The birth of a baby is not only a very important, but also an extremely important event in the life of every couple. Euphoria after the birth of a baby passes quickly, and it is replaced by chores about the baby. Newly made mom and dad are interested in a lot of questions (especially if the child is the first in the family).
One of the main issues is the peculiarities of feeding a newborn baby. How much should an infant eat per feeding? How does his food need change over time? When to introduce complementary foods? Young parents should know the answer to each of these questions in order to ensure the correct development of the baby and not harm the children's body.
Is colostrum enough for the baby?
In the first few days after birth, there is no milk in the woman’s mammary glands. 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. The small amount of food consumed is due to the small size of the baby’s stomach. However, this amount is enough to saturate a newborn baby. In rare cases, infant feeding is required. As a rule, these cases are caused by the baby’s heavy weight. With each feeding, the amount of colostrum released increases. The size of the baby’s stomach also increases.
Obtaining colostrum is necessary for a newborn child, since 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 released per day.
The norm of milk for children of 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 weakly formed in newborns, and also activates the production of breast milk. The milk norm for children of the first days of life is different for each baby and is calculated by the formula N * 10, where N is the number of days after the birth of the baby. Over time, the number of feedings decreases, and the volume of milk eaten at a time, on the contrary, increases.
How much should a baby eat in 2 months
8-10 days after birth, the so-called true milk appears in the glands of the woman. Its much more than colostrum. The question is ripening: how much should a baby eat in a month - two? In the interval between the first and second month, a small child eats about 700-800 grams of milk per day, 120-130 milliliters - for one feeding.
In the first two months, the amount of milk needed by the baby is 1/6 of the weight of the baby. It is worth remembering that the rate of milk is different for each baby, depending on the body weight of the baby. So, children with more weight need more milk than babies with less body weight.
Six months
Half-year-old babies are able to withstand fairly long breaks between feedings. Some children no longer need food at night. With normal development, the amount of feeding the baby at 6 months is 5-6 times. After reaching the age of six months, the infant should eat food per day, in the amount of 1/9 to 1/8 of its weight.
Experts strongly recommend that you follow the daily routine at this stage in the development of the baby. The duration of a meal is individual for each infant and directly depends on the behavior of a small child. To rush the baby is not worth it. Eating should be associated with pleasant emotions in the infant.
From 6 months you need to expand the baby’s diet and introduce complementary foods: vegetable and fruit purees, dairy-free and milk porridges. The latter should be given no more than 150 milliliters of the total daily amount 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 is allocated for meat puree, and 40 and 60 grams, respectively, for cottage cheese and baby juice. It is worth noting that experts recommend introducing the latest products into the baby’s diet no earlier than 7 months. For a day, the baby should receive about 150-160 calories. At least 80% should be allocated to the share of protein.
At 9 months
How does the diet change after reaching the age of nine months, and how many babies should eat per day? From 9 to 12 months, the baby’s diet is practically unchanged. Only the volume of consumed products increases, in addition to breast milk or its analogue, milk formula, which by this time make up one third of the baby’s daily diet.
It is recommended to give milk or a mixture to the baby in the morning and in the evening. The rest of the time in the diet of the baby should be present:
- vegetable puree - 180 g;
- mashed fruit - 80 g;
- porridge - 180 g;
- cottage cheese - 50-60 g;
- half of the yolk;
- 10 grams of cookies or bread;
- 100 milliliters of kefir;
- 5 grams of butter or sunflower oil.
The baby’s diet can include chopped meat, but not more than 50 grams per day. Exceeding the daily norm can cause digestive problems in the child. You need to understand that not all of these 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 the pediatric pediatrician.
How much should a breast-fed infant eat?
Breaks between feedings in the daytime should be 3.5-4 hours, at night - 6 hours. The volume of food prepared on the basis of the milk mixture per feeding is approximately 160-180 ml.
Features of artificial feeding
Parents of a baby who is breast-fed, need to understand that the nutritional needs of their babies and their naturally-fed babies are different. Newly made moms and dads need to consider several nuances:
- The number of feedings in the first months of life cannot be less than 6-7 times.
- The stomach of an artificial baby takes longer to digest food.
- With artificial feeding, it is necessary to draw up a diet. The baby needs to be fed strictly by the hour.
- You can 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, since an allergic reaction may occur in an artificial baby. In addition, experts recommend that you not blindly follow the advice on the packaging regarding the amount of the mixture per feed, but do the calculations yourself.
When to introduce complementary foods
Expanding the diet of a child-artificer and crumbs, being breastfed, has its own differences. Feeding a baby who eats a milk mixture, you can enter earlier. So, for example, new food in the form of fruit puree can be introduced as early as 5 months. At the same time, you can make attempts to feed the baby with dairy-free porridge: buckwheat, rice or corn. Experts strongly recommend starting with buckwheat porridge. It is better to introduce cereal porridge no earlier than 7 months.
Pediatric pediatricians recommend administering complementary foods to a breastfed infant not earlier than 6 months. To expand the diet, you first need dairy-free cereals and fruit puree. From 7 months you can enter vegetable and meat purees, as well as a small amount of butter, into the daily menu of crumbs.
It is necessary to expand the lure of the baby gradually. You need to start introducing a new product into a child’s diet with half a teaspoon. Gradually, by 12 months you can bring a 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, according to several signs.
1. The color and smell of urine. If the baby is full, the urine is transparent and does not have a pungent odor.
2. By the number of urinations. In the first months of life, the number of trips "in a small way" should not be less than 8-10 times.
3. For feces, the color of which should be light yellow. At the same time, they should not be too thick and too liquid, contain mucus and any inclusions and foreign particles.
4. According to the monthly weight gain. In the first months of life, the gain in weight of the baby with adequate nutrition should be from 400 to 1100 grams, about 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 be naughty.
If new parents are embarrassed by the behavior or condition of the baby, you must immediately contact a medical institution for advice from a pediatric pediatrician. Timely contacting a doctor will help to avoid further problems with the baby's nutrition and its development.
The kid eats little: what to do?
What to do if the child eats little, has insufficient weight gain? What is the cause of poor baby appetite? First of all, you need to pay attention to the behavior of the baby. If the baby is active, not naughty, and his behavior does not differ from 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.
Appetite loss may be due to teething. In addition, the cause may be an expansion of the baby’s diet. Introducing new products into the menu may contribute to a loss of interest in breast milk.
Conclusion
Absolutely every newly made mother cares how much the baby should eat or mix, and how to understand that the baby is full. In the first few days, milk in the glands of a woman is absent. Colostrum replaces it. 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 a baby, the number of feeds 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 feeds decreases, and the amount of food consumed increases. There is no exact answer to the question of how many grams an infant should eat in one feeding, since it all depends on the individual characteristics of the baby, including its body weight.