It is said that being a mother is the greatest happiness in any women’s life and feeding your child is the ultimate thing that one can have in her whole life. Feeding a newborn baby is a round the clock job commitment. This is the very first step to make a bond between you and the newest, cutest member of the family. But if you are a first time mother and do not know how to feed and how much to feed; have no idea about these things, do not worry, this article on how much to feed a newborn will clear all your confusions and queries. Go through it and help yourself in getting stress-free.

How Often A Mother Feed Or Breastfeed Her Newborn?

A new born should be breastfed for about eight to twelve times a day, minimum for the first one month. There is possibility that you need to feed more than the mentioned times because mother’s milk digest easily than any other food, it moves easily through your baby’s digestive system and that results in making your baby hungry more frequently.  Repeated feedings also lead to stimulating your milk production during the initial few weeks of being a new mother. The interval between every breastfeeding should be ninety minutes to three hours. Make sure that your new born babies should not go hungry for than four hours, even at night too.

How To Count Breast Feeding Interval?

Mothers feel confuse when they need to count the interval between breast feeding session. They do not get the fact that when to start counting the time, from when their child starts nursing or from when they stop nursing. But it is advisable to count the time when your baby starts to nurse rather than when he/she stops. For example, if you have fed him/her at 10 in the morning and you feed your baby in every two hours then feed him/her again at twelve and that’s how your feeding clock should go. Soon you will become normal to this schedule and do not have to remember the time and the interval.

How Much To Feed A Newborn?

Feeding a newborn depends mostly on his/her digestion because some children need more than the estimated one; however, some need less. Take help from this advice related material and find how much and what to feed your baby in the initial months. Also, it will be best if you discuss your feeding plans with your baby’s doctor or physician before getting started.

From Birth To Four Months

In the initial four months, give only breast milk to the child. Try to get attract toward nipples and make him/her learn to hold them through their mouth. Help them in doing this and be patient to wait for hours for a single time feed. As he/she is very small, so first make them familiar with breast and milk. Do not force them, let them take milk and initially do not make a routine of feeding them for eight to ten times. Watch them and provide when you feel he/she is getting impatient or behaving strangely. As they are too small to say anything, so examine their activities closely. There is also another sign to get the confirmation that she/he has got their share of enough milk. That is they will seem relaxed and satisfied after a feeding and also, your breast feel softer after feeding. Your child and his/her digestive tract are still developing, so stay away them from solid food items for now.

From Four To Six Months

If your baby is holding her/his head up or is making chewing motions, showing interest in food or is teething, seems hungry after eight to twelve feedings of breastmilk; these are the signs of readiness for solid food. At this age, give them mashed, boiled food items like boiled sweet potatoes, apples, peaches, pears or bananas. But do not forget to breast feed them, it is most important for initial growing months. Start with one teaspoon of mashed or pureed food items or cereals like rice and barley. Give these items mixed with breast milk or formula milk not with any other outside milk. After few days, start increasing the dose from one tablespoon to two tablespoons and so on but do not force anything on them. If the baby does not like the food initially, do not worry; try to offer it after some day again. There are chances that your baby does not seem interested to food, so let him/her to get the fragrance of food. Do not mix cereal to your baby’s bottle because that will land him/her in confuse state and he/she will not get the connection that food need to be eaten or drink. If your baby shows interest towards cereals than liquefied food, start thickening the item by mixing less water. He/she needs to learn how to chew or swallow food, and this process will help them a lot.

From Six To Eight Months

Between six to eight months nothing is going to change much except some additional items, like mashed or pureed fruits, pureed meat, iron-fortified cereals, pureed legumes (chickpeas, black-eyed peas and kidney beans), little amount of sugar free or say unsweetened yogurt. You can now give ¼ or ½ cup of pureed fruit unlike of providing one teaspoon between the months of four to six months. Give half cup vegetables and four to ten tablespoons of cereals in two to three feedings. Do not overload your child by introducing several types of food, start with one item initially then move forward gradually depending upon your baby’s choice and preferences. Ensure that he/she is not allergic to any specific item.

From Eight To Ten Months

Signs of curiousness towards food and solid items are remain to be quite same with few changes, like he/she will start picking up objects with thumb and forefinger, start transferring objects from one place to another and will start moving his/her jaw in a chewing motion. Eight to ten months are the real growth month of a baby. So, start giving them cheese items, like cottage cheese and purified cheese. Finger foods, like scrambled eggs and bananas, may interest them. Also, feed them with boneless fish, mashed beans, pintos, meat and lightly toasted bagels. Give ¼ or 1/3 cup of cheese, half cup fruit and vegetables and 1/8 or ¼ cup protein foods. Take at least two to three days gap between introducing new food item.

