How Much Should a Newborn Eat When They’re 0-3 Months?

Now that you’ve come home from the hospital with little joy, you’re probably starting to settle down and get to know each other. While it may feel like a continuous day as you feed your baby every 2 to 4 hours and change diapers around the clock, everything will eventually and naturally become a habit. But until then, tune in to your baby’s hunger cues and try to feed him on demand as he’s regaining the weight he lost after birth and establishing a good eating habit.

Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula-feeding, or using a combination of the two, figuring out how much your baby should eat can feel a bit overwhelming. You may worry that your baby is not eating enough, especially if you are breastfeeding. Much of this initial time with your baby is spent developing a relationship and trusting not only your body but your baby’s as well.

We’ve tried to reduce the stress on this situation by providing you with guidelines for how much milk your baby needs. This information is not meant to be indicative but is a general guide that will give you a rough idea of ​​a baby’s needs so you can observe your baby and tailor recommendations accordingly. suit their individual needs.

What Your Baby Needs When She’s 0-3 Months Old

When you bring your baby home from the hospital, their primary needs are to be fed when hungry, to have diapers changed regularly, to be cared for at the umbilicus, to sleep on their back, and most importantly, to be cuddled and nourished. by their parents or parents. Danielle Roberts, a pediatrician in Zanesville, Ohio, this time in a child’s life can feel a bit difficult as everyone adjusts, but it passes quickly.

For example, a breastfed infant will feed every 2 to 3 hours or 8 to 12 times per day, Dr. Roberts says. All of this feeding is designed to help them reach a number of important developmental milestones.

Most babies will lose 5 to 10% of their weight in the first week after birth. This is completely normal. If your baby takes more than this, your doctor will likely give you some special instructions for feeding. However, by about the second week, most babies will return to their birth weight. Your pediatrician will look for this weight gain during the first physical visit. These changes in weight are one of the reasons for more frequent visits during the first month postpartum.

After that, gaining about an ounce a day is normal. Again, your pediatrician will likely monitor your child’s weight gain each time you visit their office and help determine what is normal for your child. At around 3 months of age, your baby can gain about 1 kg a month. During the first few weeks, make sure you’re responding to the signs of hunger and feed your baby regularly around the clock.

“Some infants may not have returned to their birth weight and have very little fat stored or stored. [energy intake]”Dr. Roberts said.” Keep in mind that some infants with jaundice may be more sleepy and less likely to wake on their own. ”

Once your baby is growing steadily, Dr. Roberts says your healthcare provider can figure out that there’s no need to wake your baby for nighttime feedings and can schedule it on demand.

“This is very exciting news to tell families that they can sleep longer,” she said. “Again, though, it’s important to follow up with your routine visits to make sure your infant is still developing well on their required feeding regimen.”

How much to feed babies?

According to Dr. Roberts, babies have small stomachs no bigger than a ping-pong ball, so they can’t hold much milk in one go. Over time, their stomachs will stretch to accommodate the larger volume.

“Initially, a newborn baby may be nursing just 30ml (or 1 ounce) and can quickly grow to 90ml (or 3 ounces). “This can be difficult to assess for a breastfed baby, but we generally recommend 5 to 20 minutes per breast. The time varies depending on the mother’s milk volume and how quickly it occurs. as well as the infant’s suckling rate.”

Remember, breast milk changes to meet your baby’s changing nutritional needs, so it may be denser with fat at first. For this reason, it is important for infants to try to suck from each breast at each feeding so that they can consume the most breast milk at each feeding. The overall goal at this age is to consume 120kcal/kg/day (or 55 kilocalories/pound weight every 24 hours) for optimal nutritional support at this age, says Dr. Roberts.

“Your pediatrician can help you calculate the total number of ounces of breast milk or formula to support your growing baby,” she says.

The goal of nurturing children from 0-3 months old

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicates that on average, a baby this age will consume about 2.5 ounces of formula per day for every pound of their body weight while an infant is nursing. Breastfeeding mothers can consume about 2.5 ounces of expressed milk per pound of their body weight. Also, your baby will probably eat 8 to 10 times in a 24-hour period.

As they get older, both breastfed and formula-fed babies are usually satisfied with about 2-4 ounces of formula or expressed breast milk at each feeding. Monitor your baby’s hunger cues and work with your pediatrician to determine the total number of ounces in a day that your baby should eat. Here are some recommendations based on AAP principles.