The question of how often to feed a newborn is the most common one among young parents. Proper nutrition will help avoid problems with the baby’s digestive system, well-being, and development. A saturated infant is satisfied and calm, so it is important to properly organize the feeding process and calculate its frequency.- a Feeding Schedule
The baby’s food-consuming schedule largely depends on what is included in its diet whether it’s breast milk or infant formula. Let’s look at the regimen for a child and find out how to organize it at different age stages and types of feeding.
The Regime For Breastfed Baby- a Feeding Schedule
Getting a newborn on a food-consuming regime is not an easy task. Breastfeeding is not only the source of food for a kid but also a way to communicate with a mother that gives a child a sense of security and comfort. An infant is usually breastfed on demand every 2-2.5 hours, but breaks can not be more than three hours.
During the first months of life, there are approximately 12-20 attaching to the breast a day. Do not be afraid to put a child to the breast as often as it asks. The baby’s stomach is not involved in digesting process. Milk passes through it in transit, stays in it for 15-20 minutes, and then enters the intestine, where it digests itself and is absorbed by the intestinal wall. An infant will not eat more than it needs. There is no reason to worry if a child spits up often and a lot, but urinates frequently and is gaining weight normally. A healthy child can spit up 1-2 tablespoons each time after food-consuming.
Up to a month after birth, it’s difficult to talk about specific hours and minutes. An infant only learns to suck, meeting its needs as required by nature. After the first month, some periodicity of feeding can be made. Up to two or three months, it’s possible to set a food-consuming regime. For some kids, it’s OK to eat every two hours, while others need to eat every two and a half or every three hours. To regulate the schedule for a breastfed baby, watch how it behaves. The frequency of food-consuming is determined by the duration of breastfeeding. Sometimes in the process, a kid falls asleep without being saturated. It will cause it to want to eat again when it wakes up, which will shorten the feeding interval.
The Schedule For Bottle-fed Baby- a Feeding Schedule
The intervals between feeding a kid with a baby formula are from three to four hours. The volume of the formula is calculated taking into account the child’s weight and age. Bottle-feeding is a delicate process that should be started as prescribed by a pediatrician by following the rules, listening to the doctor’s recommendations, and choosing baby food from reliable quality brands. Only in this way, a newborn will get everything it needs for the full formation of the body, feeling full and satisfied. Unlike breastfeeding, bottle feeding requires the regime because a child digests food a bit longer. To set up the correct formula-consuming schedule, the following rules should be followed:
- the interval between food is 3 – 3,5 hours. At night, a child may sleep soundly until 6 o’clock without requesting formula
- it is essential to include special purified water sold in pharmacies and baby food departments in the menu
- after starting complementary foods, the number of feedings can be slightly reduced
- in case a kid is gaining weight poorly, eats poorly, or has an allergic reaction it means the formula doesn’t suit you
The newborn’s stomach holds about 10 ml per one food-consuming. With each subsequent day, the volume of the stomach and nutrition increases by 10 ml, that is, on the second day of life it is 20 ml, on the third – 30 ml, and by the seventh day – 70 ml. The volume of the infant milk is divided by the age:
- the needed amount between 1-2 months is 500-700 ml which is divided into 8-10 per day
- from 2 to 4 months is 750 – 950 ml split up into 6-7 feedings
- from 4 to 6 months the essential amount of formula is 85 -1000 ml
- that is 5-6 food consuming per day
The Schedule on Mixed-Feeding
If there is no urgent need to start mixed feeding, then infant milk should be introduced gradually. A six-month-old kid is not yet mature enough and must adapt to a new diet. This process does not always go smoothly. There could be gastrointestinal dysfunctions such as constipation, indigestion, increased flatulence, regurgitation, and colic. If the volume of supplementary baby food is small, then it is better to give it from a spoon. If supplementation is made from a bottle, then it is better to choose an elastic nipple with small holes. The easy flow of formula through the nipple contributes to a faster rejection of the breast.
The mode of feeding a child is based on the type of food. If a kid is breastfed, then a nursing mother put it to the breast whenever a kid needs it. The milk formula is usually scheduled by the hour so that a child has time to digest and assimilate it. From about four to six months, dairy foods begin to be combined with complementary foods according to a certain schedule. In many cases, if the type of food is changed it is necessary to give a kid time to get used to the necessary rhythm. Remember that daily adjustments and a chaotic diet have never benefited the child’s body. Therefore, it is important to adhere to the chosen individual regime.
