Feeding Schedule For Breastfed Newborns
From the moment your baby is born, she begins to grow at a surprisingly quick pace. To fuel her development and keep her well fed, be prepared to nurse about every two to three hours.
By the time sheâs a week old, your little one may begin to nap for longer periods, giving you more time between feedings. If sheâs sleeping, you can maintain your babyâs feeding schedule by waking her up gently when itâs time to feed.
Tips to keep in in mind if youâre breastfeeding:
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The length of time between feedings is measured from when your baby begins nursing, not when she stops.
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Ensure your little one latches on properly. This can be difficult when youâre starting out, especially for first-time moms, but over time your baby may begin to latch comfortably. Speaking to a lactation consultant could be helpful.
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As your baby grows she may nurse at a faster rate.
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Alternate between breasts during each feeding.
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Look for signs that your baby is full. She may turn away from the breast, nurse at a slower rate, or lose interest. Once she seems full, end the feeding
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Your babyâs healthcare provider may recommend adding vitamin D oral supplements to your babyâs diet. Follow the provider’s instructions to ensure your baby gets the proper dosage.
First Weeks And Months
Some babies need additional vitamin D.
Babies who are fed breast milk exclusively or who receive both breast milk and infant formula need extra vitamin D, starting shortly after birth. They can get this through over-the-counter vitamin D drops. Babies receiving only infant formula do not need vitamin D drops. Infant formula is fortified with vitamin D.
- Over the first few weeks and months, the time between feedings will get longerabout every 3 to 4 hours for most infant formula-fed babies. This means you may need to wake your baby to feed. You can try patting, stroking, undressing, or changing the diaper to help wake your baby to feed.
- Some feeding sessions may be long, and other feedings short. That is okay. Babies will generally take what they need at each feeding and stop eating when they are full.
How To Choose Bottles And Nipples
You will find many kinds of bottles and nipples at the store. Try several kinds and see what you and your baby like best.
Bottles are made of glass or plastic. When choosing a bottle, consider:
- Glass bottles last longer but may become a problem when a child is old enough to drop or throw one.
- When choosing or reusing plastic bottles:
- Choose bottles that are made from non-polycarbonate plastic.
- Look for plastics that have the numbers 1, 2 or 5 in the recycling triangle.
- Look for plastics that are labeled “BPA-free.” Studies are suggesting that a potentially harmful chemical has been found in clear polycarbonate plastic. This is hard plastic that is usually clear.
Nipples come in several shapes and sizes. They can be made of silicon or latex. Consider the following:
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When Do I Start Timing Feeds
Every baby is different and their appetites vary massively, so it can be normal for them to take more or fewer feeds than the guide above suggests. Your baby won’t always wake at an exact time after their previous feed is finished. If youre able to, try and time your babys feeds from the moment you start until the beginning of the next feed . So if you feed your baby at 12 noon and they go back to sleep at 1pm, expect to feed them again at about 4pm. If your baby does follow a routine of feeding every three hours, youre going to be very busy, particularly in the early months!
Feeding Schedule For Formula
Your formula-fed infant may be taking 4 to 5 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours starting around 2 months of age. Around this age, family members may try to persuade you to offer your baby cereal in the bottle. Babies are too young for infant cereal and other foods at this age and still require a 100% breastmilk or formula diet. Giving solids at this age to help babies sleep through the night is a myth and can actually harm your baby. Hold off on introducing other foods for a bit longer because starting solids is just around the corner!
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How Much Do Bottle
Newborn babies commonly have 6-8 feeds every 24 hours, but theres no set amount of food or number of feeds your baby should have. Different babies drink different amounts of formula or breastmilk. Some might have some feeds close together and others further apart.
For formula-fed babies, you can use the chart on the formula tin to see how much infant formula to make up in a bottle, but information about quantity for age on formula tins is just a guide. It mightnt necessarily suit your baby.
Just feed your baby whenever baby is hungry. You ll see baby cues that say Im hungry for example, your baby will make sucking noises or start turning towards the breast or bottle. Your baby will also let you know when theyve had enough by stopping sucking or turning their head away.
As the amount of solid food your baby eats increases, the total amount of breastmilk or formula baby takes in a day will decrease. The amount of formula will also decrease as your baby starts to drink from a cup instead of a bottle. By 12 months of age, when your baby is ready for cows milk, baby will generally be drinking around 500-600 ml of breastmilk or formula a day.
Introduce A Bottle Early But Not Too Early
The sweet spot for introducing bottles for full term babies is usually between 2 and 6 weeks of age, said Rosenfeld. If you do it before you and your baby are in a groove with breastfeeding, she warned, your baby may learn to prefer the faster, easier flow from the bottle and lose interest in the breast.
But even more important than age, according to Dr. Neifert, is whether your baby is latching well, getting full feeds at the breast and gaining well. Some babies get the hang of nursing sooner than others.
Once your baby is nursing effectively and gaining weight, however, dont wait too much longer before introducing the bottle because the baby might reject it. Babies sucking reflexes typically start fading at around 6 to 8 weeks, so its best to introduce a bottle before this reflex has faded so your baby reflexively sucks on the bottle nipple.
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Newborn Feeding Schedule: A Time For Bonding
Now that you have answers to your questions about newborn feeding schedules and how often to feed your little bundle of joy, you can soak up this precious time with your newborn. It passes quickly, so embrace each feeding session while you bond with your brand new baby.
You can rest assured that youre giving your newborn the best start when you combine Mustela’s products with your newfound feeding knowledge!
