How much should a baby eat per feed?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The birth of a baby is not only a very important, but also an extremely responsible event in the life of every couple. The euphoria after the birth of the baby passes quickly, and it is replaced by worries about the baby. Newly minted mom and dad are interested in a lot of questions (especially if the child is the first in the family).

One of the main questions is the features of feeding a newborn baby. How much should a baby eat per feeding? How do his nutritional needs change over time? When to introduce complementary foods? Young parents should know the answer to each of these questions in order to ensure the proper development of the baby and not harm the child's body.

Is baby getting enough colostrum?

In the first few days after birth, there is no milk in the mammary glands of a woman. Instead, colostrum is released - the secret of the mammary gland, which is formed in the last few days of pregnancy and in the first 3-5 days after delivery.

At first, the amount of colostrum is small, about 1.5 - 2 ml. Small amount of consumptionfood is due to the small size of the baby's stomach. However, this amount is quite enough to saturate a newborn baby. In rare cases, infant feeding is required. As a rule, these cases are due to the large weight of the baby. With each feeding, the amount of colostrum secreted increases. The size of the baby's stomach also increases.

Obtaining colostrum is essential for a newborn baby, because it contains a huge amount of useful substances that contribute to the normal development of the baby and the activation of the protective functions of the baby's body. Colostrum contains trace elements, immunoglobulins, antibodies and a lot of protein. It is completely absorbed by the body of a newborn child, providing the baby with passive immunity. About 200-300 ml of colostrum is secreted per day.

Milk norm for children in the first ten days of life

In the first few days after birth, the number of feedings can reach 10. During this period, it is recommended to apply crumbs to the breast as often as possible. This contributes to the development of the sucking reflex, which is poorly formed in newborns, and also activates the production of breast milk. The milk norm for children in the first days of life is different for each baby and is calculated using the formula N10, where N is the number of days after the birth of the baby. Over time, the number of feedings decreases, and the amount of milk eaten at a time, on the contrary, increases.

How much should a baby eat at 2 months

After 8-10 days after childbirth, the so-called true milk appears in the glands of a woman. It is much more than colostrum. The question is brewing: how much should a baby eat in a month or two? Between the first and second months, a small child eats about 700-800 grams of milk per day, 120-130 milliliters per feeding.

In the first two months, the amount of milk a baby needs is 1/6 of the baby's weight. It is worth remembering that the rate of milk is different for each baby, depending on the baby's body weight. For example, babies with higher body weight need more milk than babies with less body weight.

In six months

Six-month-old babies are able to withstand fairly long breaks between feedings. Some children do not need food at night. With normal development, the number of feedings for a baby at 6 months is 5-6 times. After reaching the age of six months, an infant should eat food per day, in the amount of 1/9 to 1/8 of its weight.

Experts strongly recommend following the daily routine at this stage of the baby's development. The duration of the meal is individual for each baby and directly depends on the characteristics of the behavior of a small child. Don't rush the baby. Eating should be associated in an infant with pleasant emotions.

From 6 months old, you need to expand the baby's diet and introduce complementary foods: vegetable and fruit purees, dairy-free and milk cereals. On thethe latter should be given no more than 150 milliliters of the total daily volume of food necessary for the normal development of the baby. More than 150 milliliters should not be allocated to vegetable purees. The volume of fruit purees eaten by the baby per day should be approximately 50-60 ml.

30-40 ml are allocated for meat puree, and 40 and 60 grams for cottage cheese and children's juice, respectively. It is worth noting that experts recommend introducing the latest products into the diet of a child no earlier than 7 months. For a day, the baby should receive about 150-160 calories. Protein should be at least 80%.

At 9 months

How does the diet change after nine months of age, and how much should a baby eat per day? From 9 to 12 months, the baby's diet practically does not change. The volume of consumed products is only increasing in addition to mother's milk or its analogue, infant formula, which by this time make up one third of the baby's daily diet.

Milk or formula is recommended to be given to the baby in the morning and evening. The rest of the time, the baby's diet should include:

• vegetable puree - 180g;
• fruit puree - 80g;
• porridge - 180 g;
• cottage cheese - 50-60 g;
• half yolk;
• 10 grams of biscuits or bread;
• 100 milliliters of kefir;
• 5 grams of butter or sunflower oil.

