You Have A Low Breast Milk Supply
A previous breast surgery or certain medical conditions can interfere with the production of breast milk, though any woman can experience low supply. If you or your doctor feel that your baby is not getting enough breast milk through breastfeeding alone, you may need to supplement with infant formula.
Feeding Guide For The First Year
Reviewed By:
Tiffani Hays, M.S., R.D., L.N., Director of the Pediatric Clinical Nutrition Education & Practice
Making appropriate food choices for your baby during the first year of life is very important. More growth occurs during the first year than at any other time. Its important to feed your baby a variety of healthy foods at the proper time. Starting good eating habits at this early stage will help set healthy eating patterns for life.
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How Much Do You Feed A Newborn
How Often To Feed Newborn Consider the first 24 hours to be the beginning of a learning curve for you as a new mother. Study how your baby acts. Remember, you are not the only one who got tired from birth because your little went through the same ordeal.
Your infant may not be interested in feeding directly after birth because they may be tired. Check for wet diapers as well as a dry mouth. These are both signs of dehydration.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, a baby should feed about 8 times that first day. Let your baby feed as long as they want. You will find yourself changing more diapers as their feeding increases .
If breastfeeding, your baby is consuming colostrum. Colostrum is considered a superfood for babies as it is rich in nutrients and calories so having them suckle for a few minutes is okay .
So how much does your baby need to eat? For breastfeeding moms, the recommended amount of feeding should be up to 8 to 12 times per day. This is just an average as no two babies are alike.
You should wake your baby gently every three hours or so to have them feed. The amount will vary at each feeding but the key is an overall weight gain for the baby.
Keep in mind that a growth spurt also occurs in the first few months. Your little one may eat more during this time .
The first week will be crucial for your little one. Feed your baby formula milk or offer your breast on demand.
Here are a few things that you should consider when it comes to feeding your little one.
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How Much Formula For A Newborn
For the first few days, offer your newborn 1 to 2 ounces of formula every 2 or 3 hours.
After the first few days, give your newborn 2 to 3 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours.
Initially it’s best to feed your formula-fed newborn on demand, whenever they show signs that they’re hungry. Because your little one can’t tell you when they want a bottle, you’ll need to learn to read their hunger cues. Crying is often a late sign of hunger, so if you can, try to catch the earlier signs that it’s time for a feeding.
Here are some hunger cues to watch for:
- Smacking or licking their lips
- Putting their hands to their mouth
- Opening their mouth
| 6 to 8 ounces per bottle, 4 to 5 times a day | |
| 7 month old | 6 to 8 ounces per bottle, 3 to 5 times a day |
From 8 months old until their first birthday, you can expect your baby to have 7 to 8 ounces per bottle, 3 to 4 times a day.
As your baby gets older and their tummy gets bigger they’ll drink fewer bottles a day with more formula in each. It’s important not to overfeed your baby so they’ll stay at a healthy weight. Your baby shouldn’t have more than 32 ounces of formula in 24 hours.
When they reach their first birthday, they can stop drinking formula and transition to cow’s milk in a bottle, sippy cup, straw cup, or open cup. Limit your toddler to 16 to 24 ounces a day of whole milk, so they have room for other healthy foods.
Start Slowly Use The Right Nipple Relax And Enlist Help
Start by offering bottles filled with just a half ounce or so .
If your baby has been exclusively breastfed, Rosenfeld recommended starting with a wide, slow flow nipple that mimics the shape and flow of your own nipples, decreasing the chance that your baby will find it easier to get milk from a bottle than the breast.
A baby older than 3 months, however, may become frustrated with a slow flow bottle, especially if moms breasts have a fast flow, Rosenfeld warned. In that case, she recommended trying a faster flow nipple.
To ensure that baby is happy, relaxed and not too hungry, offer a bottle one to two hours after your babys last feeding. Crying is a late sign of hunger, and a hungry baby is easily frustrated.
If you are the first to offer the bottle, your baby may refuse and insist on nursing. Instead, ask your partner or another familiar caregiver to offer the first few bottles, if you can. This will not only help your baby get used to bottle feeding, but will help establish a feeding relationship with your partner , too.