How Much Should My Baby Eat If Im Breastfeeding
When your baby nurses, this stimulates your breasts to produce the right amount of milk to meet his/her nutritional needs. When your baby needs more he/she nurses more, causing your body to produce more milk. Usually, babies nurse about 10-15 minutes at each breast.
One tricky part about breastfeeding is that its hard to measure exactly how much your baby is eating. If he/she seems satisfied after feeding, produces 4-5 wet and/or poopy diapers a day, sleeps well and is gaining weight regularly, you can be confident that he/she is eating enough. Another way to tell if your baby is getting enough is if your breasts feel full before nursing and noticeably less full afterward.
Heres a quick guide for how much a breastfed baby should eat:
- Most newborns eat every 2-3 hours, or 8-12 times every 24 hours. For the first 1-2 days of life might, they typically only eat ½ ounce per feeding. After that, theyll eat 1-2 ounces per feeding, increasing to 2-3 ounces by 2 weeks of age.
- At 2 months, babies usually eat 4-5 ounces every 3-4 hours.
- At 4 months,they should be eating 4-6 ounces per feeding.
- At 6 months,they should be eating 8 ounces every 4-5 hours.
Another way to gauge how much milk your baby needs is to multiply his/her weight by 2½. For example, an 8 lb. baby should be eating about 20 ounces a day.
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How Will I Know If My Formula
Its perfectly natural to worry about whether youre feeding your baby enough, but once you get into a rhythm and become familiar with their feeding habits , you will get the hang of it. Here are a few common signs that your baby might be hungry:
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If your little one is getting fidgety or restless, its probably time to give them a feed.
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If they open their cute little mouth and turn their head towards you.
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If they start to suck their fingers, or sometimes even their whole fist.
- If your baby starts to cry, then this could be a sign they are hungry.
What Should I Know About A Babys Feeding Schedule
- Feeding needs vary depending on babys age
- When to expect a natural feeding pattern to emerge
- Which cues mean your baby is ready to eat
Many new parents wonder if they should be feeding on demand or on a feeding schedule .
Early on in your babys life, its best to feed on demand instead of following a newborn feeding schedule. A baby will let you know loud and clear when theyre hungry, and its important to respond to these cues to support babys growth and development.1
In addition, frequent growth spurts during the first 6 months often cause babys hunger to spike for a few days.2, 3 Your little one needs more feedings during these times to help support their fast-paced growth. This makes it even more important to follow their cues. However, as your baby gets older, their own feeding schedule begins to emerge making it more predictable for you.
How often do newborns eat?
If it feels like youre feeding your newborn around the clock, its because you are! Newborns require 8-12 feeds per day, and may feed anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes at a time.3 While breastfed babies typically nurse every 1.5-3 hours in the newborn phase, formula fed infants can sometimes go 3-4 hours between feeds. However, its important to follow your babys hunger and fullness cues rather than a newborn feeding schedule to ensure your baby is getting enough.3, 5, 11
How do I know when my baby is hungry?
Signs that your baby is hungry and ready to eat include:
Responsive feeding for healthy growth
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Is Soy Formula Safe For My Baby
Store-bought iron-fortified soy formula is safe and nutritionally complete. Doctors usually recommend soy-based formulas if:
- Parents dont want their babies to eat animal protein.
- A baby has congenital lactase deficiency, a rare condition where babies are born without the enzyme needed to digest lactose. Lactose is the main sugar found in cows milk.
- A baby is born with galactosemia, a rare condition where babies cant digest galactose. Lactose is made up of glucose and galactose.
Many babies who are allergic to cow’s milk also are allergic to the protein in soy formulas, so doctors usually recommend hypoallergenic formulas for these infants.
Soy formula is a good alternative to cow’s milk formula for full-term babies . Soy formulas are not recommended for premature babies. Talk to your doctor if you are considering a soy-based formula for your baby.
Do not try to make your own formula at home. Online recipes may look healthy and promise to be nutritionally complete, but they can have too little or too much of important nutrients and cause serious health problems for your baby.
How Often Should I Alternate Breasts
Try to offer both breasts during each feeding to sustain your milk supply. Your baby may not take the second breast if theyre full.
Some women find it helpful to alternate breasts in the middle of each feeding session, while others prefer to switch breasts at each feeding so that theyre only nursing from one for an entire session and the other during the next session.
No matter which method you choose, be sure to keep track of which breast you offered last so that youre giving both the same amount of nursing time throughout the day.
Sore Nipples
Your body is adjusting to a new life on the inside and outside: you have a new baby and a new body! During the first few days postpartum, your nipples may be a little sore from nursing. This can make breastfeeding miserable and uncomfortable. Over time, your body does eventually adjust and sore nipples become a thing of the past! But to help keep your skin comfortable while nursing especially during those first few days try our Nursing Comfort Balm, which is a soothing and restorative nipple cream. This lanolin-free balm moisturizes and protects your nipples, eases discomfort, and helps replenish and restore your skin during and after breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is now a painless pleasure!
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Should I Wake My Baby Up To Feed Them
You will need to feed your newborn around the clock. This means waking your baby up in the middle of the night or from a nap to feed them. For example, if its been three hours since your newborns last feeding, its time for a wake-up call. To make this happen, its best to set your alarm. And your baby isnt the only one who will need the alarm! Youll want to keep hitting the snooze button, but dont do it! Your body needs to build up a good milk supply for your little one if youre breastfeeding. And if your baby is bottle-fed, tag team with your partner or family member so youre not the only one waking up around the clock. When your days start running together because of your sleep schedule being thrown off, just remember that this time spent with your newborn baby is priceless!
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