How much should the baby eat in one feeding. Calculation of the daily rate for artificial feeding. How to tell if your baby is getting enough milk

01.08.2019

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, and the baby needs very little of it. 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 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, they 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. Suppose, on the fifth day of life, you need 50

All mothers are worried about whether a child is eating enough, regardless of whether they are breastfeeding or an art child. If with infants it is easier for them to apply to the breast on demand and themselves regulate the amount of nutrition that they need in order to eat, then the artificialists need to carry out nutritional calculations so that the child does not remain hungry, and at the same time, he is not overfed.

Calculations of nutrition for artificial people are necessary because the volume of the stomach at birth in children is no more than 10 ml and gradually increases with growth. It is important that the child is getting enough food, and there is no overdistension of the stomach and food overload.

How much formula should a newborn eat?

Of course, ideally it is worth breastfeeding the baby exclusively; when breastfeeding, no nutritional calculations are needed, you just need to feed the baby on demand.

But if for some reason it did not work out with breastfeeding, it is necessary to choose the right formula for the child and accurately calculate the amount of food he needs from the very first day of life.

The first days of a child's life are the most important in terms of adapting to a new diet and lifestyle, and it is important to make accurate calculations of the amount of formula that a newborn should receive per day and per feeding.

Up to 10 days of a child's life, calculations are carried out based on the weight of the newborn at birth.

There are several ways to calculate nutrition:

For children weighing up to 3.2 kg at birth, the volume of the mixture per day is equal to the child's age in days, multiplied by 70.

A child weighing 2.8 kg at the age of seven days needs 420 ml of the mixture per day according to this formula. This daily volume is divided by the number of feedings to obtain the volume of one feed. At this age, children need to be fed at least eight times a day.

For children weighing more than 3.2 kg, the formula looks like this: the number of days of a child's life * 80. This will be the volume of the mixture per day, and the amounts of the mixture per feeding are obtained by dividing this volume by 8 feedings.

Today, on modern packaging of mixtures, manufacturers to help mothers give a calculation of how much formula a newborn should receive at one time and a day.

Amount of food after 10 days of life

Just as in the first 10 days of life, in the future, the amount of food for a child on artificial nutrition is calculated based on the weight of the child's body. The calculation is carried out according to the following principle:

up to one and a half months, a child needs 1/5 of his weight per day;
up to 4 months 1 \ 6 of body weight per day;
from 4 to 6 months up to 1 \ 7 body weight, but not more than 1000 ml;

After this age, no more than 1/8 of the body weight.

For example, a child aged 1 month with a body weight of 4200 g needs:

4200: 5 = 840 ml of the mixture.

The number of feedings per day also depends on age, and is:

children under 2 months need 8-10 feedings per day, including at night;
children 2-4 months need 7-8 feedings per day;
children 4-6 months 6 feedings per day;
after 6 months 5-6 feedings.

Thus, it is not difficult to calculate how much a newborn should eat at a time. From the example above, we divide 840 ml into 8 feedings - 105 ml per feed.

Attention! You should not look at the diagrams indicated on the jars with baby food, and the volumes of one feeding that are offered there.

They are given for the average child, and the standard volume of formula for your little one may be either excessive or insufficient.

The calculation of nutrition is carried out specifically for your baby by a pediatrician or by yourself. Usually, the data on mixtures is artificially high, which consumes food faster and forces you to buy more mixture. At the same time, children suffer from overfeeding, which in the future can lead to metabolic disorders and obesity.

Basic criteria for baby malnutrition

if after eating the baby cries and looks for breast, he is hungry;
if the child is older than 1 week, but still does not come off the breast for a long time, he does not gorge himself;
if the baby urinates little and rarely has a bowel movement, he or she is malnourished.

With a normal amount of food received, the baby urinates about 6-15 times a day (accordingly, if you had to change at least 6 diapers, then everything is fine), and empties the intestines from 1 to 3 times a day. Another, subjective, but still the criterion can be considered the feeling of a mother. Mom's milk begins to stay on 4-5 days after childbirth, and if the mother feels the breasts filling up, and then the baby sucks everything out and calmly falls asleep. This means that everything is in order. It is not necessary to express and check how many grams the newborn has eaten.