From Ten To Twelve Months

During these months, baby will have more teeth than the initial months and they will show more interest towards solid and finger foods. Now, you can cut the amount of breast milk and increase more solid items and semi-liquid food items. Give them cut fruits and cooked vegetables. You also provide soft purified cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt but do not give cow’s milk until he/she gets one-year-old. Feed them with protein contained food, like pulses, spiral pasta, low sugar cereals, lightly toasted bread, yellow squash and well-cooked and mashed potatoes. You can also offer them soft tomatoes or tomato puree. Nourish your baby daily with 1/3 cup of fresh and soft cheese, half or one-fourth cup of iron contained cereals, 1/8 or ¼ cup protein foods and 1/8 or ¼ cup of combined food items. Now, this is the right time for your baby to get introduced with new food items daily but make sure that you won’t pressurize them for anything or do not scold them to like any specific thing.

How To Know If Baby Is Full?

There are some signs that can tell you if your baby is full or not because nothing appropriate measurement is there to find out the answer. A baby’s appetite depends from one feeding to another; one can’t measure it or limit it. These signs include, leaning back on his/her chair, starts playing with spoon or turn his/her mouth away from food, start refuging any other bite, etc.

How Many Times A Day A Baby Should Eat Solid Food?

Initially, in the starting months of four to six, a baby should eat solid food item once a day. Gradually, it will exceed to two to three times but do not eliminate milk from food. Mother’s milk is normal for first six months and do not deprive them of it. A normal day’s diet of an eight-month-old includes his/her mother’s milk, iron contained cereal, green leafy vegetables and tomatoes, fruits and some amount of protein, like meat, egg and tofu. However, there are some food items that you should not give to your small baby, like honey because it can cause botulism.

Special Equipment To Feed Your Baby

There is some equipment in market that proves very helpful while feeding a small baby. It is good to have plastic spoons, high chair, bibs, plastic utensils and sensitive gums to feed your child. They also won’t hurt them. Also, get a sippy cup so that your child can drink something like water, juice, etc. on his/her own.

In addition, if you are planning to make some special baby food on your own, get a tool to puree the food, a mixture grinder or blender, food processor and microwave to keep hot the food. There are some foods that need to be stored for some time, so you should have good refrigerating process and ice cubes and their trays.

Right Place To Feed A Baby

Feeding a baby is really tough, and if you want to make it interesting and comfortable, you should first make yourself interesting. Learn more baby songs and poems to keep engage your baby. Then choose the right place. A comfy, sturdy place to sit will be the best for him/her. A highchair would be great idea to feed your child.

Be Experimental

Being cautious and careful about your baby’s food is quite normal but do not hesitate to experiment with your baby’s food. Yes, believe it or not, small babies can handle all types of interesting food well before reaching age one. They enjoy getting different food items like all of us.

Things That A Mother Can Do While Feeding

Yes, while feeding as a doting mother you can enjoy yourself and do things that you like. You need not to feel bored; there are lots of ways to pass a good time, and it will also help you in achieving great bond with your baby. Go through these listicles and find out what interests you more.

–    You Can Sing Or Talk To Your Baby

This is the best way to get closer and bonded to your new member of your family. Sing for him/her, talk to her/him and make him/her feel warm and close.

–    Eat And Drink Full

We know how tough and challenging it is to nurture a child. But in that process, do not forget to care yourself. Small babies or newborn babies take time to suck milk; it’s a very patient job and one need to wait for hours. So, do not waste that time and keep munching and drinking while feeding. That will help in your growth too.

–    Create Amazing Bond With The Family

There are some members in the family with whom you feel very comfortable and at home. They can be your mother-in-law, sister-in-law or anyone. So, when you are breastfeeding, tell them to be around you and keep talking. In that way, your baby can also hear or be able to recognize other family member’s voice. This method will help your baby to get close to family.

–    Meet Your Old Friends

We know that after marriage and especially after having a baby, many things change. You do not get chance to meet and hangout with your friends, but you can ask them to come to your home. In that way, you will get the help of them too. Also, you can ask them to get magazines and new exciting things that interest to you to bring.

–    Cook Your Favorite

Eat and cook whatever you like. It is very important for a doting mother to be happy and healthy, so do things that excite you the most, whether it is eating, reading or listening to music. Keep yourself engaged.