Infant Feeding Schedule - Advice From A Fellow Mommy! (Check with your doctor about what is right for your child)Infant feeding schedule?? Where do I even start? The first year of a child's life can be confusing for a new mommy! Should I breastfeed and if so, for how long? When it's time to change to jar food, should I start with vegetables or fruits? When is it time to move to finger foods? Here's a step by step guide for the first year from a fellow mommy! (Remember, always talk to your doctor about when your child should start new foods. This advice is from a fellow mommy, not medical advice!!)
INFANT FEEDING SCHEDULE - BIRTH TO FOUR MONTHSThe first few months of your child's life consists of mostly eating, sleeping and wetting diapers! And trying to figure out your infants feeding schedule on top of all of that can be exhausting.The biggest question on every mother's mind is "Should I breastfeed or bottle feed?" While studies show that breastfeeding is best, formula feeding is also a healthy way to feed your baby. The most important part is for you and your baby to be happy with whatever decision you make.
If you choose breastfeeding-
Breast milk is mother nature's perfect food for your baby. You will be adding to your child's immune system and giving your child everything he or she needs to grow. Signs that your baby is getting enough milk: FIRST MONTH- THREE MONTHS: 6-8 wet diapers a day and a yellow-mustard stool should appear frequently. Also, your child should be gaining about an ounce a day and feeding 10-12 times a day!! THREE MONTHS-SIX MONTHS:
Your child should gain about a half an ounce a day and feed 7 times in a 24 hour period. There should also be frequent wet diapers.
If you choose formula feeding-
It is much easier to determine if your child is getting enough to eat if you are formula feeding. Babies generally eat between 2 ounces and 8 ounces every 2-4 hours in the first few months. Key points to formula feeding: 1. Always wash the tops of the cans before opening to prevent contamination of the formula. Store opened cans properly by reading the directions carefully. 2. Use sterile water by either buying nursery water or boiling your own tap water and storing it in a clean container. Bottled water is not sterile and should be boiled if used. 3. Ask your doctor if you should buy formula with iron. Most infant formula brands come with this, but will cost a bit more than the regular version. Also, ask your doctor if you should be using any special formula like soy-based or lactose-free especially if your baby is fussy or has colic. 4. Don't switch formulas once you find one that works well for your child. Constant brand changes can be hard on an infants tummy. 5. Never give an infant regular cow's milk. Their digestive system is not able to break down the proteins and it does not contain enough nutrients to keep the baby healthy. 6. Ready-made, Concentrate and Powdered formulas- There are advantages to each one of these types of formula depending on your needs and lifestyle:
READY-MADE is the most convenient with no mixing. Just open and serve. These work great when you have no access the clean water. However, they are very expensive and once opened, the life span is short. Only about 48 hours.
CONCENTRATE is easier to prepare than powdered because you mix equal parts of concentrate with safe water and less expensive than ready-made. This is a good middle of the road option.
POWDERED is the most economical option, but requires the most time to prepare. (Follow the directions exactly!)You must mix safe water with the correct number of scoops to insure proper feeding. But, an opened can of powdered formula can last for 1 month after opening making it the easiest to store as well.
If you choose to use a combo of both-Many moms these days do a combination of both breast and bottle feeding. This is especially helpful to moms who are returning to work or want to have freedom to have someone else, like another family member or babysitter, take care of the child.Just remember your milk will decrease as your child uses less of your milk. Even breastfeeding in the morning and evening and using formula during the day will be beneficial to your child.
INFANT FEEDING SCHEDULE - FOUR TO SIX MONTHSBy the time your baby is between four and six months old, you should be able to start adding rice cereal or oatmeal to his or her infant feeding schedule. (again, ask your doctor!)Mix either formula or breast milk with the cereal until it is soupy and then feed your child with a spoon. Oh what fun!! It will probably go everywhere at first, but your child will get used to it soon enough! At this point, your baby should be drinking 4 to 8 ounces of breast milk or formula 4 to 5 times a day and eating 1-2 tablespoons of cereal 2 to 3 times a day. (As you start adding food over the next few months, the amount of breast milk or formula will decrease.)
INFANT FEEDING SCHEDULE - SIX TO SEVEN MONTHSAround six months, the fun really begins by introducing "First Foods" like peaches, pears, green beans, carrots and squash to your infant feeding schedule.There is a great debate on whether or not you should start with fruits first or vegetables first. It doesn't matter which you decide to start with as long as you wait 5 to 7 days before adding a new food to your baby's diet to be sure your baby isn't allergic to it. I personally started with green vegetables because they are the least "tasty" and I wanted my daughter to get used to those foods before trying the yummy, sweeter foods like fruits and sweet potatoes. But again, it is completely up to you and your doctor. At this point, your baby should be drinking 4 to 8 ounces of formula or breast milk 4 to 5 times a day, 1 to 2 tablespoons of cereal 2 to 3 times a day and 1 or 2 jars of food 2 to 3 times a day.
Note About Jar Food...Here are a few rules to follow when adding jar foods to your infant feeding schedule:1. Never buy jars that are dirty, chipped, the vacuum seal has been broken or has a past expiration date. 2. Always wash the jar before opening just like you would formula. 3. Never feed a child directly from the jar or place a spoon that has been in the child's mouth into the jar of food. A baby's saliva will spoil the rest of the jar if it is not all eaten in one meal. Take a clean spoon and put the baby food into a serving dish before feeding. 4. Be careful when heating the food in a microwave. It can heat unevenly and burn your baby's mouth. If you can, it is best to heat the food in a bottle/food warmer or on the stove instead. JUST BE SURE TO TEST THE TEMPERATURE. You don't want to burn your baby! 5. An opened jar of baby food should be refrigerated and used within 2 days.
INFANT FEEDING SCHEDULE - SEVEN TO NINE MONTHSYou can follow the same routine as you have been for the last couple of months, but jarred meats can now be added. Again, remember to wait 5 to 7 days before adding another new food to your child's diet to be sure your baby isn't allergic!INFANT FEEDING SCHEDULE - NINE TO TWELVE MONTHSContinue the same infant feeding schedule as above, but begin decreasing cereal and increase meats. You are heading into the last few months of breast feeding or formula! (Your child can switch to whole milk at the age of one with your doctor's approval.)Some parents begin to introduce table foods and sippy cups at this point. Just remember to be sure food is bite-size so they won't be choking hazards. You can also introduce finger foods to your child like Cheerios or Gerber "Puffs" that melt quickly in a child's mouth, but teaches them how to grab food with their fingers and bring it to their mouths. Talk to your doctor about when to start adding these foods and GET READY FOR THAT FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE!
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