Baby center feeding schedule

3- and 4-month-old feeding schedules

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At 3 and 4 months old, babies are still eating frequently throughout the day but are capable of going for longer stretches at night. Breastfeeding parents can expect their baby to continue to eat often, anywhere from eight to 12 times a day. If you're formula-feeding your little one, they'll be ready for 4- to 6-ounces bottles six to eight times a day. As your baby grows out of the newborn stage, you may notice them starting to develop a more predictable schedule for feeding, sleep, and play.

Photo credit: iStock.com / Hiraman

At 3 and 4 months old, your baby may be naturally falling into a schedule. You can encourage them by adding more consistency to their days. Keep their naptimes, mealtimes, and bedtime routine about the same from day to day. Babies are awake and alert more now, making it a good time to start getting them on a more predictable schedule.

It can be a big help to see what other moms and dads are doing. Below, you'll find several sample schedules based on those of real parents and reviewed by a pediatrician on our Medical Advisory Board.

As you're creating a schedule for your baby, here are a few things to keep in mind:

The schedule for a formula-fed baby may look different than the schedule for a breastfed baby. At 3 to 4 months old, your formula-fed baby will have around 32 ounces of formula each day over five to eight feedings of 4 to 6 ounces each. (See whether your baby is getting enough formula.)
If you're breastfeeding, your baby will eat five to eight times a day, every two or three hours. (Here's how to tell whether your baby is getting enough breast milk. )
By focusing on longer feedings every three to four hours during the day, you can start encouraging your baby to sleep for longer stretches at night. Babies can go through the night without a feeding as early as 3 months, but it more commonly happens later, around 5 or 6 months

Sample 3-month-old feeding schedule

7 a.m.: Nurse.

8 a.m.: Daycare drop off; playtime.

9:45 a.m.: 4 ounces of expressed breast milk.

10 a.m.: Naptime. (Mom pumps at work.)

12 p.m.: Playtime.

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12:45 p.m.: 4 ounces of expressed breast milk.

1:30 p.m.: Naptime. (Mom pumps again.)

2:30 p.m.: Playtime.

4 p.m.: 4 ounces of expressed breast milk. (Mom pumps again.)

4:30 p.m.: Naptime.

5:15 p.m.: Daycare pickup.

5:45 p.m.: Playtime.

6:30 p.m.: Nurse.

6:45 p.m.: Playtime and tummy time.

7:30 p.m.: Nurse, then bedtime routine.

12 a.m.: Nurse.

4 a.m.: Nurse.

Sample 4-month-old feeding schedule

5 a.m.: Nurse, then back to sleep.

7 a.m.: Nurse and back to sleep again.

9 a.m.: Wake up.

10 a.m.: Nurse, then tummy time and playtime.

12 p.m.: Naptime.

2 p.m.: Nurse.

2:30 p.m.: A walk in the stroller.

3 p.m.: Short nap.

4 p.m.: Nurse.

5 p.m.: Playtime.

7 p.m.: Bedtime routine – bath, read a few books and sing a lullaby.

7:30 p.m.: Nurse and bedtime.

1 a.m.: Nurse, then back to bed.

Tips for feeding your 3- or 4-month-old

You may be breastfeeding exclusively, pumping and breastfeeding, exclusively pumping, formula-feeding, or supplementing with formula. No matter how you're feeding your 3- to 4-month-old baby, here are some tips for helping it go smoothly.

If you're breastfeeding, continue to nurse or pump often to keep your milk supply up. Offer both breasts at each feeding to keep signaling to your body that it needs to make enough milk to keep up with your baby's hunger.
It's hard to overfeed a breastfeeding baby, but at 3 to 4 months it's also okay to encourage them to go for slightly longer stretches between meals. By focusing on longer feedings, you can fill their belly and try to avoid your baby "snacking" all day long.
Eat plenty of nutritious foods to keep yourself fueled for feeding your baby. Breastfeeding moms need more calories (450 to 500 extra calories each day), and dieting can decrease your milk supply.
If your baby is nursing exclusively but you're ready to introduce a bottle, it can sometimes be a challenge. Here are some tips for giving your breastfed baby a bottle.
If you're exclusively pumping and you notice a sudden drop in milk supply, try power pumping. The idea is to pump frequently over an hour to increase supply. One commonly suggested power pumping schedule is pump for 20 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, pump for 10 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, pump for 10 minutes. You can power pump once or twice a day.
Practice paced bottle feeding if your baby is drinking formula or breast milk from a bottle. By feeding your baby in a more upright position and taking regular breaks to burp them, you allow them more control over how quickly and how much milk or formula they drink.
Keep your bottle-fed baby safe from foodborne illness by practicing safe bottle feeding. Wash your bottles thoroughly between feedings and be sure you're storing formula safely. Expired or compromised formula can be dangerous for babies, so double-check the label before feeding your baby from a new container of formula.

