Feeding Schedule For Your Newborn

From almost the moment your baby is born, they are hungry. Newborns feed very, very frequently and it's perfectly natural. A newborn's tummy is quite small and understandably they need to feed often.

A baby is considered a newborn from birth to about 3 months of age. During this time, your baby's feeding and sleeping pattern will be nothing like yours. Your baby will sleep in short bursts and feed in between. Infact sometimes, your baby might drift off while feeding too.

Understandably, feeding a newborn is a round-the-clock commitment. It's also an opportunity to bond with your baby. Following are a few quick tips for help

• Stick with breast milk or baby formula Breast milk is the ideal food for babies. It's nutritious and digests fairly quuckly. In case breast feeding isnt possible, use baby instant formula. Formula fed babies tend to eat slightly less often as a baby's tummy takes longer to digest the formula. Healthy newborns don't need water, juice or other fluids.

• Heed the cue Most newborns feed anywhere between 8 to 12 times a day. Roughly one times each 2 to 3 hours. Be on the lookout for signs of hunger such as stirring or stretching, lip movements and sucking motions. Crying is a later cue. The sooner you feed, the easier will it be to soothe your baby

• Expect variations in your newborn's eating patterns Newborns don't adhere to any strict amount of feed everyday. During growth spurts; often two to three weeks from birth and at six weeks from birth; your newborn might want to eat more and more oftenly. Respond to these signs rather than keeping a strict clock.

• Trust your newborn's instincts You might feel that your baby isn't eating enough, but babies mostly know how much they need. Instead of focusing on regularity of feeds, look for Steady weight gain Contentment between feeds Proper bowel movements

• Don't shy away from help If you have trouble breast feeding or your baby isn't gaining weight, consult your doctor.

Below are a couple feeding schedules for your newborn. Feel free to modify them as per your newborn's schedule

2-8 weeks breast fed newborn 9:00 AM – Wake and Feed 10:00 AM – Nap (30-60 minutes) 11:00 AM – Wake and Feed 12:30 PM – Nap (30-60 minutes) 1:30 PM – Wake and Feed 3:30 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes) 4:30 PM – Wake and Feed 6:00 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes) 6:30 PM – Wake and Feed 7:30 PM – Catnap (20 – 30 minutes) 8:00 PM – Wake and Feed 9:30 PM – Catnap (20 – 30 minutes) 10:00 PM – Wake and Feed 11:30 PM – Feed and Bedtime 3:30 AM – Feed and Right back to sleep 6:30 AM – Feed and Right back to sleep

2-8 weeks formula fed newborn 9:00 AM – Wake and Feed 10:00 AM – Nap (60 – 90 minutes) 11:30 AM – Wake 12:30 PM – Feed and Nap (30 – 60 minutes) 1:30 PM – Wake 3:00 PM – Feed and Nap (60 – 90 minutes) 4:30 PM – Wake and Feed 6:00 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes) 6:30 PM – Wake 7:30 PM – Feed and Nap (30 – 60 minutes) 8:30 PM – Wake 9:30 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes) 10:00 PM – Wake and Feed 11:30 PM – Feed and Bedtime 4:30 AM – Feed and Right back to sleep 7:30 AM – Feed and Right back to sleep

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