6 month old feeding schedule
At 6 months, milk is still the whole meal and solids are practice. Most babies have 4 to 6 milk feeds a day and one solid meal, offered at a calm time when they are alert but not starving.
| Time | Feed | What that looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Milk | On waking, a full feed. |
| 8:30 | Solids (optional) | If your baby is a morning person, this is a good slot. Otherwise skip it for now. |
| 10:00 | Milk | Before or after the morning nap, whichever suits. |
| 12:30 | Solids | The main practice meal. One or two soft foods, about an hour after a milk feed. |
| 14:30 | Milk | Around the afternoon nap. |
| 17:30 | Milk | Early evening feed. |
| 19:00 | Milk | Bedtime feed. |
Milk at 6 months
4 to 6 breastfeeds, or roughly 700 to 900ml of formula across the day. Milk stays the main source of nutrition until 12 months.
Solid meals at 6 months
One meal a day to start, moving to two by around 7 months. Offer one or two soft foods and let your baby decide how much goes in.
The times here matter less than the order. Keep milk before solids, put the solid meal at a point in the day when nobody is rushing, and drop it entirely on days that fall apart.
Common questions
How much solid food should a 6 month old eat?
There is no target. Some babies swallow almost nothing for several weeks, which is normal at this stage. Milk covers their nutrition while they practise.
Should I give milk before or after solids?
Milk first, then solids about an hour later, so your baby is neither starving nor full. As solids increase over the following months, the gap shrinks.
How much water does a 6 month old need?
Offer a small open cup of water with meals. A few sips is plenty — milk still provides the fluid they need.
Medically reviewed by TODO REVIEWER NAME, RD, pediatric dietitian — last reviewed . See our editorial and review policy.