New born- All about Feeding!
A new mum is always looking after her new born baby making sure he/ she is safe, comfortable and peaceful. Two of the most important baby related areas are feeding and sleeping. Let us now take you through the feeding and sleeping patterns in a baby.
Feeding
For the first 8 weeks your baby will probably feed every 2-3 hours and this cycle will continue in the night as well. The new born stomach is very small, about the size of a marble and needs to be fed frequently.
For the first six months it is advisable to give the baby only breast milk. If breast milk is not an option then formula but this must be done only on the advice of the baby’s doctor. Post six months you can follow a weaning plan. Again do consult your doctor or a certified counsellor as this is the time of developing tastes, habits and also slowly acclimatising the gut which will help prevent allergies.
Feeding pattern
In the first few months the baby may take about 8-12 feeds every day. By about 6 months the baby would be taking 6-8 breast feeds every day. As you introduce solids, this will drop further. Ideally by the time your baby is about a year old he would take 4 solids and 2 milk feeds per day. If the baby is still on breast milk he may take an additional comfort feed as well.
Your baby thrives on routines and it is important that you set routines for the baby and follow them. Routines for feeding is what you can try and set in the first few months. Of course we do not mean that you need not feed your baby on demand but try and give importance to the baby’s schedule and routine above everything. A baby will generally be happy and playful if well rested and well fed and if the baby is tired, sleepy and hungry then he will tend to be more cranky and difficult to manage.