9 months is such a fun age-you’ve likely got a crawler on your hands, maybe even a walker, too!
Regardless of their preferred mode of transportation these days, you’re definitely busier than before, as once they can move, babies love to get into anything.
Solids also start to play a bigger role at 9 months, and baby is most likely down to just two naps. Ready to see a sample 9 month old schedule? Below I’ve outlined a sample schedule for your 9 month old’s feeding, sleeping and napping needs.
A sample 9 month old schedule
7:30 am: wake up, feed (breastmilk/formula), offer solids, after breakfast baby will play on the floor or crawl and explore the house.
10:30 am: down for first nap of the day
11:30 am: up from first nap, feed (breastmilk/formula), offer solids
12:30-3:00 pm: play, crawl/explore, potentially run errands with parents, go on a walk, free play
3:00 pm: down for last nap of the day
4:30 pm: up from nap, feed, play
6:00 pm: dinner (solids), I also offer a few sips of water
6:30 pm: start night time routine (bath, books, songs)
7:00 pm: feed (breastmilk/formula), songs, books
7:30 pm: down for the night
The perfect 9 month old schedule is one that suits both you and your baby. There’s certainly a number of opinions about which is best between a baby-led schedule and a parent-led schedule.
In my experience, I really valued knowing how many hours my baby should be sleeping at each age and how much they should be eating throughout the day. For the most part, I coupled this knowledge with my babies mood each day. If she didn’t feel like eating her normal amount I didn’t force it, the same was true for her sleeping habits.
Overall, typically sticking to a schedule that worked well for her developmentally speaking, worked best for us.
Does your 9 month old have trouble sleeping or napping during the day? If you’d like a free sleep evaluation and plan for your baby, please email [email protected]. I’m currently studying to become a certified sleep consultant and am in the practicum part of my study. All sleep plans and evaluations will be reviewed by my mentor.
9 month old feeding schedule
Before babies reach the age of 1, their primary source of food should still be breastmilk or formula. At this age, an ideal 9 month old feeding schedule will involve your baby nursing or taking a bottle 3-5 times per day, consuming a total of 30-32 ounces.
Cow’s milk should be avoided at this stage, unless your doctor strictly tells you it’s okay to go ahead and transition.
By 9 months, most babies will enjoy 3 solid meals per day, in addition to their breast milk/formula. Babies still aren’t eating too much at this age–aim for 4-6 ounces of solid foods 3 times daily.
It’s up to you as to when you offer baby solids, some babies might be ready for solids before breast milk or formula, and others might not be willing to wait. Doctors do recommend from 6-9 months that you offer breast milk/formula before solids, but do say at 9 months it’s okay to offer solids first.
Don’t worry if your baby isn’t that interested in solids, if this is the case for you, take comfort in the fact that most doctors will tell you food before 1 is just for practice. Even still, if you’re concerned about your baby’s willingness to try solid foods, make sure to have a conversation with your doctor.
Babies don’t need water at this age, and won’t need it until they reach 1 and have dropped breastfeeding or formula. Right now, they’re getting adequately hydrated from breastmilk or formula.
You can offer baby a few sips of water each day to get “acquainted” with the taste of water. I did this starting at 9 months and my baby loves water now!
Nine months is a great age to start offering your baby a sippy cup! Sippy cups can take quite a bit of practice, but oh now your world changes when they’re able to use them! I experimented with quite a few, but in the end, these sippy cups helped my baby get the hang of drinking out of a cup.
If you’re skipping purees and giving baby-led weaning a go, try these plates for easy clean up.
You might enjoy: How to make your own baby food
9 month old nap schedule
By the time your little one reaches 9 months, they’re likely down to about 2 naps per day. A 9 month old wake window is 2.5 hours, and most babies will nap for 2-3 hours total during the day at this point.
If your little one is going to bed around 7ish, you want to make sure they’re up from their last nap of the day by 4:30 pm.
Ready to get baby to nap better? Here’s a guide on nap training your baby. Interested in learning how to nap train your baby?
9 month old sleep schedule
Hopefully by the time your baby reaches 9 months old, they’re sleeping through the night! If they aren’t, they may wake around 2 or 3 for a quick snack and then quickly doze back to sleep.
Babies need about 10-12 hours of nighttime sleep at 9 months, and most have established a consistent bedtime that typically falls in the 7’o clock hour.
If you haven’t already and are interested in sleep training, here’s a great overview on a gentle, no tears sleep training routine.
Other questions you may have about your 9 month old’s routine
What developmental leaps will affect my 9 month old’s schedule?
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know I love the Wonder Weeks book and have always been so impressed with how dead on it is at predicting my baby’s mood when they’re going through a developmental leap.
Right around week 46, your baby will be going through another developmental leap, according to the book. Typically leaps make babies more clingy, and they can also fight naps or wake unexpectedly through the night.
Other baby schedules and routines
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