How Much To Formula Feed
Here are the amounts of formula your baby needs:
- first day: 5 to 15 mL at each feeding
- second day: 15 to 30 mL at each feeding
- third day: 30 to 60 mL at each feeding
- fourth day: follow your baby’s weight:
- 8 pounds: 2 ounces at each feeding
- 9 pounds: 2 ¼ ounces at each feeding
- 10 pounds: 2 ½ ounces at each feeding
As your baby grows, continue to increase the amount of formula based on his appetite and hunger cues.
How Much Formula Does Your Baby Need
Your newborn baby only needs small amounts of formula in the first few days â after all, his or her tummy is still very small, but itâs growing all the time.
Just to give you an idea how small your newbornâs stomach is, and how fast it grows:
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On day one itâs about the size of a cherry and holds around 5-7 millilitres
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On day three itâs the size of a walnut, with room for 22-27 millilitres of formula or breastmilk
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After one week itâs grown to the size of an apricot and can hold about 45-60 millilitres at a time
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After one month your babyâs stomach is about the size of a large egg, with a capacity of 80-150 millilitres.
From after the first week until around 6 months old , your little one may need around 150 to 200 millilitres of formula milk a day for every kilogram of body weight.
So, for example, a 1-month-old baby weighing around 4 kilograms might need between around 600 and 800 millilitres of formula a day, spread over several feeds. Here are some more examples of how much formula your baby may need per day based on different bodyweights:
| Approximate Quantities of Formula Depending on Body Weight |
|---|
| Babyâs weight |
| 1,500-2,000 ml |
All babies are different, and so are their appetites! In practice, though, once your child settles into a feeding pattern and you get to know his or her feeding cues, youâll probably find it natural to increase the quantity of formula gradually in response to demand.
Do Not Use Leftover Formula
Use a fresh bottle for every feed. Throw away any leftover formula or expressed breastmilk following the feed. Never give your baby leftovers. They can grow bacteria that may make your baby ill.Do not add other food, such as baby rice cereal, to the milk. If you think your baby needs more food than recommended, talk to your maternal and child health nurse.
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How Much Formula Should A Newborn Eat
One advantage to formula-feeding is parents can measure every ounce of milk baby guzzles down. But it can pose its own challenges too: While babies are blissfully free from concepts like the clean plate club, parents arent. Heres a breakdown of how much formula a newborn should eat.
Ounce for ounce, formula has the same average calories as breast milk, so the total amount that breastfed and formula-fed babies will need to eat in a day is basically the same: about two and a half times babys weight in pounds. The newborn feeding schedule for formula, however, might be a little different. Since babies tend to digest formula more slowly, theyll go longer between feedings. Baby will likely get hungry every three to four hours, eating about 2 ounces per feeding as a newborn and progressing to 4 ounces by the end of the first month. Expect to add about an ounce per month until baby is eating 6 to 8 ounces of formula at a time, which usually happens when baby is 6 months of age. In general, 32 ounces of formula a day is the most baby will ever need.
How Much Food Does Your Baby Need Follow Their Lead
Feeding your baby isnt an exact science, and some days theyll eat more or less than the amounts listed in this article. Still, remember that your baby is a good judge of what they need and when and they wont be shy in telling you.
Spot their cues, follow their lead, settle into a routine, and enjoy every step. Itll be time for finger foods before you know it.
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Signs Of Healthy Formula Intake
There are numerous ways to judge whether your baby is getting the right amount of formula. Perhaps the most important is to note your babys mood after a feed they should be feeling relaxed, content, and happy.
Keeping track of diaper changes is also a very effective way to monitor your babys formula intake. As a general rule, formula-fed babies will need five or six diaper changes per day .
How Often Do I Feed My Baby And How Long Should Each Feeding Take
Feed your baby on demand. This means feed your baby every time he or she seems hungry. He or she may be more alert, make sounds with his or her lips, move around more, or stick out his or her tongue. He or she may also place his or her fist in his or her mouth and suck on it. Crying is a late sign of hunger. Your baby should eat on demand about every 2 to 3 hours or 8 to 12 times a day. Each feeding should take about 20 minutes. Feedings may take longer if your baby has a medical problem or has trouble sucking or swallowing.
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Other Ways Of Estimating Milk Intake
There are various ways of estimating the amount of milk intake related to the weight of the baby and the age of the baby, based upon formula intakeresearch has shown that after the early weeks these methods overestimate the amount of milk that baby actually needs. These are the estimates that we used for breastfed babies for years, with the caveat that most breastfed babies dont take as much expressed milk as estimated by these methods. Current research tells us that breastmilk intake is quite constant after the first month and does not appreciably increase with age or weight, so the current findings are validating what moms and lactation counselors have observed all along.
Topics Covered For Formula Feeding
If your baby is healthy, skip the “What to Do” section. Go directly to the topic number that relates to your question for advice:
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How To Mix And Handle Formula
- Check the expiration date on the container. Don’t use if the formula is past this date.
- Wash the top of the new container before opening it.
- It is important that you follow the mixing directions on the can. Your baby can get sick if you use too much water or not enough water.