Whomever is giving the bottle should try to relax and follow your babys cues. Babies sense stress and may reject a bottle if the person offering it seems anxious.
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What Are The Different Types Of Baby Formula
All formula sold in Australia needs to meet stringent nutritional and hygiene standards. Most baby formulas are made from dried cow’s milk with vitamins, minerals and vegetable oils added. Straight cow’s milk is not suitable for a baby’s digestion, unless it has been altered to make it easy to digest and so the nutrients can be absorbed.
There are 3 types of formula:
- Milk-based formulas are made from cow’s milk, with added vegetable oils, iron, vitamins and minerals.
- Soy-based formulas are made from soybeans and have added vegetable oils and nutrients.
- Specialty formulas are made from cow’s milk which has been ‘predigested’ and the protein removed or reduced. There is also a range of hypoallergenic formulas available. Most specialty formulas are designed for babies who have a milk intolerance or who are allergic to cow’s milk. Formula might also be the best choice for babies who have a food protein allergy or other form of digestive, malabsorption or gut problem. Specialty formulas can be used for specific cultural or religious reasons too.
Other types of formula include:
Understand That Bottle Feeding And Breastfeeding Place Different Demands On Your Baby
To breastfeed effectively, babies must open their mouth wide, latch on to the breast and then coordinate a suck, swallow and breath sequence. Bottle feeding, by contrast, provides a continuous flow of milk instead of working to extract the milk, babies only need to pause the flow of milk in order to breathe.
Because of these differences, some babies will develop a strong preference for the bottle or, less often, for the breast.
Nipple confusion. Women sometimes receive dire warnings that artificial nipples, including pacifiers, can lead to nipple confusion or an inability to latch on to the breast and effectively extract milk.
these concerns can cause significant stress for new mothers who are struggling with breastfeeding, Dr. Chad Hayes, M.D., a pediatrician practicing in Charleston, S.C., wrote on his blog.
For example, La Leche League, a nonprofit focused on breastfeeding advocacy, warns that many mothers have noticed a change in her babys sucking patterns after introducing a bottle or a dummy . Her baby may struggle and cry, find it difficult to latch on, or simply nurse ineffectively at the breast.
Flow preference. While true nipple confusion is rare, a more common cause of a baby fussing at the breast or refusing to latch is flow preference.
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Combining Breastfeeding And Formula Feeding
Giving your baby formula in addition to breastfeeding is called supplementing. It’s completely fine and perfectly safe to do.
Many families choose this type of combination feeding method, whether out of necessity , convenience, or simply personal choice. In some cases, breastfeeding and providing formula may be recommended by a doctor for medical reasons.
It Doesnt Always Lead To Obesity
This myth is a tricky one. There is some evidence linking formula to the risk of obesity in children, but its not due to anything thats in the formula. Rather, its a parenting issue. It turns out that parents who formula feed might be overfeeding.
Some of this can be limited in effect in being cautious about the overfeeding of babies, Abrams says. Its not a given that a formula-fed baby will be obese. Is there a concern? Sure, But much of that concern can be mitigated by careful feeding practices on the part of a parent and the watchful eye of a pediatrician.
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How Long Can Baby Formula Sit Out After Its Mixed
The safest way to feed formula to your baby is to offer it in a timely manner and store it safely.
A bottle of prepared formula should be used within one hour from the start of a feeding session or within two hours of preparation . If youre not giving the bottle to your baby within two hours, refrigerate it and use within 24 hours.
As for that little bit of formula left in the bottle at the end of a feeding? It’s safest to throw it out, since the combination of baby saliva and formula can prompt bacteria to grow in the bottle.
Can Formula Make My Baby Constipated
When using formula, always use the amount of powder recommended on the packaging.
Do not add extra formula powder. Using too much can make your baby constipated and may cause dehydration.
If your baby is under 8 weeks old and has not done a poo for 2 to 3 days, talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP, particularly if your baby is gaining weight slowly.
Your baby should be gaining weight and have plenty of wet and dirty nappies.
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How Often Should A Newborn Eat If Youre Breastfeeding
- First 24 hours: Feed on demand or at least every 2-3 hours. Remember: Your baby may only drink ½ ounce of colostrum in total in the first 24 hours. But even though your baby drinks only a little, it can take up to 45 minutes per nursing session, especially if your baby is sleepy.
