During your baby's first 3 months, breast milk or formula
will provide all the nutrition needed.
But as your infant develops physically and mentally, the feeding
process will evolve. In general, babies move toward consuming more
milk during each feeding, so won't need to feed as often and
will sleep longer at night.
But there will be times during the next year - and, especially,
in the first 3 months - when a growth spurt increases your
baby's appetite. Continue to feed on demand and increase the
number of feedings as needed.
Your infant also will become more alert as the weeks progress,
starting to coo and developing a social smile. So there will
probably be more interaction between you and your baby during
feedings.
The following are general guidelines, and your baby may be
hungrier more or less often than this. That's why it's
important to pay attention to your infant's signals of being
hungry or full. A baby who is getting enough might slow down, stop,
or turn away from the breast or bottle.
Breastfeeding: How Much and How Often?
During these months, breastfed infants start to feed less
frequently and sleep for longer periods at night. You can be
reassured that your breastfed infant probably is eating enough if
he or she:
- seems alert, content, and active
- is steadily gaining weight, growing, and developing
- feeds six to eight times per day
- is wetting and soiling diapers on a regular basis
Your baby might not be eating enough if he or she doesn't
appear satisfied, even after feeding, and cries constantly or is
irritable. Call your baby's doctor if notice any of these
signs.
Remember that after about a month, breastfed babies tend to have
fewer bowel movements than they did before. When your child is
around 2 months old, he or she may not have a bowel movement after
each feeding, or even every day. If your infant still hasn't
had a bowel movement after 3 days, call your doctor.
During periods of rapid growth, you may notice that your little
one wants to feed more frequently. This frequent nursing
prompts the mother's body to increase the milk supply, and in a
couple of days, supply and demand will get into balance.
Exclusively breastfed infants should get vitamin D supplements
by 2 months of age, but additional supplements, water, juice, and
solid foods aren't usually necessary.
Formula Feeding: How Much and How Often?
Babies digest formula more slowly, so if you're
bottle-feeding, your baby may have fewer feedings than a breastfed
infant.
As your baby grows, he or she will be able to eat more and may
go for longer stretches between feedings. You'll also notice
that your baby is starting to sleep longer at night.
During the second month, infants may take about 4 or 5 ounces at
each feeding. By the end of 3 months, your baby will probably need
an additional ounce at each feeding.
One note about formula feeding: It's easier to overfeed when
using formula because it takes less effort to drink from a bottle
than from a breast. So make sure that the hole on the bottle's
nipple is the right size. The liquid should drip slowly from the
hole and not pour out. Also, resist the urge to finish feeding the
bottle when your baby shows those signs of being full.
Never use a bottle prop - it's a choking hazard. It also can
encourage your child to sleep with a bottle in the mouth, which can
lead to tooth decay.
A Word About Spitting Up
Many infants "spit up" small amounts after eating or
during burping. This gradually gets less frequent by the time a
baby is 6 months old, and is nearly gone by about 10 months.
Spitting up a small amount - less than 1 ounce (30 ml) -
shouldn't be a concern as long as it happens within an hour of
feeding and doesn't bother the baby.
You can reduce spitting up in these early months by:
- feeding before the baby gets very hungry
- keeping the baby in a semi-upright position during the
feeding and for an hour afterwards
- burping the baby regularly
- avoiding overfeeding
- not jostling or playing vigorously with the baby right after
a feeding
If your baby seems to be spitting up large amounts, spitting up
forcefully, is irritable during or after feedings, or seems to be
losing weight or not gaining weight as expected, call your doctor.
And if your child has a fever, or shows any signs of dehydration
(such as not wetting diapers), call the doctor right away.
Contact your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about
feeding your infant.
Reviewed by:
Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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