When breastfeeding, if the weight gain is within the normal range, the baby grows well, it is not necessary to control the volume he has drunk. The crumb eats as much as it needs.

This information is more relevant if the child is on a mixed diet or bottle-fed. Then you need to control the dose of the mixture per day, and at one time, so as not to overfeed the crumb.

The required amount of milk: what does it depend on?

How much should a newborn eat at one time, and per day? The first three days he eats very little, as he receives such a product as colostrum. This is a very nutrient, it contains everything a baby needs, and it doesn't need much.

During this period, the baby often eats 10-12 times a day, but not a lot, since she still does not know how to suck correctly, and because of the small amount of colostrum. This does not mean that he is hungry. The capacity of his stomach is not great, and ranges from 7 ml to 9 ml. Many pediatricians believe that during this period he should simply "hang" on his mother's chest, practically without stopping. And this is a natural process.

weight-by-weight indicators with which the child was born;
the age of the baby;
qualitative characteristics (primarily fat content) of milk.

The larger the newborn, the more food it needs. The daily requirement is determined as follows:

age in days * 70 (the newborn weighed less than 3200 grams at birth);
age in days * 80 (baby's weight at birth is more than 3200 grams).

There is a very simple calculation formula for determining a one-time need for a baby in milk, it looks like this: its age in days * 10.

If the baby is exclusively breastfed, then until the 1st month he should receive up to 300 ml of milk / day, starting from the age of 2 months to 800 ml. With each next month, the daily requirement increases by 50 ml. At 6 months this amount reaches 1000 ml, by 9 months - 1100 ml, by the year - 1200 ml.

There are different views on the quantitative indicators of milk, which are the norm for an infant, as well as the number of feedings. Table 1 presents the average option.

Table 1

Age / day	One-time need for breast milk, ml		Number of feedings
3-4 days	20-60	200-300	8-12	After 3 hours
Age / month	One-time need for breast milk, ml	Daily requirement for milk, ml		Feeding frequency / night break
up to 1	80-100	600-700	8-7
from 1 to 2	110-140	700-900	6-7	After 3-3.5 hours / night break 6-6.5 hours
from 2 to 4	140-160	800-1000	6	After 3-3.5 hours / night break 6-6.5 hours
from 4 to 6	160-180	900-1000	6-5	After 3.5-4 hours / night break 6.5-8 hours
from 6 to 9	180-200	1000-1100	5	After 4 hours / night break 8 hours
9 to 12	200-240	1100-1200	5-4	After 4-4.5 hours / night break 8-9 hours

In some sources, there is an indication of a smaller amount of a nutrient (for example, a mixture, with artificial feeding) that the baby should eat.

How to find out the volume of breast milk drunk by a baby?

If the child is not capricious, sleeps well, is healthy, vigorous, gains weight normally and does not "throw" too much on the breast, normally sucks, there is no need for this. But, if a mother wants to control how much her child eats, it is not difficult to do this with the help of electronic baby scales.

The baby is weighed before and after feeding. The difference is the amount eaten. Weighing is carried out without changing diapers, clothes and diapers.

Rules to follow when breastfeeding

For a normal lactation process, you first need to organize proper feeding, in addition, take care to correctly apply the baby to the breast.

It must be remembered that it is not the volume of the crumbs sucked out at a time that is important, but how much it eats per day. How much he drinks will depend on the need for food during this period, on the mood of the baby and many other factors.

If the baby is breastfed, he can be fed on demand and he will adjust the amount he drinks himself. Care must be taken to ensure that he receives not only "front", but also "back", more high-calorie milk. This is achieved by the fact that in one feeding the baby sucks out one breast completely. And only in case of lack of nutrition, he can be offered a second. In no case should you refuse to eat a baby. Frequent breast changes are harmful, as the "back" milk begins to flow to the baby 15 minutes after he began to intensively suckle.

Milk production is more intense at night. This means that it is also impossible to deny a baby food at night.

The calorie content and fat content in breast milk changes more than once a day, this is natural. The lactation process in the period of the first three months is regulated by the hormonal method, therefore, all the shortcomings are leveled. But if the feeding is not organized correctly, problems will arise over time.

