Navigating the world of newborn care brings a whirlwind of questions, and at the top of the list for many new parents is often: “How much should my newborn eat?”. The good news is that the answer is more straightforward than you might think. For most newborns, feeding on demand is the best approach, meaning you feed your baby whenever they show signs of hunger. This responsive approach helps ensure your baby gets exactly what they need for healthy growth and development.
Understanding Your Newborn’s Hunger Cues
While scheduled feedings might be necessary for premature babies or those with specific health conditions as advised by a pediatrician, healthy, full-term newborns are excellent communicators when it comes to their hunger. Paying attention to your baby’s hunger cues, rather than rigidly watching the clock, is key to successful feeding. This is commonly known as feeding on demand or responsive feeding, and it’s all about following your baby’s lead.
Hunger cues are your baby’s way of saying, “I’m ready to eat!”. While a crying baby is often assumed to be hungry, crying is actually a late sign of hunger. It’s much easier to feed a baby who is showing earlier hunger cues before they become overly upset and harder to settle for feeding.
Common Newborn Hunger Cues:
- Licking lips: This subtle movement can be an early indicator.
- Sticking tongue out: Another sign your baby might be exploring for food.
- Rooting: This is a classic cue where your baby turns their head and opens their mouth, as if searching for the breast or bottle.
- Bringing hand to mouth repeatedly: Sucking on fingers or fists is a strong hunger signal.
- Opening and closing mouth: Often accompanied by head turning, showing readiness to feed.
- Fussiness: Increased restlessness and mild irritability can signal hunger.
- Sucking motions: Making sucking movements even when not feeding.
It’s important to remember that not every cry or sucking motion means your baby is hungry. Babies also suck for comfort and self-soothing. Distinguishing between hunger and comfort cues can take time and patience. Sometimes, a cuddle, a diaper change, or simply being held is all your baby needs.
General Newborn Feeding Guidelines
Every baby is unique, and their feeding patterns will reflect this individuality. Some newborns prefer frequent, smaller meals, like “snacking,” while others take larger amounts at each feeding and go longer between feeds. Both patterns are perfectly normal.
A newborn’s stomach is quite small, roughly the size of an egg. This is why frequent, smaller feedings are well-tolerated by newborns. As your baby grows, their stomach capacity increases, allowing them to drink more at each feeding and naturally extend the time between feedings.
Feeding Amounts for Breastfed Babies
Breastfed newborns typically nurse quite frequently, often around every 2 hours, counting from the start of one feeding to the start of the next. This often translates to about 10-12 feeding sessions within a 24-hour period, especially in the early weeks. Over time, the intervals between breastfeeding sessions will gradually lengthen, but this is a gradual process that happens at your baby’s pace.
In the first few weeks, a breastfed baby might take in about 1 ounce of breast milk per feeding. This amount will steadily increase as they grow. By around one year old, a breastfed baby may consume approximately 4.5 ounces per feeding.
It’s worth noting that breastfed babies can sometimes consume more milk if the nursing parent has an oversupply. In these situations, babies might exhibit signs of spitting up, fussiness, or more frequent stools.
Feeding Amounts for Bottle-fed Babies
For bottle-fed newborns, formula feedings are generally recommended every 2 to 3 hours, aiming for a minimum of 8 feedings every 24 hours. In the first day or two of life, a bottle-fed baby might only take about half an ounce per feeding. However, after this initial period, they typically increase their intake to 1 to 2 ounces at each feeding.
By the end of the first month, most bottle-fed babies are consuming at least 3 to 4 ounces per feeding, approximately every 3 to 4 hours. Around 6 months old, their intake may increase to 6 to 8 ounces per feeding, with about 4 or 5 feedings spread throughout a 24-hour day. It’s also around 6 months old that the introduction of solid foods typically begins to complement their diet.
Concerns About Overfeeding or Underfeeding
Is it possible to overfeed a newborn?
Overfeeding is a concern that many parents have, especially when bottle-feeding. Babies who are bottle-fed might be more prone to overfeeding because drinking from a bottle can be faster and require less effort compared to breastfeeding. This means babies might continue to suck and drink even when they are full, as the milk flow is readily available. They may not always readily pull away or signal fullness as easily as they might during breastfeeding.
Overfeeding can lead to discomfort for your baby, including stomach upset, gas, spitting up or vomiting. Some studies also suggest a potential link between overfeeding in infancy and a higher risk of obesity later in life. It’s generally better to offer a smaller amount of formula initially, as you can always offer more if your baby is still showing hunger cues after finishing the initial amount.
Pausing during feedings, whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, can be helpful. Give your baby a moment to realize they are full. Babies often cry during transitions, such as when a bottle is removed or breastfeeding is paused, so a brief pause can help them recognize their satiety.
If you are concerned that your baby seems to want to eat constantly, even when you believe they are full, it’s always best to discuss this with your pediatrician. For healthy-weight babies who simply enjoy sucking for comfort, pacifiers can be a helpful tool to soothe them between feedings. However, for breastfed babies, it’s generally recommended to wait until breastfeeding is well-established, usually around 3 to 4 weeks of age, before introducing a pacifier.
How to Know if Your Baby is Getting Enough to Eat
Monitoring Diaper Output
A reliable indicator of whether your newborn is getting enough to eat is their diaper output. In the first few days after birth, a newborn should have 2 to 3 wet diapers each day. After about 4 to 5 days, this number should increase to at least 5 to 6 wet diapers daily.
Stool (poop) frequency can vary more widely among newborns. However, by the fourth day of life, your baby should be having at least 4 stools per day. The exact number and consistency of stools can differ depending on whether your baby is breastfed or formula-fed.
Growth Charts and Pediatrician Check-ups
During regular well-baby check-ups, your pediatrician will monitor your baby’s weight, length, and head circumference, and plot these measurements on a growth chart. Tracking your baby’s growth percentile over time is another important way to assess whether they are receiving adequate nutrition. Babies who consistently stay within healthy growth percentile ranges are generally getting a sufficient amount of food.
What if Your Baby Isn’t Gaining Enough Weight?
Babies born even slightly prematurely can sometimes be sleepier and may not take in enough milk in the early weeks. These babies need to be monitored closely to ensure they are following their growth curve. If you are concerned that your baby is not gaining weight adequately, don’t extend the time between feedings, even if it means gently waking your baby to feed.
It’s crucial to have an open conversation with your pediatrician about how often and how much to feed your baby, especially if you have any questions or concerns about your baby’s health and nutrition. They can provide personalized guidance based on your baby’s specific needs.
More Information
|
