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How to properly feed a newborn baby - a few useful tips. How to feed a newborn baby: possible problems with breastfeeding and artificial feeding of a baby

Breastfeeding is a whole science that young mothers have to master in a matter of days. What the baby will eat in the coming year depends on the quality of the learned material. Properly established breastfeeding (HB) will allow the child to receive valuable and incredibly healthy breast milk, relieve mom from stagnation, lactostasis and mastitis, and make the process of motherhood pleasant and calm. If you do not understand the principles of breastfeeding from the very beginning, this can result in neurosis, poor sleep, problems with the mammary gland, and, as a result, artificial feeding. Which, by the way, entails a lot of questions, because not every mixture is suitable for a child, you need to select the right product in an experimental way, which leads to additional health problems and financial costs. That is why, from the very beginning of motherhood, you need to tune in to breastfeeding, talk with doctors, experienced friends, and invite a breastfeeding consultant. All of them will help to establish this natural process, and then feeding will bring pleasure to you and your child.

In the process of establishing breastfeeding, the issue of feeding time is very acute. Regarding this, there are two opinions - to feed the child on demand or by the hour. A couple of decades ago, our mothers fed us in maternity hospitals strictly at certain hours, at other times the child was not even next to her mother. Today, the World Health Organization recommends feeding a child on demand - that is, when he wants it. Each of the feeding methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to you what you choose for your baby.

Feeding on demand

This is the most correct, healthy and natural way of feeding. Even animals feed their young when the kids want it. This is especially important in the first days after childbirth - when only colostrum is released from the breast. Do not worry - colostrum is enough for the child, it performs an important function - populates the intestines of the crumbs with beneficial bacteria, starts digestion. Already 3-5 days after birth, full-fledged breast milk comes. In the first month, it is very important to feed the baby on demand, that is, when the baby cries. After all, it is during this period that the body is rebuilt, determines how much milk the child needs. Here are some tips and tricks for feeding on demand.

It is necessary to give the baby a breast with any concern - this will not only saturate the baby, but also increase milk production, because the more the baby is applied to the breast, the more the breast will pour next time. Feeding on demand is the main way to increase your milk supply.

Breast for a child is not only food, but comfort, unity with the mother, protection. Feeding on demand allows you to have all these wonderful feelings any time your baby wants it, when he has a tummy ache, he is cold or just bored.

Feeding on demand will protect the mother from mastitis, because milk simply does not have time to stagnate in short periods of time.
It has been proven that a baby who receives a breast at any time suffers less from colic and gas, as he does not experience a strong feeling of hunger and does not overeat after long "hungry" intervals.

If you are breastfeeding your baby at any time it is necessary for him, it is better to practice co-sleeping.

Try to feed your baby from one breast at a time from start to finish. The fact is that the foremilk is more liquid, it is easier to suck it out, for the baby it is a drink. But hindmilk, which is more difficult to suck out, more fatty, is considered food.

A baby who is fed on demand does not develop bad habits such as thumb sucking, fist sucking, etc. If you always give your baby a breast, he does not get used to a dummy, the sucking reflex is completely satisfied.

Frequent feeding saves during the period of illness of the child. Firstly, it is the replenishment of fluid, which is so necessary in case of temperature or poisoning. Secondly, the baby calms down, more easily tolerates discomfort during teething and colic. Thirdly, breast milk contains immunoglobulins, which form the immunity of the crumbs and protect it from viruses.

Psychologists say that children who are fed on demand grow up more calm and self-confident. After all, they know from early childhood that their mother is always there and will come to the rescue if necessary, protect and reassure. And this is very important for the development of the future personality.

Feeding by the hour

This method involves a strict feeding regime - after a certain period of time. Remember Soviet times - at night, children were not fed from the hospital, the last feeding was at 12:00, and the first in the morning at 6:00. That is, newborn children had a huge period of time without food - 6 hours. What are the features and benefits of feeding by the hour, let's try to figure it out.

