How Much Milk You Should Feed Your Baby
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), for bottle-fed babies:, a newborn should consume 1 to 3 oz. of formula per feeding. By the end of the first month, your baby should take 2 to 3 oz. per feeding. Each subsequent month, you should step-up the normal feeding by 1 oz., until you arrive at 8 oz. per feeding. Generally, a child under 6 months should take 2 to 2.5 oz. per pound of body weight daily.
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For breast-fed babies: According to the authors of "What to Expect the First Year," when a newborn is breast-fed, he should be allowed to nurse for as long as he wants. It's all right if your baby unlatches a few times or nurses slowly; one feeding can take up to 45 minutes. Once your baby seems not interested in the first breast, then change breasts, and once again allow him to feed until he doesn't want any more.
Demand Feeding
The AAP recommends feeding on demand, which implies feeding the baby whenever she acts hungry or wants to eat. Step by step, a routine will develop.
For bottle-fed babies: in general, give your baby a bottle every 3 to 4 hours. For the first month, don't allow your newborn sleep longer than 5 hours without eating. By the 2nd month, your baby should be fed about every four or five hours.
For breast-fed babies: A baby should be breastfed 8 to twelve times per day or more frequently, which means feeding at least every two to three hours. For the first month, don't allow your baby sleep longer than three or four hours without being fed.
Parent-Directed Feeding
According to Robert Bucknam and Gary Ezzo, authors of "On Becoming Babywise," it's best to feed your baby according to a flexible schedule. Although you should always feed your baby when he is hungry, you should strongly encourage him to consume a full meal every time he eats and then to wait two and a half to 3 hours between feedings. (The AAP agrees that this can help a baby eat fuller meals and stay satisfied longer.) This steadies your baby's digestive metabolic process, and it allows your baby to sleep longer without waking up to snack. Plus, babies thrive on routine.
In addition, if you are breast-feeding your baby, parent-directed feeding influences your milk production and secures that your baby consumes adequate high-fat, high-calorie, nutrient-rich, hunger-satisfying breast milk.
Signs That Your Baby Is Hungry
Crying is your baby's last resort; you should notice that your baby is hungry much before she starts crying for food. Watch over these signs of hunger: sucking her hands or the air, wrinkling her mouth, uncommon alertness, rooting (turning to your breasts or "searching" for something to suck) or whimpering.
Don't automatically feed your baby every time she cries. Hear the cry of a baby and try to puzzle out what your baby is saying. For instance, she might be fussing herself to sleep or wanting to play, or she might have gas. If you feed her every time she cries, you might discount some of her needs, and you might overfeed her.
Is Baby Getting Enough Milk?
A newborn should bring out at least 5 dirty diapers each day and at least 8 to ten wet diapers daily. He should seem content after a meal. If your baby is showing these signs, then he is eating sufficiently.