After a 3-month period, mother's milk is produced in a volume comparable to the sucked-out crumb. The mammary glands do not fill up so intensively. This does not mean that there is not enough milk. And the baby must be fed artificially. The less a mother feeds her child, the less lactation. Milk can arrive even during feeding. This can be determined by subjective sensations (tingling) in the gland. In addition, there are periods when lactation is slightly less than required. During this period, the baby changes its diet. This is expressed in a more frequent demand for food or refusal to breast, this is not a sign of illness and disorder. And it does not mean that the nutrition is insufficient.

You don't need to express it to determine the volume produced, as you can suck out a little, and your child will be able to suck out enough for himself. If the baby often asks for breast, at this age it can be a developed sucking reflex, a physiological need to communicate with mother, and not hunger. Having decided that there is not enough nutrition, and starting to feed the little one, the mother, thereby, will cause a decrease in lactation.

With normal lactation, the ability to feed on demand, if the baby is gaining weight normally, you should not be nervous about how much milk the newborn or baby has sucked. The nutritional process is regulated by him. Most pediatricians think so.

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 5 minutes

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Last updated article: 23.01.2017

Since the modern approach to natural feeding has radically changed recently, modern experts in their advice are based not only on a single criterion of underweight newborns. If the mother thinks that the baby is malnourished, then there is no need to rush to include artificial mixtures in the diet, first you need to reconsider how well the breastfeeding process is organized, and be sure to take into account the following.

Different food needs

How much a child eats is influenced by many indicators:

weight at the time of birth;
well-being and condition of the body;
Times of Day;
individual needs.

If the mother gives the baby a breast, then the modern feeding method is based solely on instinct, that is, he himself will eat as much as his norm. And milk from a nursing mother after birth and the correct approach to organizing the process begins to be produced in the volume necessary for the baby, with a tendency to increase it.

The dynamics of appetite growth in the first month alone has four changes:

In the first three four days in 24 hours it is enough to eat up to 300 g, about an average of 30 - 40 g at a time.
By the end of the first week, you need up to 400 g; average single serving 70 grams.
The next couple of weeks the need for food is 20% of the body weight, on average, once 80 g.
Until the end of the month, the baby should be eaten every day until 600, up to 110 at a time.

These figures are given according to one of the calculation methods and are only indicative, in each individual case there will be its own table and its required amount of mixture, milk.
If a combined or unnatural diet for babies up to a year is necessary to determine the optimal amounts of food, there are various methods of counting.

How much should a baby eat with artificial feeding

As a rule, experts do not recommend trusting the information on the volumes of use on the packages of mixtures, since they allow the presence of commercial interest to the detriment of the proper nutrition of children.
For artificial feeding, of course, the question of how much the newborn should eat is of paramount importance.
Consider ways how to independently calculate the amount correctly .

Counting a single portion

You can find out what the norm is in several ways:

Multiply the number of days appropriate for the baby's age by ten to get the number of milliliters for a single dose. For example, a 3-day-old child needs to eat 30 g;
Divide the body weight of the crumbs in grams by the height in centimeters. For example, a calf weighing 3500 grams and a height of 56 cm can get enough of 60 grams.
Divide one fifth of the body weight of a 14 day old infant and older by 8.

Daily rate, counting

For a child weighing less than 3200 grams, we multiply the number corresponding to how many days the child is, by 70. And for a baby larger than 3200, we multiply the same figure by 80 (Finkelstein's formula).
Upon reaching two months, the newborn already needs 800 ml. every day, with each subsequent month, he will eat 50 ml. more, that is, in 9 months in 24 hours the size of the eaten is about 1160 ml.
Adjustments may take place according to the personal needs of the cub. For example, two different crumbs can have different amounts, but feel equally great, develop well and gain weight. This is the most important thing in determining satiety. The main reference point should be in the behavior and feelings of the infant during and after the meal. Weight gain on average weekly at least 150-200 g.
Upon reaching 14 days of age, the count is as follows. Divide the weight of a body-born by five, and we get the required daily dose.