Feeding by the hour can only be done in the second or third month of a child's life, when lactation improves. If you feed your baby on a schedule from birth, with long periods without suckling, the amount of milk can be drastically reduced as unnecessary. If you don't want to breastfeed right now, it's best to express your milk so you don't lose it.

Feeding by the clock allows the mother to sleep at night. This is a very dubious plus, because the stimulation of lactation is especially intense in the morning from 3 to 8 in the morning. If at this time the breast is not sucked, the hormone oxytocin is not produced, there will be less and less milk each time.

Babies of the first months of life need to be fed every 2-2.5 hours, no more. The stomach of a child of this age is very small, the baby should eat often. With age, this interval can be increased to 3-4 hours.

Feeding by the hour makes mom's life more understandable and simple, as mom can plan her day, leave things for a certain time, and even leave the house if someone looks after the baby.

Some mothers choose a cross between feeding by the clock and feeding on demand. If you listen to your baby's body, you will notice that the child asks for food at approximately equal intervals of time, you can focus on this time and life will obey a certain regimen.

But remember that in some cases, feeding by the hour is strictly contraindicated. Firstly, these are the first 2-3 weeks of a baby's life. Secondly, a woman develops a lactation crisis every 2-3 months, when there is not enough milk, because the baby is growing rapidly. At these moments, you need to give the baby a breast as often as possible in order to "increase" the amount of milk produced. Thirdly, you need to abandon the regimen if you see that the child really wants to eat. If the baby is crying, you took him in your arms, shook him, and the child is looking for the chest with his mouth and does not stop crying - most likely, he is hungry. So, in the past feeding, the baby didn’t eat or burped, in general, you need to discard all the rules and feed the baby again.

Do I need to wake my baby up for feeding?

Many mothers are wondering if it is worth feeding the baby if he sleeps for a long time, does not wake up and does not ask for a breast? A healthy body of a newborn baby cannot sleep for more than five hours in a row without food, doctors say. Therefore, a child who sleeps longer than the specified time without waking up is very rare. This does not apply to artificial ones - a hearty mixture allows you to stay without food much longer than breast milk.

To answer a disturbing question, you need to know how much a child sleeps. If the baby sleeps for more than five hours, you should definitely wake him up - slowly stir him up with strokes and touches. If the baby is underweight or premature, it is necessary to wake him up, no more than three hours later. Such children need enhanced nutrition in order to quickly get stronger and gain weight, a long sleep may be due to weakness, it is impossible not to feed such children. It is also necessary to wake the baby for feeding if a long sleep was caused by taking certain drugs.

Feeding is a completely understandable and intuitive process. A loving and caring mother, after a few days of life, the crumbs can understand that the child is crying precisely from hunger. Love your baby, feed him when he wants to, do not wait for artificial periods of time. And then the child will grow and develop well.

Video: How often should you breastfeed your baby?

A woman, while still pregnant, must make a clear decision to breastfeed. This forms a dominant in the brain for the formation and development of lactation. Proper breastfeeding is not possible without an internal setting. The support of family and friends in this matter is important.

Second rule: the first feeding of a baby

Ideally, the first attachment of a newborn is carried out in the delivery room. Early contact contributes to the development of lactation and the colonization of the skin and intestines of the newborn with bifidum flora. How to properly apply a newborn for feeding, the medical staff will show. If the condition of the child or the puerperal does not allow this, the first attachment to the breast is transferred. If the woman is in a satisfactory condition, the medical staff teaches self-pumping. This skill will not allow the extinction of milk production and the development of lactostasis. In the absence of contraindications, the child can be fed with expressed milk during a separate stay.

