How To Decide What And How Often To Feed A Baby?

feeding babyWhen a baby is born, parents face quite a few responsibilities, and important decisions need to be made on how their baby to be fed, how many times he/she must be fed and what nutrients their baby needs.

Breastfeeding is definitely the best and safest option, for the baby receives all the nutrients it needs from the mother.

There are however many alternatives on the market that aptly cover all the baby’s nutritive needs.

The first obstacle parents are faced with, is how many times their baby must be fed, whether he/she should be fed on demand or whether specific time lapses should be respected even though the baby cries.

A baby cries for multiple reasons, after all this is the only way they can express their needs, this does not automatically mean that you must feed your baby.

He or she might simply need a change of diaper, or might be thirsty. The best way to determine whether your baby is really hungry is by observing his or her movements.

Generally babies put their hands in their mouths, this is a signal of hunger, or when they move their heads from one side to the other or even when they make fussing noises or cry.

Newborn babies normally fed every 2 to 3 hours and as they grow older and take larger quantities of milk, the baby feeding times will be more spaced out. There may be times when the baby needs to be fed at shorter intervals, due to growing needs, which occur periodically until the age of six months.

In general terms, newborn babies take 2 to 3 ounces of milk every 2 to 3 hours, while babies who are already 2 months will need 4 to 5 ounces every 3 to 4 hours and by the age of 6 months they will be drinking up to 8 ounces, depending if they are already consuming solid food.

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