Learn more:

Your 3-month-old baby's growth and development
Your 4-month-old baby's growth and development
3-month-old sleep guide
4-month-old sleep guide
When can my baby start sleeping through the night?

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Mary Sauer

Mary Sauer is a freelance parenting and health writer living in Kansas City. She is a mom of four and loves to hike with her kids, read, and knit. Cooking a complicated meal her kids probably won't eat is one of her favorite pastimes.

Baby formula feeding chart: How much formula by weight and age

Is your baby getting too much or too little formula? It's an important question that worries many new parents, especially those with newborns. When deciding how much formula to give your baby, it's important to watch their hunger cues as well as looking at guidelines based on age and weight. In general, before they're eating solids, babies need 2. 5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight each day.

These guidelines are for babies who are exclusively formula-fed for the first 4 to 6 months, and then fed a combination of formula and solids up to age 1. If your baby is getting a combination of breast milk and formula, talk to their doctor for separate advice.

Your pediatrician can tell you where your baby falls on the growth charts, make sure they're growing steadily on their own growth curve, and help you ensure that they're getting a healthy amount of formula. If you're ever worried about your baby's growth, behavior, or development, talk with their doctor.

How much formula for a newborn

For the first few days, offer your newborn 1 to 2 ounces of formula every 2 or 3 hours. (At first, newborns may only take a half ounce of formula at a time.)

After the first few days, give your newborn 2 to 3 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours.

Initially it's best to feed your formula-fed newborn on demand, whenever they show signs that they're hungry. Because your little one can't tell you when they want a bottle, you'll need to learn to read their hunger cues. Crying is often a late sign of hunger, so if you can, try to catch the earlier signs that it's time for a feeding.

Here are some hunger cues to watch for:

Smacking or licking their lips
Rooting (moving their jaw, mouth, or head in search of food)
Putting their hands to their mouth
Opening their mouth
Fussiness
Sucking on things
Becoming more alert
Crying

As time passes, your newborn will begin to develop a fairly regular feeding schedule. You'll become familiar with their cues and needs, and knowing when and how much to feed them will be much easier.

Formula feeding chart by weight

During the first 4 to 6 months, when your baby isn't eating solid foods, here's a simple rule of thumb: Offer 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight every 24 hours, with a maximum of about 32 ounces.

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Weight	Ounces of formula
6 pounds	15 fl oz every 24 hours
7 pounds	17.5 fl oz every 24 hours
8 pounds	20 fl oz every 24 hours
9 pounds	22.5 fl oz every 24 hours
10 pounds	25 fl oz every 24 hours
11 pounds	27.5 fl oz every 24 hours
12 pounds	30 fl oz every 24 hours

These numbers aren't rigid rules. They offer a rough estimate for what your baby may need. Some babies will grow well while taking less than the recommended amount, while others consistently need more. Your baby's daily feedings will also vary according to their individual needs – in other words, they may want a bit more on some days and a bit less on others.

Formula feeding chart by age

Here are typical amounts per day based on age:

Age	Ounces of formula
Full-term newborn	2 ounces per bottle every 3 to 4 hours
1 month old	3 to 4 ounces per bottle every 3 to 4 hours
2 month old	4 to 5 ounces per bottle every 3 to 4 hours
3 month old	4 to 6 ounces per bottle every 3 to 4 hours
4 month old	4 to 6 ounces per bottle, 4 to 6 times a day
5 month old	4 to 6 ounces per bottle, 4 to 6 times a day
6 month old	6 to 8 ounces per bottle, 4 to 5 times a day
7 month old	6 to 8 ounces per bottle, 3 to 5 times a day

From 8 months old until their first birthday, you can expect your baby to have 7 to 8 ounces per bottle, 3 to 4 times a day.

As your baby gets older – and their tummy gets bigger – they'll drink fewer bottles a day with more formula in each. It's important not to overfeed your baby so they'll stay at a healthy weight. Your baby shouldn't have more than 32 ounces of formula in 24 hours.

When they reach their first birthday, they can stop drinking formula and transition to cow's milk in a bottle, sippy cup, straw cup, or open cup. Limit your toddler to 16 to 24 ounces (2 to 2.5 cups) a day of whole milk, so they have room for other healthy foods.