The third rule: the correct attachment of the child to the breast

The problem of how to properly attach a baby to the breast, especially for the first time, is very important. How to take a breast, the newborn is still unknown. And mom needs to remember or learn to how to breastfeed your baby:

  • immediately before feeding, the mother needs to wash her hands and pour warm water over her breasts;
  • Decide on a position for feeding. Usually this is sitting (reclining) or standing (after an episiotomy);
  • the child is placed on the crook of the elbow, the other hand brings the nipple as close as possible to the mouth of the baby;
  • obeying the reflexes, the baby will grab the nipple and start sucking;
  • the breast should be given so that the baby captures the nipple and almost the entire areola with his mouth. At the same time, its lower lip will be slightly turned out, the chin and nose touches the chest.

The child's nose should not sink. How to properly apply the baby for feeding is also important for the health of the mother. If it is wrong to breastfeed a newborn, several breast problems can be acquired. First of all, these are macerations and cracks in the nipples.

  • breastfeeding a newborn, especially the first few days, should be no more than 20 minutes each. This will allow the delicate skin of the nipples to harden and get used to the new effect.

Often this does not work out. The child may be restless or have a large body mass and constantly demand to eat. In such cases, a nursing mother needs to arrange air baths more often and lubricate the nipples with healing ointments, such as Bepanten.

  • one feeding - one breast. If the child ate everything from it and did not eat enough, offer a second one. Start the next feeding with the last one. So the child will receive not only foremilk, but also hind milk.

Fourth rule: signs of production and flow of milk to the breast

The symptoms of lactation are:

  • tingling or tightness in the chest;
  • the secretion of milk during the crying of the child;
  • for each sucking of the baby there is a sip of milk;
  • leakage of milk from the free breast during feeding.

These signs indicate the formed active reflex of oxytocin. Lactation is established.

Fifth rule: feeding on demand

Newborn babies need to be fed frequently. In Soviet times, there were rules according to which breastfeeding was carried out every three hours and no more than twenty minutes. Nowadays, it is recommended to feed the baby on demand. Give breasts literally at the first squeak. Particularly capricious and demanding children almost every hour. This allows you to feed the baby and give him a feeling of warmth and care.

Frequent applications relieve the need for mandatory pumping and serve as a prevention of lactostasis. And night feedings will serve as an excellent stimulation of the main hormone of lactation - prolactin.

How much to breastfeed in time, ideally, the baby himself determines. If you turn away or fall asleep, it means you are full. Over time, the baby will eat less.

Sixth rule: sufficiency of feeding

Women's milk in the process of its evolution goes through certain stages: colostrum, transitional, mature milk. Their quantity and quality composition ideally meets the needs of the newborn. They also produce early and late milk. The first is produced at the very beginning of feeding, rich in water and proteins. The second comes from the back of the mammary gland, it has more fat. It is important for the baby to get both.

There are times when it seems to the mother that she does not have milk and the child does not eat enough. To determine the adequacy of feeding, there are certain criteria:

  • restoration of body weight at birth by the 10th day of life with an initial loss of 10%;
  • 6 - 18 wet diapers per day;
  • the child poops 6 - 10 times a day;
  • positive oxytocin reflex;
  • audible swallowing of the baby during suckling.

Seventh rule: accounting possible feeding problems

  • flat or inverted nipples. In some cases, by the time of delivery, this difficulty is solved by itself. Others need to remember that the baby, when sucking, must capture both the nipple and most of the areola. Before feeding, try to stretch the nipple yourself. Find an acceptable position for feeding. For many mothers, a comfortable position is "from under the arm." Use silicone pads. If the breast is tight and it is difficult for the newborn to suck from it, pump. The breast will become softer in 1-2 weeks. And the child will not be deprived of mother's milk.

No need to try to "pull out" the nipples before childbirth. Excessive stimulation will lead to an increase in the tone of the uterus. Over time, an actively suckling baby will normalize everything.

