What to Feed a Baby From Birth to 4 Months
Infant Feeding Chart: How Much and When to Feed Infants the First Year
All babies develop at dissimilar rates, but these guidelines suggest what to feed your infant and when to feed it.
Wondering if y'all're feeding your baby enough breast milk, formula, or solid nutrient? We broke down some suggested recommendations—but proceed in listen that all infants require different amounts depending on body weight, appetite, and age. Ask your pediatrician if you lot're unsure, and then check out our baby feeding guidelines by age.
Newborns
Newborns should receive all calories from breast milk or formula. Here'due south a tentative breakdown.
Chest Milk: About newborns consume every ii to three hours, co-ordinate to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and they drink ane-2 ounces of breast milk per feeding. By the time your baby reaches 2 weeks old, this amount will increase to two-3 ounces. Mostly, you lot tin tell your footling 1 is eating enough if they wet their diaper every three to four hours.
Formula: A formula-fed infant volition take about two to three ounces per feeding, and they'll eat every three to four hours. This corporeality will increment as your baby grows. As a rule of thumb, you should aim to feed your baby two.v ounces of formula per pound of body weight daily, says Amy Lynn Stockhausen, G.D., an acquaintance professor of full general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
- RELATED: Breastfeeding Guide for the Whole First Year
During the starting time few weeks, if Infant does not wake themselves up in the middle of the dark to eat, your pediatrician may recommend waking them for feedings.
one-3 Months Old
Between 1 and 3 months of age, your baby's appetite will increase and they'll become more vocal about telling you when they're hungry—especially since they're likely on a regular feeding schedule by this point. The AAP says that a 2-month-old baby volition unremarkably eat 4 to 5 ounces every three to four hours.
If you're feeding formula, look for one that is supplemented with 2'-FL HMO, like Similac Pro-Accelerate. The prebiotic is naturally constitute in chest milk and supports gut health.
- RELATED: Oft Asked Questions About Formula
four-6 Months Old
Nearly babies are ready to kickoff solids effectually 5 or vi months of historic period. Some indicators that they're ready: mastering the grabbing skill, developing head and neck control, and losing the tongue-thrust machinery that automatically pushes nutrient out of their mouth. Never first solids before 4 months.
Aim to feed your picayune one virtually 1-2 tablespoons of food twice a day. Solid food shouldn't take the place of milk equally the primary source of nutrients. Indeed, babies should notwithstanding drink about 4-half-dozen ounces per feeding when they're four months quondam. Once they turn 6 months one-time, they may take upward to 8 ounces every iv or five hours, says the AAP.
Yeji Kim
| Credit: Yeji Kim
vi-9 Months Erstwhile
When a baby is 6 to 9 months quondam, most all of their calories should still come from chest milk or formula, says Natalie Muth, M.D., R.D.N., coauthor of The Picky Eater Project. Aim to feed Baby no more than 32 ounces of formula daily. When breastfeeding, they should eat anywhere from 4 to 8 ounces at each feeding.
Since Baby is still getting most of their calories from liquid, don't stress about getting them to eat bite after bite of solid nutrient. Feed upward to two meals daily (and as little as one every couple of days), with each meal 2 to 4 tablespoons. Offer foods such equally iron-fortified single-grain baby cereal, and pureed vegetables, fruits, meats. (To identify possible allergic reactions or digestive problems, don't introduce more than one food at a time.)
- RELATED: Baby's First Foods: How to Introduce Solids
Around this fourth dimension, you should also start offering finger foods similar strained vegetables, fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, and casseroles. "One of the things I really similar nearly casseroles is that if the child likes the base flavor, you can add a bunch of other vegetables to it, and he's often fine with it," says Alan Greene, 1000.D., author of Feeding Babe Green, who makes a pasta goulash in red sauce for his family.
If they seem to have an insatiable appetite or don't seem to be eating enough, contact your pediatrician.
ix-12 Months Old
At this age, babies should have about seven to eight ounces of liquid per feeding. They usually cap out at 32 ounces of formula in a 24-hour period. "By 9 to 12 months, about one-half of your baby'due south calories should come up from food and the other one-half from breast milk or formula," Dr. Muth says.
Growing infants tend to have an adventurous palate—they've learned eating tastes good, so don't exist afraid to give them chopped-upwardly nibbles from your plate. If they desire more, feed them more than, simply if they push food away, don't take it personally.
Babies similar to play with their food, so also consider using yogurt or oatmeal every bit a dip for vegetables or whole-grain crackers. Just remember to chop or die foods and to avert those that are small, round, hard, or the size of a child's airway.
- RELATED: What is Babe-Led Weaning? How to Help Your Infant Feed Himself
After 12 Months
"After the first altogether, most of the calories your baby consumes should come from finely chopped tabular array nutrient," Dr. Muth says. To meet their calcium needs, serve whole milk in a sippy cup at meals and with snacks. Toddlers should drink nearly two to 3 cups a solar day. Aiming for set meal and snack times can also pay off, since they'll be more hungry and thus willing to endeavor new things. Recollect to always consult your pediatrician if you're unsure about baby feeding guidelines.
Source: https://www.parents.com/baby/feeding/baby-feeding-chart-how-much-and-when-to-feed-infants-the-first-year/
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