM | Breastfeed / Formula | Final milk feed to relax baby before sleep. |
| 8:00 PM – 6:30 AM | Night Sleep | Some babies may still wake once for milk; others may sleep through. Feed as needed. |
🥄 Feeding Tips (8–12 Months)
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Encourage self-feeding with soft finger foods
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Increase portion sizes gradually — follow baby’s hunger cues
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Offer variety across the week: grains, tubers, fruits, proteins, vegetables
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Add nutrient boosters like Dr. Annie powders (fish, dates, chia, etc.)
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Limit salt, sugar, and heavily seasoned meals
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Continue to avoid choking hazards like whole nuts, hard raw vegetables, popcorn