  • cracked nipples. The basis of prevention is proper breastfeeding. If cracks appear, use silicone pads. Make applications with lanolin ointment and Bepanthen as often as possible. If the cracks are deep and feeding is painful, use a breast pump;
  • milk flow. Easily solved by using special inserts. They are disposable and reusable;
  • a lot of milk, and the child chokes on it. Express some fore milk. When feeding, it will flow out under less pressure;
  • engorgement of the mammary glands. Occurs when overfilled with milk. The chest is sore, swollen, hot to the touch, and very hard. Milk does not flow out of it. If this problem occurs, it is necessary to quickly remove milk from the breast. Attach your baby often or pump. Take a warm shower before feeding. Do a light chest massage. This will improve outflow. To reduce swelling after feeding, apply a cold compress;
  • lactostasis and mastitis. Occurs when the milk ducts are blocked. The body temperature rises, the chest hurts, the place of stagnation turns to stone. Pumping is painful. A warm shower, gentle breast massage and frequent breastfeeding come to the rescue. When an infection is attached, antibiotics are required.

Infectious mastitis is a formidable complication that requires medical intervention. Non-conversion is fraught with surgical intervention up to the loss of the breast.

  • lactation crises. They develop at 3-6 weeks, at 3-4 and 7-8 months of a child's life. During these periods, the most important thing is to apply more often and be sure to feed the baby at night. Drink teas with lemon balm, fennel and cumin. Rest and eat well.

Breastfeeding a baby is a laborious, but delightful, natural process. Remember this and everything will work out.

There is no universal answer to the question of how many times to feed a baby. The number of feedings depends on the age of the child and his individual needs. Breastfeeding is the best choice for an infant, but if lactation problems arise, there is a wide range of adapted milk formulas that you will find in the Daughters-Sons online store.

How often should you breastfeed



The composition of mother's milk is ideal for a child. The longer a woman feeds a baby, the stronger his immunity will be. If a child is breastfed all year, he has practically no problems with digestion, he is much less likely to get sick, falls asleep calmly and does not suffer from food allergies. Mothers often ask the question, how much time to feed a baby? It is difficult to answer exactly, it depends on the needs of the baby, but WHO recommends breastfeeding up to 1.5-2 years.

Most moms would love to follow the advice of this respected organization, but unfortunately, many complain about lactation problems. Sometimes breast milk is sorely lacking already at 5-6 months. One of the reasons for the decrease in lactation is improper feeding.

What to look out for when breastfeeding:

  • choosing a comfortable posture (lying or sitting) so as not to get tired;
  • the position of the child (the baby's tummy should be in contact with the mother's body, the face is turned to the nipple);
  • baby's breathing (the baby's nose should not rest tightly against the chest);
  • latch on the nipple (no need to put the nipple in the baby's mouth, he must take it on his own);
  • feeding schedule (how to feed the baby, by the hour or on demand).

How long does it take to breastfeed

A few decades ago, medicine recommended sticking to a strict schedule; nowadays, pediatricians advise feeding the baby on demand. How many times you need to feed the baby, the mother decides, who carefully watches her baby. 3-4 weeks after birth, the baby will develop its own individual feeding schedule. In the first few months, the intervals between feedings can be from 2.5 to 6 hours. Should I feed my baby at night? Of course, feed. Young children often wake up demanding food. When they grow up, the frequency of night feedings decreases, and then completely stops.

Important!

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how many times a day you need to feed the baby. The most effective method of breastfeeding is at the request of the child. The more the baby suckles, the more successful lactation will be and the painful stasis of milk in the breast, which leads to mastitis, will not appear.

How long should you breastfeed

Breastfeeding is not an exact science, there are no specific and uncompromising recommendations. A baby who was born a few days ago adapts to this world by sucking on the breast. No need to interfere with him, abruptly pull out the nipple when the child fell asleep. It is inhumane to limit the time spent at the mother's breast for children aged 1-2 months. Mom needs to think not about how long to feed the baby, but about where it is more comfortable for him to fall asleep. When breastfeeding, you should not talk on the phone, communicate with family, watch TV. Give these moments to your baby.

