Infant Feeding and Amounts

Infant Feeding Amounts

In terms of infant feeding and amounts, your new baby only needs breastmilk or formula - nothing else. He or she does not need water. If you give water, you run the risk of filling them up and then they will not be hungry for their next feed. And breastmilk contains all the water they need.

Do not give any baby under 4 months any juice. They really cannot tolerate it and it could lead to illness, alergies or diarrhea.

Wherever you give your infant feeding and whatever amounts you feed her, make sure you are comfortable.

Feed your baby on demand. You will not spoil them. Most newborns need to feed 8 to 12 times in a 24 hour period. I know, it's a lot! You feel like all you are doing is feeding your infant, especially if you are breastfeeding. But try to make the most of it, by putting your feet up and relaxing while feeding your infant.

Infant feeding and amounts will vary as time goes on. By the time your infant is 3 or 4 months old, she will probably be down to 6 to 8 feedings a day (although my daughter Lexi breastfed every two hours for one year - I know that is an exception, and I really didn't mind because I found it very relaxing).

If you are bottle-feeding, you may find that your baby doesn't feed quite as often because breastmilk is more easily digested and therefore it "goes through them" faster. (sorry, I couldn't think of a more polite way to say that...)

As your baby gets bigger, they get more efficient and they will take less time to eat. This is especially true of breastfed infants. So in terms of infant feeding and amounts for older children, there are no hard and fast rules. Sometimes they only nurse for five minutes and then don't want anything for three hours. And you wonder if they got enough. But don't worry, your baby will let you know when she's hungry.

Speaking of that... Follow Your baby's cues to figure out when she is hungry. A lot of times she will put her fist in her mouth and start gnawing on it, or she will actually turn her head to your chest (or whoever is holding her at the time - oh, hi there, grandpa!) and open her mouth and start rooting.

Some days your baby will eat less, and some days more. Remember she is a person afterall, and aren't we like that too?

Don't spend too much time worrying about your infant feeding and amounts - how much your baby eats or how often; you will both get it figured out and if she is growing well then that is the goal.