If you are an experienced mom or not, knowing the amount of milk to give to your baby can be challenging to understand. In general, moms have lots of questions. Some of them include; do I need to breastfeed or feed with formula? Can I overfeed my baby? How do I determine if my baby is fed enough? When can I start giving them solid foods? How often do I need to feed my baby? And most importantly, what amount of milk should I give to my baby?
The answer to the last question can be different depending on the appetite and age of the baby. You must keep an open mind. For newborns, 45 to 90ml be given every 2 or 3 hours. For one-month-old, 120ml be administered every 3 or 4 hours. For two months old, 120-150ml be given every 3 or 4 hours. For four months old, 120-180ml every 3 or 4 hours. For six months old, 180-230ml should be given every 4 or 5 hours.
This guide gives you an idea of how much you should feed your baby. If you are unsure that your baby is not eating enough, then schedule a meeting with your nurse or pediatrician for advice.
After six months, you can reduce the amount of milk you feed your baby as you introduce solid foods to their diet.
Some things you need to know about feeding your baby is discussed below.
Day One – The Initiation Phase
After you give birth to your baby, the first day can be overwhelming for a new mom to handle. It is a hectic time for a mom with many things to keep in mind and consider in addition to feeding the baby. You must draw out a schedule for feeding your baby so that you can immediately start a normal feeding routine.
It’s probably the best time for you to ensure that you get everything you will need during the initial six months. Make sure you look around for high-quality baby bottles, breast pumps, adapters, and sterilizers, which will help you during these six months of your child’s life.
If you’re thinking about breastfeeding your baby after childbirth, you must breastfeed immediately after the first few hours of birth. It’s called the “golden hour,”. It has been proven to increase your infant survival chances from research carried out. Feeding during the first hours can help your baby absorb more nutrients which is the best way to kick start breastfeeding.
At the point of birth, your child’s stomach is tiny and can only take up about 5 to 7ml of milk in one feeding, roughly approximately one teaspoonful of milk. Therefore, you should not be worried that your baby is not taking in a large amount of milk. As they grow, their milk intake will increase.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding your baby regularly helps to establish a routine. It will also help to stimulate your breast and increase milk production. If your baby does not regularly feed, then merely simulating the act of breastfeeding can assist with establishing a normal routine. Newborns must take in 90% of the breast milk in the first 10 minutes and feed around 8 or 12 times during the day.
First 24 hours of feeding, you shouldn’t use a breast pump. This can only happen if you and your baby didn’t establish a breastfeeding routine during the early 24 hours of birth. It can also apply to such a situation where the mother and child are separated from each other due to one medical condition. Don’t be surprised if you notice that you produce about 600ml of milk in 24 hours.
Bottle Feeding
If you feed your baby using a bottle, you can give them 30 to 60ml of baby formula every 3 hours. You can also provide more baby formula if you notice that they are still hungry. You can choose to feed your baby about 12 to 18 times on the first day. You must start feeding at room temperature in order to build a taste with your baby.
Day Three to Fourteen: Increase Milk Volume
This stage can occur between 1-5 days after birth. However, this can vary for some mothers. If you are concerned, you can consult with a pediatrician or nurse to check if your baby receives the recommended number of nutrients. After the first 3 days, your child’s stomach should be big enough to be able to contain about 30ml of milk. Do not worry since your body is going to automatically produce more portions of milk.
Breastfeeding
End of week one – the mother should produce between 200-300ml of milk every day. By now, your baby’s stomach will be able to take about 22-27ml of milk. Your body is going to adjust to milk production to suit your baby’s needs after breastfeeding for about 3 or 5 days,
You might notice that your breast’s milk production will largely remain unchanged, and though their appetite will likely stay the same. You are likely to notice more gaps between feeds as the process becomes longer. It’s perfectly normal and your baby will adapt to the new routine.
It is good to feed your baby at least 8-10 times a day as this might help increase milk production; also, your body will adapt to when your child’s feeding schedule. The amount of milk your body produces will change depending on your baby’s appetite and habits.
If your child doesn’t wake by himself in the initial stage, your nurse might recommend you wake them when it’s time to feed. Your breastmilk milk will likely be producing different types of fats and more lactose as your baby grows up. This is good as it helps with their growth.
Bottle Feeding
Babies will now the amount of milk they require. The average amount will be between 60 to 90 ml every feeding. After the initial 24 hours, you can begin to supplement with baby formula as their demand increase but do not make them drink to much milk. Also, you can also find the right amount of formula to give by dividing the amount needed in 24 hours by the number of times to feed.
Day Fourtheen – Six Months: Sustaining
Once you get to this level, it is necessary to follow some simple guidelines to ensure that your baby is getting the right amount of nutrients. You should ensure that they are breastfeeding effectively and are consuming the right amount of milk regularly. Monitor your child’s feeding routine. Once you notice that they are not consuming the regular amount of milk they used to drink, then it is time you visit your child’s pediatrician.
Breastfeeding
At this time, you are likely to be producing about 750ml of milk every day. Provided that your breastfeeding, as well as pumping routine, don’t change much, this will remain largely the same. Your baby will also grow by about 1 to 2 pounds per month. You will even notice that your body will start to produce more better milk to meet up with demands.
At four months, your baby will drink more milk in each feeding to about 160ml.
Bottle Feeding
When feeding using a bottle, you can may also use the same rule to calculate the weight of your baby by multiplying the number by 2.5 in order to get the right dosage. The average dosage is as follows; 1 month old will get about 120ml per each feeding, 2 months old will get about 120-150ml per each feeding, 4 months will get 120-180ml per each feeding, 6 months old will get about 180-240ml per each feeding.
Six Months and Continuous
According to scientists the best phase to introduce your baby to solid food is from 6 months and above. So how can you determine when it is time for your baby to move away from milk?
- You notice your child can control his/her head with ease.
- Your child leans forward during feeding.
- He can sit without support.
Know if Your Baby is Full
- Your baby releases your breast.
- Your baby relaxes their body and opens their fists.
- He looks away from the nipple.
Know When Your Baby is Hungry
- They turn their head to look for mommy’s breast.
- Sucking their hands
- Closing and opening and their fist.
Conclusion
Mothers should breastfeed their babies as this helps to establish a bond between them. Also, breastfeeding has lots of nutritional benefits for the baby as it provides them with lots of nutrients necessary for mental and physical development and building up their immune system. The only case mothers are exempted from breastfeeding is when there is a medical condition.
How much milk babies should drink will be determined by your baby’s appetite and the age? As they grow older, they tend to drink more milk to support their development and growth. Once they attain six months, feeding with just breast milk or formula would not be enough as you can now introduce solid food into their diet.