The composition of the milk received by the child in the first 5-10 minutes and later is slightly different. First, the baby sucks liquid low-calorie milk. Then, after about 5-15 minutes of active eating, fatty high-calorie milk enters the chest. It may take 10 to 20 minutes for babies to get to this nutritious product for the first two months of life. An active baby eats tasty full-fat milk in an average of 10 minutes. Weak children need more time.

The first month of life, the baby is accustomed and adapts. In the second month, a fuzzy feeding schedule is already being developed. Only after 3-4 months, the mother can tell how long one feeding takes. The baby is strong, eats with pleasure. Sometimes at this age it is necessary to supplement with a second breast, although one breast is usually given at one feeding.

Important!

The child has several periods, which are characterized by an active stage of growth. At this time, the baby's appetite increases significantly. Usually intensive growth can be traced in the interval from the 7th to the 10th day, from the 4th to the 6th week, and also for some time in the 12th week and in the 6th month. After the end of active growth, the child's appetite decreases.

conclusions

Proper breastfeeding requires maximum attention from the mother to the child. Breastfeeding should not be according to a specific schedule, but at the request of the baby. This solution allows the baby to more easily adapt to life and survive the rupture of the umbilical cord. This method ensures a consistently high level of lactation.

It is impossible to clearly say how much to feed the baby. When the child is hungry, he becomes restless, sucks and licks his hands, makes smacking sounds. You need to give the breast so that the baby himself grabs the nipple. Feeding time averages 15-30 minutes. Depends on the age of the child and his individual characteristics.

Experts did not come to a consensus, and therefore in this article we will consider all the nuances of both the first and second options. So - what can be the schedule of feeding a newborn? And should it be tough enough?

Feeding regimens

Strict

The main rule of this option is the requirement to feed the baby according to a strictly set schedule - and regardless of whether he sucked a lot or little milk during the previous feeding. In this case, for example, for a one-month-old baby, either seven time intervals of attachment to the mother's breast are determined at 6.00, 9.00, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00 and 24.00 and a 6-hour break for the night, or a regimen that provides for six feedings a day through every 4, not 3 hours, but without a night break.

What are the doctors' reasons for such recommendations? As a rule, the fact that the irregularity of nutrition is the main source of problems in the work of the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, mothers who adhere to the first option of the breastfeeding regimen, despite fatigue, lack of sleep and current daily worries, try not to violate the established schedule under any circumstances. Even in cases where the baby falls asleep for various reasons, does not eat too well, or, on the contrary, burps milk due to the inability to keep excess volume in the stomach.

Flexible

In the last 10-15 years, the second option has become increasingly popular. According to him, a rigid binding to a certain time is not required, and the baby is given a breast when he is clearly hungry. Of course, this does not mean a call for absolutely chaotic feeding - however, a clear reference to the clock is not established in this case, and the shifts in time can be quite large.

How do experts argue the advantages of this approach? The fact that breast milk is not ordinary food, and even unique. And therefore, due to its absolute digestibility, there are no problems with irregular nutrition for the gastrointestinal tract, even for a very small child.

However, at an older age, this regimen is first reduced to a mixed one, and then to an almost strict one. This is done for the following reasons:

  • already by 4-5 months, children need to be accustomed to a certain daily routine, in which the number of feedings becomes more rare, usually decreasing to five, and the night's sleep becomes longer (which makes it easier for the mother who never gets enough sleep);
  • at about 6 months, in addition to breast milk, children begin to be given complementary foods - and the process of its digestion already requires a certain regimen;
  • from 7 months onwards, both the volume of complementary foods and its variety are constantly growing, for a one-year-old peanut it is practically no different from adult nutrition (the only exception is the absence of fried, spicy and fatty foods, as well as seasonings, strong allergens and even the weakest alcohol) ;
  • growing up children from an early age must be accustomed to a certain order - and this also applies to nutrition. In this regard, the obviously artificial "protests" of your capricious child, crying for access to his mother's breast not so much for food, but to satisfy the "sucking" instinct, must be stopped over time. Although, in general, the partial presence of breast milk in the diet is welcome even up to 1.5-2 years of age.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

And what does Dr. Komarovsky, one of the world's leading specialists in pediatrics, think about this? Evgeny Olegovich is a supporter of the second, flexible method of breastfeeding - arguing that for newborns up to at least 6 months of age, a strict regimen is more harmful than beneficial. On what does this eminent physician base his views on this subject?

