Congratulations to all the new mothers and a warm welcome to motherhood! You brought a new life to this world. Along with the little angel of yours, it is a new life for you too. This is another and one of the most precious phases of a woman’s life. If you are new to this phase with your first child, then you must be packed with a lot of things in your head.
How to take the best care of your baby? How to understand it’s feeling? Is the baby hungry or is he/she in any kind of pain, should you maintain a baby feeding schedule? What about solids, should you name it something like baby feeding schedule solids, etc.! You will have haywires of thought but in brief, all you need to keep in mind for the initial days is that your work for the whole day will be taking care of your young’un: feeding the baby, changing their diapers, cradling them and sleeping. That’s all. But here’s the catch.
You have to repeat this routine the whole day and night as many times as required. One of the crucial things is your baby feeding schedule. Hearing this do not stay perplexed. If you have not given any thought to this then you should binge here and get to know more.
Baby Feeding ScheduleHere’s The Ultimate Guide To Baby Feeding Schedule
When to feed? How to feed? What to feed? How much to feed? A whole lot of questions lead to confusion. To make it easier, let us squarely get to the point. It is recommended that you should feed the baby only when demanded. That means, do not thrust things into your kid’s mouth if they are completely expressing a no. The following points will help you figure out all the issues you have in mind.
Baby Feeding Schedule By Age Of The Baby
Newborn babies are to be breastfed. On the first day of your baby’s life, the size of your baby’s stomach stays very small. Milk of about hardly a teaspoon will get in. Once you start breastfeeding, their stomach will start to stretch out. If in any case you are not able to breastfeed the child, do bottle feed. But remember, start with a very little quantity.
Overfeeding can cause damage to the kid. Babies are very soft and delicate. Their digestive system is not as strong as a grownup human being. Hence you should be careful.
Here are some tips to feed the baby:
- On the first day, feed 0.5 ounces (Oz) per feeding. No solid food.
- From the second day of birth until 2 weeks: feed 1-2 ounce(oz) per feeding. No solid food.
- 2 weeks to 2 months: 2-4 Oz per feeding. No solid food
- 2 months – 4 months: 4-6 Oz per feeding. No solid food.
- 4 months – 6 months: 5-8 Oz per feeding. You can try some overcooked solid foods like plain khichdi especially without any spices. Breast-fed or bottle-fed milk is the fundamental food for a newborn baby. So until 6 months, you can skip solid food
- 6 months -12 months: 8 Oz per feeding. You can surely feed solid food by now. Start with a single grain. Possibly overcooked. So that it becomes soft and easy for the baby to swallow. But don’t skip breastfeeding.
Baby Feeding ScheduleHow Many Times Should A Newborn Feed?
Once you are a mother, there is no time to rest. You have to feed the baby very frequently and do not take the risk of not feeding for more than 3 hours. Nourishment is essential right after birth.
First of all, do remember that you should feed your baby every 2 to 3 hours. Since the baby eats very little quantity, you have to feed the baby frequently. It will be easier for you if you divide the 24 hours of a day by the number of times you will be feeding your baby. Fairly distribute the hours according to the number of times you are going to nurse your baby and this will give you in-hand your baby feeding schedule.
Breast-Feeding
Baby Feeding ScheduleIf you are breast-feeding the child, you are indirectly or directly making your baby healthier as well as happier. It is like giving appropriate nutrition at the right time. Within a day or two, you will be able to predict your baby’s frequency of hunger. After all, a mother knows the best.
Here is a quick baby feeding schedule that you can follow:
- First 3 weeks: feed for 10 to 12 times every 24 hours.
- Until 3 months: You can feed for 8 to 9 times every 24 hours.
- 3 months to 6 months: Increase the quantity along with the intervals. Feed the baby for at least 8 times every 24 hours.
- From 6 months: 6 times a day with increased quantity. If the quantity remains less, then feed them frequently increasing the number of times to 8.
- From 12th month: 4 times with an increased amount of food. By that time you can also introduce solids to your toddler.
Bottle-Fed
Like we mentioned, if in any circumstance, you are not able to breast-feed the baby, bottle-fed will work too. Just make sure that the baby is getting all the nutrition it requires. Proper nourishment will keep the baby healthy. Even though breastfeeding is the best, at times you can also go for bottle fed as an alternative.
- First few weeks: feed after every 2 to 3 hours.
- From the 3rd month: after every 3 to 4 hours. Subsequently, increase the quantity
- From the 6 months: after every 5 to 6 hours.
- From 12th month: similar to breast-feeding. Start overcooked solid food from the 9th month.
In whatever way you feed your baby, do not force them to eat. Let them generate the urge to consume. Feeding the baby when demanded is the right procedure. Also if required, consult your doctor.
Baby Feeding Schedule For 1 to 5 Years Old kid
Once you overcome the first year, it is going to get easier for you. In the first month, the child adjusts to the human lives. They adapt to the surroundings, environment, and culture. In the second month, it is the growing time for the child. Your child will require lots of nutrition to grow. Therefore, feed the baby with the appropriate amount of proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, and nutrients. Don’t forbid the child to eat unless it is junk.
Avoid feeding junk food to your baby. It is not healthy at all. Also, habituate your kid to drink ample amounts of water. The baby should stay hydrated.
Points To Remember.
- Feed the formulas that are prescribed by the doctors or you can always depend on breast milk. For about 6 months after birth, refrain your kid from any other liquid. The baby may not be able to digest it. No juice, no water, not even cow’s milk.
- No solid food for 6 months.
- Do not overfeed the baby.
Baby Feeding Schedule For Solid Food
You can start feeding solid foods once the baby is 6 months old. Their digestive system matures by that time which enables them to absorb the energy from solid foods.
- Start with one grain at a time.
- First few days, feed overcooked solid food.
- If required, mash the food so that it becomes easier for the baby to swallow.
Solid Foods To Avoid
- A hard substance such as vegetables.
- Fruits. Avoid fresh raw fruits. They might get hurt or might even choke.
- Nuts and peas.
- Meat or fish at least 8 to 10 months. If you wish, you can give a very small properly cooked piece. Make sure that the piece is mashed.
Rounding up the words, feed your newborn baby with lots of love and care. Don’t be confused and worried. Follow the baby feeding schedule chart mentioned above and we can assure it will get easier for you. Take care of yourself. The baby needs the mother too. You have to be healthy in order to take care of your pumpkin. So stay happy. Stay blessed.
Also Read; Breastfeeding Techniques: Ways To Feed Newborns