- First month: Feed on demand or at least every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours during the night. This works out to be about 8-12 times per day. Keep in mind that babies go through cluster feeding sessions and growth spurts where they might be nursing every 10-45 minutes!
These guidelines just discuss how often a newborn should eat. To learn more about how much a newborn should eat, check out this post.
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Consider Pumping Or Hand Expressing
Either practice can help maintain your breast milk supply and prevent some of the common breastfeeding problems that can pop up when you skip nursing to bottle feed. Removing your breast milk will help relieve the fullness that breast engorgement can cause.
Another benefit is that you can store your pumped breast milk to use at a later time. Depending on how you store it, breast milk can stay in the freezer for up to one year.
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How Much Do Newborns Eat
Your newborn will probably take between two and four ounces per feeding during their first few weeks , and will probably be hungry every two to four hours. Use this time frame as a guide only. It’s best to feed your baby on demand. Don’t encourage your baby to finish the bottle if they’re not interested. And if they’re still sucking enthusiastically when the bottle is empty, offer them more.
How To Formula Feed
- After preparing a bottle and testing its temperature, you are ready to give your baby a bottle.
- Feed every two to four hours. Start with one ounce at each feeding. Gradually increase this amount as your baby’s appetite grows.
- Make sure your baby’s tongue is under the nipple and the baby has more than the tip of the nipple in their mouth.
- Tip the bottle far enough for the formula to fill the nipple and the neck of the bottle.
- Burp your baby after one ounce, or halfway through the feeding for older babies. How often your baby needs to burp depends on how much air was swallowed and how fast your baby drinks. Learn more about burping.
- Expect your baby’s appetite to vary from feeding to feeding. Some days your baby may drink a little more formula, other days less.
- Don’t try to coax your baby to finish a bottle. Follow your baby’s appetite.
- Throw out any formula that remains after a feeding. Don’t try to save it for the next feeding.
- Never prop a bottle or leave your baby alone to feed. This is dangerous and can cause choking, ear infections and tooth decay.
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How To Prepare Formula
Before you start preparing formula, wash your hands and have a clean work space, clean bottles, and safe water on hand. Tap water is usually fine, unless you have concerns about your local water safety in which case it’s best to use bottled water or boiled tap water.
Follow the instructions on the container of formula and use the included scoop. You’ll always add the water first, then the formula. Attach the nipple and shake well. Let the bubbles settle for a few minutes after shaking before feeding it to your baby to help reduce gas.
You can warm refrigerated bottles using a bowl of warm water, a bottle warmer, or running warm water never use a microwave, which heats milk unevenly and can burn your baby.
Find out more about preparing formula safely.
How Do I Prepare Formula
Formula comes in three basic forms:
- powders that require mixing with water and cost the least
- concentrates, which are liquids that require diluting with water
- ready-to-use liquids that can be poured right into bottles. These are the most expensive but are convenient if you’re traveling or can’t get to a clean water supply.
Carefully follow directions on the label when preparing formula. Do not add more water than directed.
Whatever formula you choose, check the expiration date on all cans and bottles of formula, and don’t use formula from leaky, dented, or otherwise damaged containers. Do not water-down formula this is dangerous, as it reduces the amount of nutrients in each bottle.
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Safety When Bottle Feeding
Sometimes infant formula can be recalled. Check Health Canadaâs website to make sure there are no recalls on the formula you are using.
Always test the temperature of the formula before starting to feed your baby. Let a drop of formula fall on your wrist. It should feel warm.
Do not add cereal or thickeners to formula because:
- Your baby will not get the right amount of nutrients for proper growth and development.
- It can cause choking.
Care Advice For Bottle Feeding
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Your Health Care Teams Advice
With your newborn, you will have regular healthcare appointments. These routine visits are mostly for checking in and monitoring your babys growth within the first month.
During your visits, your pediatrician will examine your baby and make specific recommendations.
If your babys weight is moving too fast or too slow according to the growth chart, your doctor may recommend more or less formula to adjust your feeding routine to meet the babys needs.
This information will be specific to your baby and your situation, and often it trumps any other recommendations given.