From the point of view of Komarovsky, the forced binding of feedings to rigid time intervals is unnatural for the baby. In addition to the occurrence of certain inconveniences in the care of the baby, eating according to the schedule is uncomfortable for the work of his gastrointestinal tract. If feeding occurs naturally (as our great-grandmothers did in their youth), the cub will sleep better, and, waking up, immediately be able to suck on the breast.

The transition to a more streamlined regime, Evgeny Olegovich considers it justified only when using artificial mixtures or after introducing complementary foods into the diet of infants - that is, again, after about six months of life. The process of digesting ordinary foods (in whatever form they are cooked) requires a completely different work of the digestive system - and it is no longer possible to overload the baby's stomach, pancreas, kidneys and liver.

But a well-known specialist proposes to carry out such a transition with reference to certain important events in the daily schedule - morning awakening, walks, night sleep. As a result, a conditioned reflex is developed in children, which subsequently persists into adulthood.

Which of the feeding regimens to choose - each family must decide for itself. But this choice must be reasonable, conscious and focused on both the individual characteristics of your child and his age.

Teaching kids to routine

Thus, sooner or later it will be necessary to reach a certain feeding regime for the little one. However, he will not consciously do this - and therefore the responsibility for the process of gradual transition will fall solely on his mother's shoulders. What is required for this? In fact, nothing complicated - just remember the approximate correspondence of the age and weight of the child to the recommended number of feedings. As a result, we get the following rule:

  • a newborn up to 1 month old with a weight of about 3 kg - feeding every 3 hours;
  • a child under 2 months weighing 4-5 kg ​​- feeding every 4 hours;
  • 2-4 months - allow a night break lasting up to 5-6 hours;
  • 5-6 months or more - transition to an interval of 4.5 - 5 hours between feedings with a night break.

How can you help your child make this transition?

The main difficulty in the transition to a stable regimen is rather the psychological problems of mothers, and not the feeding schedule for children. They consist in the fact that the mother’s first thought at the sound of a child’s crying is the question “What if he is hungry?”. As a result, the baby gets breasts, and all plans for building a smooth (and beautiful-looking only on paper) graphics go to hell. How to deal with it? First of all, remembering a simple truth - normally eating babies rarely (or rather, almost never) whimper from hunger. Therefore, it is necessary not to give the baby “sisu”, but to try to find out the true reason for his discontent (an uncomfortable diaper, too warm or, conversely, cool clothes, a desire to just drink some water, or even a lack of close communication with mom).

Subject to this simple rule, the child will be able to be accustomed to food quite quickly and without any problems at strictly defined time intervals - gradually lengthening to almost “adults” by about 1 year.

Can intervals not lengthen, but shorten?

Yes, such situations are possible - and the need for them appears when the mother produces too little milk. In order for the baby to gain his norm, he has to be fed not once every 3 or 4 hours, but, for example, once every 2.

The duration of the intervals in such cases will have to be selected individually - focusing on how calm the baby is between feedings and at what pace he is gaining weight. Of course, the woman will take more time, but for the sake of the health and comfort of the child, she will have to endure.

How to get out of unusual situations?

Consider deviations from the usual situations (for example, with 6 meals a day and a 4-hour interval - at 5.00, 9.00, 13.00, 17.00, 21.00 and 1.00) - usual for healthy, calm children who do not have any developmental abnormalities.

It's time to feed the baby, but he is sleeping

In such cases, it is better to wake the kids carefully. There is no need to worry that you are interrupting his sleep - the little one, who last sucked his breast 4 hours ago, will feel the desire to eat almost immediately after waking up.

