Many mothers are nervous and wonder how many times a day a newborn should eat, and how often should it be fed? It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally and to draw up a general nutrition plan, since it all depends on the individual characteristics of the sucking reflexes of the mother’s crumbs and breasts, as well as the presence of milk in it. Nevertheless, let's figure out how to feed a child so that he grows strong and healthy.
How many times a day a newborn should eat
The first couple of postpartum days in the mother stands out a special substance - colostrum. It is fatter and more nutritious than breast milk. Since the baby is born very fragile and with a poorly developed sucking reflex, and is just starting to get acquainted with the outside world and food, there is no need to be afraid that in the first days he will eat only a few drops of colostrum of the mother (about a teaspoon). In addition, the baby’s stomach at the time of birth is from 7 to 10 ml and can no longer accommodate.
On the second day, the peanut will eat a little more - 2-3 teaspoons of colostrum.
Already on the third day, the newborn will begin to develop rapidly, and he will need more milk (colostrum will go away). It needs to be fed longer. The stomach will increase to 20-40 ml. In order for the baby to be full, you need to rely on about the same amount of breast milk.
As the child grows with each subsequent day, the amount of milk consumed should also gradually increase. By two weeks, a child's daily intake should be approximately 500 grams of milk, with a single feeding of 50-70 grams and so on.
Over time, you no longer have to increase the dose, the portions will form and by 6-7 months the baby will eat approximately 800-1000 grams per day.
It is definitely difficult to answer the question how many times a day a newborn should eat. It will be right to feed him when he is hungry and keep it near his chest until he eats. Usually babies eat 10-12 times a day every 2-3 hours.
All data are approximate. Each newborn child eats differently - someone more often and denser, someone less and less. Therefore, to establish a clear schedule for your baby can only be done empirically and by observation.
How to understand if the baby has enough milk
Many parents are afraid that the newborn will be hungry. In order to understand whether he has enough milk, his mother needs to observe the manner of behavior of the crumbs, his condition. If a child sleeps well, doesn’t ask to eat more than is necessary, and is gaining weight, then everything is in order, and the child eats as much as he needs for growth and development. But if the baby behaves uneasily, or incredulous parents just have doubts about the satiety of their child, then you can easily check whether the baby is enough food or not. You need to purchase special scales for children and weigh the baby before he ate and after. The difference (plus or minus a few grams) will be the result of how much he ate. You can do it in another way: express milk from the breast and put it in a bottle, so up to ml to understand if the peanut suffices milk.
Excessive worries about the amount of milk consumed by the baby are in vain, as he will take the required amount.
How many times a day a newborn should eat: features of the sucking instinct
The baby sucks mother’s breasts not only because she wants to eat, but also because of his special physiological need for sucking. The structure of the oral cavity, cheeks and lips of the baby is designed in such a way that it can firmly grab the mother’s chest and stick to it, however, to strengthen them, you need to constantly put the baby on the chest so that in the future he does not suck his finger or fist. Due to the baby’s need for sucking, the feeding process can take up to an hour. In general, the approximate feeding duration should be from 15 to 30 minutes. But do not strictly count the feeding time. When the baby is full, he will let you know.
When feeding a newborn, it is important to ensure that he is sucking his chest, rather than chewing or simply holding it in his mouth. With prolonged feeding, if the child began to chew it, then this means that he will soon fall asleep.
How many times a day should a newborn eat with artificial feeding?
A baby who is fed milk formula is pulled to eat about the same as a baby breastfed. Modern milk mixes for newborns include approximate elements adapted to mother's milk that contribute to the development and full growth of the baby. But when feeding a child with this method, there is a risk of overeating. Therefore, if you do not observe how many times a day a newborn child should eat, he may have bloating, difficulty digestion, and colic.
In order to choose the optimal amount of nutrition for the baby, it is best to contact a pediatrician. After examination, taking into account the physiological characteristics, height, weight of the child, he will advise how many times a day your newborn should eat.
Doctors usually say that it is better to underfeed the baby than to overfeed and then not sleep at night because of problems with his stomach.
In practice, there is a simple way to calculate the volume of feeding a baby. It is necessary to multiply the number of days of a child from birth by 10 milliliters. The result is the amount of food consumed at one time (for example, on day 4, the child should eat 40 ml of the milk mixture at a time). But this is only the first 3 weeks.
Subsequently, up to 2 months, the calculation of the daily dose will be 1/5 of its body weight. For example, if your peanut weighs 3500 kg, then the daily dose will be 3500/5 = 700 ml per day. A one-time will be equal to: 700 ml, divided by the number of doses (usually 6-7). Total about 100 ml per dose of the milk mixture.
With the growth of the child, the amount of food consumed will increase: in 2-4 months - 1/6, from 4 months to 1.6 years - 1/7, in 6-8 months - 1/8, 8-12 months - 1 / 9 by weight. To avoid overeating, the main thing per day is not to exceed the feeding volume of 1200 ml.
Unlike a baby infant, it is advisable to feed the artificer, observing the regime: during the day - every 3 hours (deviation is plus or minus half an hour), in the evening and at night, the interval between feeding is 4-5 hours.
You can focus on the diet, but you must take into account the baby’s appetite, as well as the recommendations made by the pediatrician.
The key to the health of the baby is the question of the cleanliness of the dishes from which he drinks. Therefore, do not forget to boil or sterilize bottles and nipples with a special apparatus.
Additional information on how many times a day newborns should eat
It is important for mothers not only to know how many times a day a newborn baby should eat, but also other nutritional features.
• Belching. Every baby, starting from the first days of life, when he drinks milk, swallows with it the air that remains in the stomach and gives the child anxiety. To get rid of discomfort, the little one has a good way: hold the baby in his arms, resting his head on his shoulder and stroking the back. Previously, it is better to put a napkin on your shoulder in case the child suddenly burps. Not everyone can burp air right away. It helps: put the baby in the crib for a couple of minutes, and then take it back in your arms. After the baby burps, you can continue feeding him.
• Weight gain. Many parents worry that their baby is gaining weight much more slowly than other children. Do not worry about this. If the baby eats well, sleeps and is generally healthy, then a slow increase is no big deal. However, it is better to play it safe and show the child to a pediatrician.
• Restroom. When deciding how many times a day a newborn child should eat, it is necessary to look at the number of diapers soiled with it. Do not forget that with proper feeding, the baby should have regular stools (at least 3 times a day). And healthy kids can write 10 to 20 times a day.
The most important need of a baby after birth is its nutrition. From how the child eats correctly, all his physical development and condition depend. So, mothers, good luck with feeding your little one!