In the baby's diet, you can include chopped meat, but not more than 50 grams per day. Exceeding the daily allowance can causechild with digestive problems. You need to understand that not all of the listed products should be consumed by the baby in one day. This is just a list of foods that a baby should eat. The menu for the day should be compiled by parents, taking into account the recommendations of a pediatrician.

How much should a bottle-fed baby eat

Breaks between feedings during the day should be 3.5-4 hours, at night - 6 hours. The amount of formula-based food per feeding is approximately 160-180 ml.

Features of artificial feeding

Parents of a bottle-fed baby need to understand that the nutritional needs of their baby and a breast-fed baby are different. Newly minted moms and dads need to consider a few nuances:

1. The number of feedings in the first months of life cannot be less than 6-7 times.
2. The stomach of an artificial baby takes longer to digest food.
3. With artificial feeding, it is necessary to draw up a diet. The baby needs to be fed strictly on time.
4. Store the mixture at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, in the refrigerator - no more than a day.

It is very important to choose the right mixture, because an artificial baby may experience allergic reactions. In addition, experts recommend not blindly following the advice on the package regarding the amount of the mixture perone feeding, and do the calculations yourself.

When to introduce complementary foods

The expansion of the diet of an artificial child and a breastfed baby has its own differences. Complementary foods for a formula-fed baby can be introduced earlier. So, for example, a new food in the form of fruit puree can be introduced as early as 5 months. At the same time, attempts can be made to feed the baby with dairy-free porridge: buckwheat, rice or corn. Experts strongly recommend starting with buckwheat porridge. Cornmeal porridge is best introduced no earlier than 7 months.

Introducing complementary foods to a breastfed baby, pediatricians recommend not earlier than 6 months. You need to expand the diet first with dairy-free cereals and fruit purees. From the age of 7 months, vegetable and meat puree crumbs, as well as a small amount of butter can be introduced into the daily menu.

You need to gradually expand the baby's complementary foods. You need to start introducing a new product into the child’s diet with half a teaspoon. Gradually, by 12 months, you can bring the serving to 150 grams.

How to understand that the baby is full

Many mothers are interested not only in how much milk a baby should eat, but also how to understand that the baby is full. You can check whether the baby is full or not by several signs.

1. The color and smell of urine. If the baby is full, the urine is clear and does not have a strong odor.

2. By the number of urination. In the first months of life, the number of trips "over-small" should not be less than 8-10 times.

3. For stools, the color of which should be light yellow. However, they should not be too thick and too liquid, contain mucus and any inclusions and foreign particles.

4. Monthly weight gain. In the first months of life, the weight gain of the baby with sufficient nutrition should be from 400 to 1100 grams, approximately 150-200 grams per week.

5. According to the behavior of the baby and his sleep. If the baby is hungry, his sleep will be restless. A small child with insufficient food will constantly wake up and act up.

If new parents are embarrassed by the behavior or condition of the baby, you should immediately contact a medical institution for advice from a pediatrician. A timely visit to the doctor will avoid further problems with the baby's nutrition and development.

Baby eats little: what to do?

What to do if the child eats little, has insufficient weight gain? What is the reason for the poor appetite of the baby? First of all, you need to pay attention to the behavior of the baby. If the baby is active, not naughty and his behavior is no different from the usual, parents should not worry. To calm down, you can increase the intervals between feedings. Perhaps the baby just does not have time to get hungry.

Deterioration of appetite is possible due to teething. In addition, the reason may be the expansion of the diet of the baby. The introduction of new foods to the menu may contribute to the loss of an infant's interest in breastfeeding.milk.

Conclusion

Absolutely every new mother worries about how much milk or formula a baby should eat, and how to understand that the baby is full. In the first few days, there is no milk in the glands of a woman. It is replaced by colostrum. The baby consumes no more than 2 ml of colostrum. And this amount is enough for the baby to eat.

In the first time after the birth of the crumbs, the number of feedings can exceed 8-10. As a rule, the first month of life, the mother feeds the baby every 3-4 hours. Over time, the number of feedings decreases, and the amount of food consumed increases. There is no exact answer to the question of how many grams a baby should eat in one feeding, since it all depends on the individual characteristics of the baby, including its body weight.