The child woke up 1-2 hours earlier

In the vast majority of cases, the reason for his awakening is not hunger. There are a lot of options here, including such as an unpleasant dream, feeling uncomfortable from heat or cold, clothes that are uncomfortably tight, a diaper that is too wet, etc. It is enough to find and eliminate the cause of his anxiety (swing in his arms, change clothes) - and your child will fall asleep again. If this does not happen, the child is clearly not sick with anything and is looking for your breast - perhaps he really does not have enough milk, and he will have to be fed more often.

The situation is somewhat more complicated with artificial feeding - when, without consulting a doctor, it is strongly not recommended to simply increase the frequency of feeding or increase the volume of the mixture given to the baby.

The child woke up very quickly (after 30-45 minutes)

Most likely, the cause is excessive gas formation or another similar problem. In any case, it will have to be clarified - since the little one cannot starve in such a short time.

Feeding schedule options

As mentioned above, there can be quite a lot of such options (since “adjusting” to the baby’s biological clock sometimes forces you to significantly vary the intervals between feedings). However, the main ones are considered to be:

  • three hours (for example - 3.00, 6.00, 9.00, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00, 24.00);
  • four hours (for example - 6.00, 10.00, 14.00, 18.00, 22.00, 2.00).

In addition, as the kids grow older, not only daytime, but also nighttime breaks will gradually lengthen. This is done smoothly, slightly shifting the first morning feeding back, increasing the usual intervals, and the last, evening, moving it a little later. The result is an exit to the schedule (usually final after 6 months) of 5 meals a day, for example:

  • 6.00, 10.30, 15.00, 19.30, 24.00.

In this case, the mother will be able to sleep through the night for almost a full six hours, and the child will get enough milk for him for fewer feedings.

Breastfeeding is an important part of the health of the baby and mother. To ensure that feeding does not cause discomfort, it is necessary to observe whether the child suckles correctly. However, as a rule, with the birth of the child at the level of instinct "knows" what to do. Even in the hospital, you should pay attention to how the baby captures the nipple, and if necessary, carefully correct. With mother's milk, the baby receives all the nutrients, but the feeding process itself is not a formal meal. Pediatricians in maternity hospitals welcome breastfeeding and are always ready to help, so you can safely contact them for advice.

It is with natural feeding that it is difficult for the mother to control the amount of milk eaten by the child, which is why fears or starvation appear. With artificial feeding, the amount of the mixture required by age is poured into the bottle and kept for 2-3-hour intervals. However, this approach is unacceptable for a newborn. For an underdeveloped digestive tract and kidneys, food should be supplied in small volumes at different time intervals, which are individual for each baby.

The fact that a baby suckles for a long time does not mean that he is overeating. There are a lot of factors here: sucking activity (there are lazy babies who quickly fall asleep on the chest), milk flow (in some women, milk flows into the mouth by itself, while others have tight nipples), its quantity. It is possible to determine exactly how much the baby ate, only by weighing before and after feeding.

Despite the fact that the norms for newborns are very vague, they still exist. You should not "drive" your child under this framework and torture yourself, you just need to try to choose the most comfortable feeding regimen. Mom needs to come to terms with the fact that when breastfeeding for the first 6 months, she belongs more to the baby than to herself.

The norm of the volume of milk for a single feeding for newborns

In the first days after birth, the baby's ventricle is so small that a small amount (7-9 ml) of fatty and nutritious colostrum is enough for him. Feeding these days with formula puts extra stress on the kidneys, which are not yet able to handle the large amount of liquid.

On the 3rd-4th day, milk comes in, which contains more water, so the number of urination immediately increases. From this moment on, in one feeding, the baby should eat about 30-40 ml of milk, and every day until the 10th day of life, this volume will increase by 10 ml. Accordingly, by the end of 2 weeks of life, a child needs 100-120 ml to satisfy hunger.