How much should a baby eat a mixture with a mixed diet

Breastfeeding professionals are sure that the mother's milk will not get to the child more than it should in the body, but overfeeding with the mixture is quite likely, which is quite dangerous for the fragile digestive organs. In order not to damage fragile health, one should seriously approach the calculation of the dose of supplementation when organizing combined feeding.
To most accurately determine the problem of malnutrition, to make an informed decision about the introduction of a mixed diet, the following measurements and calculations should be made:

weigh the cub before and after eating in the manner described above, calculating the difference, you will get the size of the eaten. And by adding up the data on all meals, you will determine the volume in 24 hours;
for a newborn under 10 days of age, multiply 2% of its weight by the exact number of days corresponding to age. For crumbs from 10 days to two months, count one fifth of the weight.

By comparing these two metrics, you can determine if your baby needs supplementation and, if so, how much. They should be divided into daily feedings, and only breast milk should be given at night. If the difference is more than 50%, then the child needs artificial nutrition.

Before deciding on a mixed diet, also consult with your lead pediatrician about the correct introduction of complementary foods.

Now about how much the mixture can be given to the child for the first time. In any case, it is necessary to start introducing supplementation in a very small dose, about 10 g. On the second day, you can double it, on the third day, add another 10 ml. and so try to bring to the value required by the child. As a rule, for a monthly crumbs, this is up to 30 ml. at one time. And since you should first give the breast, and then supplement, if the baby fell asleep near the breast, then you should not wake him up. It is better to let my mother’s breast suck again. Since an important principle of mixed nutrition is to maintain natural feeding as long as possible.

Feeding mode

Be sure to take into account in the feeding mode that it takes more time for the body to assimilate the artificial analogue of mother's milk, therefore, on average, the breaks between meals for the newborn will be longer, about three hours.

With a combined, and especially unnatural diet, the regime is very important. After determining the daily volume of the mixed feeding mixture, we divide it into daily meals and the break between meals must be maintained for at least 2.5 hours in the first month (the break can be long at night) For 24 hours, the crumb eats about 8 times.

After switching from natural feeding to artificial feeding, it may take some time to establish a regimen. Try to delay as planned as close to the desired hour as possible, adding 10-15 minutes each time. Distract with fun, give some water to drink, you can take a dummy. Never let your baby cry and whine for food for a long time. It is advisable to eat at least a single required dose, then the required time will be full.

Tests to check satiety

Finally, a few simple tests can be done to ensure that how much is eaten is normal.
The size of the food consumed by the infant can be measured by weighing it before and after eating in the same clothes. The difference in weight is equal to the amount eaten. For a more accurate determination of the desired value, weighing once is not enough. In the case of infants, a single serving may be less, because they eat more often (about 12 times a day), and with artificial feeding, on average, only eight times, and therefore they consume less mother's milk at a time.

The second test is even easier. Do not put on a newborn diaper during the day and count how many times you change his diaper. Normally, a milestone of at least 12 pieces should be reached. If less, malnutrition is suspected.

It is not easy for a young mother to look after and take care of a newborn baby, because so many questions arise! Is everything okay with the child, is it growing and developing normally? An important indicator that all pediatricians pay attention to is weight gain and height. To meet the age standards for these parameters, the baby needs a certain amount of breast milk or formula. The required amount of food intake, in turn, changes with the age of the baby.

In the first days after the birth of the baby, many mothers think that there is practically no milk, and the newborn remains hungry. However, in most cases there is no cause for concern, the following facts must be considered:

In the early days, the mother's body produces colostrum, the amount of which is small, but it contains a sufficient amount of fats and nutrients.
In a newborn, the sucking reflex develops over time, and therefore eats little in the first days.
The volume of a newborn's ventricle is not large, so he can drink no more than 7-10 ml of colostrum at a time.
If you are very anxious, the long-awaited milk may not arrive at all or appear in less quantity, so try to remain calm.

Infant nutritional norms in the first month

After the first 10 days of a newborn's life, it is recommended to use the formula for calculating the rate of milk consumption: the child's age in days is multiplied by 10. The resulting value means the amount of food that will be required for one feeding. Thus, with each passing day, the baby needs more and more breast milk.

An additional parameter that you can rely on when calculating the amount of food is the weight of the baby. The volume of milk (in ml) that the baby consumes per day is approximately equal to one fifth of its weight. However, it is important to understand that this value can fluctuate depending on various factors and conditions, including well-being, appetite and personal characteristics of the child.

