It is important for the mother of the newborn to know whether her milk is enough, whether her baby is full. This question is most relevant precisely in the first months of a baby's life, when he is so helpless and in need of parental care.
As soon as the baby is born, every “new mother” is concerned about how much and how often the baby should eat in order to fully grow, develop and be healthy.
How much food do newborns need in the first days of life
After giving birth, a woman produces a special substance - colostrum. It is nutritious, much more satisfying than mature milk, its baby needs very little. In the following days, the mother produces regular milk.
How the child's appetite increases can be judged by the following data:
The first day it is enough for the baby to eat one spoonful of colostrum. His stomach is still very small, and colostrum is quite high in calories.
On the second day, the child already needs a portion of colostrum increased to two tablespoons.
It takes longer to feed a newborn on the third day, because now he eats more volume.
Every day the amount of milk for the baby should increase, as well as the time of his feeding. Two weeks later, his portion is about 500 grams per day, by six months it will be up to 1000 grams per day.
The first month is special for both the baby and his mother. Already in the maternity hospital, many women are faced with an incredibly difficult and painful issue.
The baby was endowed with a sucking reflex even in the womb, but in fact it is very difficult for him to adapt to his mother's breast. Moreover, newborns have different structures of the oral cavity, and in women, the nipples have individual characteristics. These difficulties are surmountable, so young women should not despair.
Features of breastfeeding
The first month, the baby especially needs breast milk, so the number of feedings can reach 12 times. The break between feedings is approximately 2-3 hours, but this is an average figure, since doctors recommend feeding the baby on demand. Feeding time is 15 to 40 minutes.
Artificial feeding
With this type of feeding, there is a danger of overeating in the child, then he may have an upset stomach. Therefore, it is very important to calculate the required amount of food for it. In this case, you need to be based on the doctor's recommendations, which he will give after examining the baby.
There is an easy way to calculate the amount of food. You need to multiply the number of days from birth by 10. For example, on the fifth day of life, you need 50 ml of the mixture per meal.
Starting from the third week of life and continuing up to two months, the child needs 1/5 of his body weight. Unlike an infant infant, the artificial must be fed, adhering to the regime: during the day - every three hours, and at night - with a break of 5 hours.