- You may use city water to mix concentrated or powder formula. You may use well water if you boil it before using.
- Heat the water to a full boil for at least one minute.
- Pour the water into a clean container and cover it. Keep it in the refrigerator.
- Use the water within three days of mixing formula.
How To Choose Formula
Talk with your baby’s health care provider about what formula is best for your baby. Although there are many types of formula, most babies do well with one that is cow-milk based.
Unless your baby’s health care provider advises against it, choose a formula that is iron-fortified. This is important to prevent iron deficiency, which can slow development.
Once made up, all formula must be refrigerated. Formula should be thrown out after 24 hours if it has not been used.
The different types of formula are:
- powder. This is the least expensive. It does not need to be refrigerated until it is mixed with water. If you are going to be away from home, you may choose a brand that comes in individual packets. This option is more convenient, although more costly.
- concentrated liquid. This needs to have water added to it. It is more expensive than powder. It also must be refrigerated once the container is opened.
- ready-to-use formula. This is the most convenient and the most costly. It can be handy for the times when mixing might be difficult.
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Too Little Breast Milk
Too little milk may lead to malnutrition of the baby, and an excessive amount will cause overfeeding.
Your baby could refuse to drink from a bottle at first as a result of the bottle nipple and could feel style different in comparison to the mothers skin.
Hold the baby in a very comfortable position and rock itgently before attempting the bottle once more.
If the baby still refuses, youll be able to attemptfeeding the baby with a spoon or a sipper. Most babies can regulate quickly tothe bottle once theyre comfortable with the caregiver.
How Much Should My Baby Drink
In the first few weeks, mix 2- to 3-ounce bottles for your newborn. Gradually increase this amount as you become familiar with your baby’s eating patterns and appetite. Here’s a general look at how much your baby may be eating at different stages:
- On average, a newborn drinks about 1.5-3 ounces every 2-3 hours. This amount increases as your baby grows and is able to take more at each feeding.
- At about 2 months, your baby may be taking 4-5 ounces at each feeding and the feedings may be every 3-4 hours.
- At 4 months, your baby may be taking 4-6 ounces at each feeding, depending on the frequency of feedings and his or her size.
- By 6 months, your baby may be taking 6-8 ounces every 4 to 5 hours. This also depends on whether you’ve introduced any baby food.
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Formula Feeding Amounts By Age
Formula fed infants typically need 2 1/2 ounces or 74 ml of formula for each pound of weight, on average. Some babies have larger appetites than others, though. I have worked with a lot of families, personally, and some babies take small bottles and consume around 24 oz a day total while others consume over 30 oz. The most important thing to remember is that your baby should stay on his or her own growth curve.
In the newborn days, its important to feed your baby on-demand whenever he or she shows signs of hunger. As your baby grows older, you can consider putting your baby on a schedule.
While some parents and babies thrive on schedules, some people prefer to allow the daily routine to be flexible. Keep in mind that the more your baby eats during the day, the sooner your baby will sleep through the night.
Here is a formula-feeding chart to tell you the average frequency and bottle sizes of formula by age, but keep in mind that some babies eat a variable amount at different times of the day. You should use this chart simply as a guide while also adapting your daily routine to fit your unique baby.
If you ever have any concerns about your baby and your babys feeding habits, please be sure to seek out a healthcare provider and/or lactation consultant.
| Age |
|---|
What About Starting Solids
When a baby is still hungry after 32 ounces or nursing 8-10 times, it may be time to start solid foods. Typically, this occurs sometime between 4 to 6 months of age.
There are several other indicators that your baby is ready to start solid foods. First, note that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition for your baby for about 6 months. In addition, they advise that most babies are ready to start solid foods when they reach the following milestones:
- They can sit in a high chair or feeding chair and hold their head upright.
- They can open their mouths as food comes their way.
- They can move food from their mouth to their throat.
- They are approximately double their birth weight and over 13 pounds.
Itâs usually best to start with solids once or twice a day, and to finish each meal with nursing or a bottle. Some babies prefer a little formula first to take the edge off their hunger. Babies can have as much of the solids as they want. In reality, the number of calories they are getting from solids at this age is very minimal therefore it is still important to keep their schedule of milk feedings.
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How Much Breastmilk Or Formula To Give A Newborn
If you and your baby do not have a solid feeding routine yet, youre in good company. As your baby grows, their feeding patterns will shift to match their constantly changing needs. The best way to know your baby is hungry is to pay attention to their feeding cues.
As long as your baby is growing and having frequent wet diapers , youre doing just fine! Its also important to remember that your baby only needs breastmilk or infant formula for the first 6 months of their life.
Below are a few more tips that will help you with feeding your newborn.
How To Tell Your Baby Is Hungry
Learning your babys hunger cues is a crucial step towards making sure theyre well-fed. Beyond crying their little heart out, here are a few common signs that your little persons ready for their next meal:
- Sucking on their fingers and hands
- Sucking on their tongue
- Nuzzling against your chest or breasts
- Smacking their lips
- Turning their head and opening their mouth when you stroke their cheek
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