How can you tell how much your baby is drinking? If there is a need to find out the exact amount, you should weigh the crumbs using special medical scales before and after feeding, and then calculate the difference. It is recommended not to focus on a single value, it is better to repeat this procedure several times and only then draw conclusions.

Nutrition rate from month to year

The kid literally grows by leaps and bounds, so his nutritional needs are growing every month:

At the age of one month, the baby eats just over 100 ml at a time. Eating 6-7 times a day, the baby consumes 600-700 ml of milk.
When a baby turns 2 months old, he can already drink from 120 to 150 ml of milk at a time (approximately 800 ml per day).
At the age of three months, the crumb consumes 150-180 ml of milk, and the volume of food per day is about 1/6 of its body weight.
By four months of life, the norm is from 180 to 200 ml (about 1/6 of the body weight per day).
At 5–6 months, the toddler is able to drink 200–240 ml of milk once (up to 1 liter per day).
From the seventh to the twelfth month, the volume of milk remains the same - from 200 to 240 ml at a time (about 1/8 of the body weight per day). At this age, complementary foods appear in the child's menu, which replaces one or two feedings.

This is the average for infants, but remember to take into account the individual factors that affect your infant's nutritional status.

How to feed correctly so that your baby eats the right amount of milk

To help your baby eat the amount of breast milk he needs, follow these tips:

Do not refuse to feed the baby when he asks.
Do not try to artificially increase the fat content of your milk. The body itself regulates its qualitative composition, adjusting to the needs of the child.
Be sure to feed at night, because lactation increases at night.
Do not change breasts too often, as at the beginning of feeding the baby receives so-called "front" milk, which is easier to digest, and after a while of active suckling - "back milk", more nutritious.
Breastfeeding counselors advise against expressing additional milk. Your body regulates how much food your baby needs, and regular pumping can disrupt lactation.

Nutritional standards for artificial mixtures

When the baby gets food from the mother's breast, in most cases he eats as much milk as his body needs. But how to calculate the appropriate amount of formula milk if your child is on artificial feeding? Take note of the following guidelines:

Observe the feeding regime, offering the baby a mixture at least eight times a day. If your baby does not want to eat as often, increase the amount of food per meal. On average, feeding will require about the same amount of formula as breast milk.
Try not to overfeed your baby. It is easier to drink milk from a bottle than it is to take from the breast, so it is important to control the amount.

A little tip: the packages with milk formulas indicate the required amount of food for different ages, so you can safely focus on them.

Large toddlers need more nutrition than small crumbs, so age norms depend on the weight of the child:

the daily amount of food for a newborn up to 1.5 months of life (except for the first 10 days) is 1/5 of the weight of the crumbs;

from 1.5 to 4 months - 1/6 of the weight;
from 4 to 6 months - 1/7 of the weight;
from 6 to 8 months - 1/8 of the weight;
from 8 to 12 months - 1/9 of the weight.

Example: we calculate the volume of the mixture that a child at the age of 3 months, weighing 5100 grams, will need. The daily rate will be 1/6 of the weight, that is, 5100/6 = 850 ml. Considering that a baby at this age eats about 6 times a day, in one feeding he needs about 140 ml of milk formula.

An important point is that the baby's ventricle takes longer to digest the artificial mixture than in the case of breastfeeding. Therefore, during the day, it is advisable to feed the baby every 2.5–3 hours, and at night to take a long break between feedings - 5–6 hours.

How to understand that a child is full

The mother needs to diligently observe the baby to find out if the baby has enough nutrition. When the baby is full, he:

behaves calmly;
sleeps soundly;
gains weight well;
pees 12 to 15 times a day and does not suffer from constipation.

When a baby bursts into tears often, a mom may think she is hungry, but in fact, crying alone is not a significant indicator of undernourishment. In all likelihood, the child suffers from pain in the tummy due to colic and gas.

If, in addition to constant crying, the baby is anxiously sleeping and waking up often, gaining less weight, sucking the breast for too long and greedily, then you have cause for concern. In this case, it is better not to make independent conclusions, but to go to the pediatrician for advice.

You should rely on your milk intake if you want to make sure your baby is getting enough nutrition. However, you should not weigh the newborn too often and worry if the values are slightly different from the norm, because stress affects lactation. And remember: your baby is individual and does not have to fully comply with all sorts of standards.