Many new mothers often wonder if their babies are getting enough food or how often they should be fed,if their baby is still hungry.
The truth however, is that there is no right answer as every baby is different! Some babies may feed as often as every hour or as infrequently as every four hours and daily feeding patterns will vary from baby to baby and from day to day.
After the first few days, most young babies feed at least eight times a day, sometimes more. So your baby could be asking for a feed as often as every 90 minutes to two hours. Breastfed babies however need to be fed more often as human milk is quickly and easily digested.
If your baby is formula fed. His weight gain and the number of wet and dirty nappies will help to inform you whether he is getting enough formula. Your baby should produce around six wet nappies a day a few days after the birth. Nappies should be soaked through with clear or pale yellow urine, or feel heavy.
As babies grow and their stomachs become larger, they naturally begin to go longer between feedings and develop more regular feeding patterns. At around 6 weeks of age, many babies go through a growth spurt which can mean they are hungrier for up to a week.
A baby who is suddenly hungrier and crankier than usual could be showing signs of a growth spurt. Baby growth spurts are sudden increases of your baby’s growth rate which usually last for 2-3 days.
Although growth spurts can happen anytime during the first year, your baby will most likely have his initial spurt between one and three weeks; and another between six and eight weeks. After that, you can expect more at three months, six months, and nine months.
The good news however is that a baby’s growth spurts usually last only a couple days, so your baby should get back to normal soon.
How can you tell if your baby is still hungry?
In the early days, as you are establishing breastfeeding, it is important to feed your baby on demand and not worry about watching the clock. Many babies, both breast and formula fed, like to suck simply for comfort’s sake, even if they’re not hungry. Your baby is too young to differentiate between their need for food and their need for comfort. Demanding milk may actually be a request for comfort or attention, so if your baby seems to want something and you don’t think they’re hungry, try a carrying her instead.
However as a rule, babies who are still hungry will cry for a feed more often and feed for longer. However, some babies suck for comfort rather than hunger, so learning to tell the difference is important.
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