Your 9 month old feeding schedule foods regularly, so it is important to follow a consistent feeding schedule. It would help if you offered various foods each day, including proteins and vegetables. You can also offer finger foods. Ideally, the foods you give your child should be soft and easy to wash out of their mouths. A 9-month-old can still breastfeed and can digest the nutrients found in breastmilk.
When starting a feeding schedule, remember that your nine-month-old will still need three meals a day – a breast milk meal and a bottle. A small amount of formula or fruit will also suffice. Ideally, you should provide your child with 24 to 32 ounces of liquid daily. Your baby will still need milk feeds to get the necessary nutrition, so keep them as frequent as possible.
When you introduce solid foods, you should keep the colors in mind. Choosing food colors can encourage your baby’s interest in new things. Like bananas and sweet potatoes, orange fruits and vegetables are good choices. Green and yellow vegetables include bell peppers and zucchini, as do berries and beans. Vegetables don’t need to be pureed or mashed; they should be in small chunks. You can gradually introduce new foods as your baby is ready for them.
Your baby should still drink breast milk and formula every day, but you should start to introduce some different protein sources. Eggs and chicken are excellent choices, as are soft pieces of bread and cereal. Another option for adding protein is jarred baby food, which you can mix into mashed potatoes or yogurt. You can also add a spoonful to a pancake to give your baby some variety and extra nutrition. The possibilities are endless.
A typical nine-month-old baby sleeps for at least twelve hours a day. They will wake up for a quick snack or a burp now and then. However, they should be asleep for at least eight hours each night. By the time they reach nine months, most babies will have established a regular bedtime and can sleep between eleven and twelve hours each day. Once they have established a regular sleep schedule, they can handle this transition without too many tears or fuss.
During this time, your baby will eat when hungry, so it’s unnecessary to introduce food to create a strict schedule. Babies this age are highly unlikely to experience food hang-ups, so avoiding forcing them to eat is important. Force-feeding may hinder the development of their ability to tell when they’re full and can lead to overeating as they get older. Also, remember that baby stomachs are small, and a few tablespoons can cause them to feel stuffed even if they don’t eat much.