Further calculations are carried out based on the body weight of the newborn. So, to determine the daily need of a baby under the age of 1.5 months, its mass is divided by 5; up to 4 months - by 6; up to 7 months - by 7; under the age of 8 months - by 8; up to a year - by 9.

All norms are acceptable for children who are bottle-fed. When breastfeeding, they are only conditional. You can determine for your child only by his weekly weight gain. If the baby grows well, is calm after feeding, does not require frequent breastfeeding, and pees regularly (10-12 times a day), then there is nothing to worry about. If the newborn has gained too much weight, then he is overfed. However, it is very difficult to forbid a child to eat.

How long can a baby stay at the breast


The only way to adjust the amount of milk eaten by the baby is to regulate the time spent at the breast. But here, too, everything is individual. Pediatricians in the question of how long a child should breastfeed are divided into 2 camps: some argue that no more than 10 - 15 minutes; others consider hourly feeding acceptable. In fact, it all depends on the temperament of the baby, the amount of milk and even the situation. Sometimes babies extend the feeding period to stay close to mom longer. In such cases, the child does not suckle the breast, but simply smacks his lips and indulges. It should not be taken away from the breast, as this can upset the baby.

The duration of feeding in the first months, as a rule, is 20-30 minutes on each breast. During this period, it is important for a child to satisfy the sucking reflex and feel the warmth of the mother. During feeding, there should be no rush and fuss. The child should eat calmly until full. Often newborns fall asleep during feeding, while they can continue to suck on the breast. Do not tear them off, as they give the mother a great reason to relax together, because daytime sleep is very important for good lactation.

As your baby gets older, he learns to feel full faster, and feeding time can be reduced to 5 to 10 minutes.

How often should you breastfeed

Many pediatricians advise feeding a newborn on demand. So the baby is easier to adapt to new conditions for obtaining nutrients and get used to the feeling of hunger. In the future, you need to feed according to a certain schedule in order to develop a diet.

A primiparous woman cannot always determine when her baby is hungry. In order not to torment yourself with fears, it is useful to know how many times a day you should.

Most babies are applied to the chest 10-12 times a day with an interval of 1.5-2 hours. At the same time, the time spent at the breast at each feeding may vary. Already closer to 4 - 6 months, the number of meals will be reduced to 5 with the preservation of night feeding.

Causes of malnutrition and overfeeding of infants

If the baby is healthy and eats as much as the time the newborn should eat, but at the same time gains weight poorly (less than 100 g per week), then it is necessary to understand the causes of malnutrition. These include:

  • poor psycho-emotional situation in the family;
  • low fat content of milk due to insufficient number of calories consumed by the mother;
  • hyperlactation, when too much milk is produced due to frequent pumping and the child sucks out only the sweet, quickly digested "front" milk, leaving the fatty "back";
  • engorgement of the mammary glands, as a result of which a still weak baby is not able to suck out enough milk, in such cases, massage and decanting the first drops before feeding are recommended;
  • an unpleasant smell of milk due to the consumption of spicy foods (onion, garlic) and spices by the mother.

If a full-term one-month-old baby is too lazy to suckle and quickly falls asleep without being satiated, then you can try to stir him up by gently rubbing his cheek. Weakened and premature babies can simply get tired in the process of sucking, so frequent attachment to the breast is suitable for them. At the same time, the breast should be well kneaded and some of the "front" milk should be expressed.

Quite often, pediatricians note cases of overfeeding infants. In such cases, you need to determine how often the newborn eats. Some mothers practice to soothe their child by breastfeeding. As a result, the baby consumes too much milk per day. Another reason is unlimited stay at the breast. If the child sucks for a long time and actively, and there is a lot of milk, then a feeling of satiety may be delayed and, as a result, overfeeding. Frequent and profuse regurgitation may be the result of overeating.

To understand why a child does not fit into the norms of weight gain, it is necessary to analyze all the factors. It is necessary to constantly catch changes in the state of the baby and carefully monitor his mood. All children are individual, so all existing norms serve only as a guide.