Here are signs that your baby's getting all the formula they need:

Steady weight gain. They continue to gain weight after their first 10 days and follow a healthy growth curve during their first year. (Most babies lose up to 7 to 10 percent of their birth weight in the first few days and then regain it by the time they're about 2 weeks old.)
Happy baby. They seem relaxed and satisfied after a feeding.
Wet diapers. They wet two to three diapers a day in the first few days after birth. Over the next few days, the amount should increase to at least five to six wet diapers a day.

Babies are usually good at eating the amount they need, but bottle-fed babies can drink too much at times. Here are the signs that they're getting too much formula:

Vomiting after a feeding may be a sign that your baby had too much. (Spitting up is normal, vomiting isn't.)
Tummy pain after a feeding can also be a sign of overfeeding. If your baby draws up their legs or their tummy seems tense, they may be in pain. (See other possible reasons for stomach pain in babies.)

If your baby seems to want to eat all the time, even after finishing a bottle, talk to your pediatrician. Using a pacifier may help soothe their need to suck.

Formula-feeding tips

In general, babies eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full, so resist the temptation to encourage your baby to finish each bottle. Overfeeding during infancy can contribute to obesity later in life.
Don't respond to your baby's every cry with a bottle. They may be crying because their diaper is wet, they're cold or hot, they need to be burped, or they want to be close to you. (Learn more about why babies cry, and how to soothe them.)
Your baby may be hungrier than usual during growth spurts. These typically occur 10 to 14 days after birth and around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age.

Read more:

Formula Feeding Problem Solver
How to safely store and use formula

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Daily routine for a child under 1 year old

Daily routine is a system for distributing periods of sleep and wakefulness, meals, hygiene and health procedures, activities and independent human activities throughout the day.

Compliance with a rational daily routine corresponding to the age characteristics of the child contributes to his healthy growth and development. Getting used to performing various types of activities at the same time, the child is prepared for the upcoming type of activity at every moment of time, which ensures their easier and faster implementation. Compliance with the correct daily routine provides a good mood for the child and maintains a keen interest in the study of the world around him, contributing to his normal motor and psychoverbal development.

The child's daily routine includes the following obligatory elements: diet, time spent outdoors during the day, frequency and duration of sleep, mandatory classes to develop skills in accordance with age, free time.

In the first months after birth, a healthy newborn baby sleeps for most of the day, since all external stimuli are very strong for the nervous system of a child, accustomed to a cozy intrauterine environment, and cause its rapid exhaustion. As the child grows older, the duration of sleep gradually decreases and the time of wakefulness increases.

Age	Daytime sleep mode	Night sleep	Wake mode
From birth to 2 months	6 x 2. 5 hours	6 hours	During feeding
2-4 months	5 times 2-2.5 hours	6.5 hours	4 x 1.5 hours
4-6 months	4-5 times for 2 hours	7 hours	4 times 2 hours
6-9 months	3-4 times for 1.5-2 hours	8 hours	4 x 2.5 hours
9-12 months	2 x 1.5-2 hours	9-10 hours	4 times for 3-4 hours

Closely related to the sleep-wake mode is the feeding mode of the baby. The sleep of a child in the first months of life is very sensitive and is easily disturbed under the influence of various extraneous stimuli, including hunger.

Age	Mode	Example
From birth to 2 months	7-8 times, every 3 hours	6,9,12,15,18,21,24 (no night feeding)
From 2 to 6 months	6-7 times, every 3. 5 hours	6, 9.30, 13, 16.30, 20, 23.30 (without night feeding) 6, 9.30, 13, 16.30, 20, 23.30, 03 (with night feeding)
From 7-12 months	5 times, every 4 hours	6,10,14,18,22

A child's stay in the fresh air is essential in the daily routine. The total duration of stay in the open air for children under 1 year of age should be at least 5-6 hours a day. Fresh air has a calming effect on the baby, improves metabolic processes, and increases the body's defenses. In the summer, all games and activities should be held outdoors; in the cold and transitional seasons, two one-time walks of 1.5-2 hours are provided.

Fresh air also has a beneficial effect on sleep. By acting on the skin and mucous membranes of the nose and upper respiratory tract, it provides a faster fall asleep of the child and a higher quality of sleep. Sleeping outside can replace a walk, especially during the cold season.

The child's daily routine is generally individual, but ideally, one should strive to ensure that the child eats after waking up, and then stays awake until the next sleep. A well-slept baby eats with appetite and then calmly and actively plays or engages, and tired of games, easily goes to sleep.

When your baby is awake, try to keep him active and cheerful. It is necessary to dress the child in loose clothing that does not hinder movement, provide access to toys appropriate for his age, and most importantly, actively participate in games and activities with the baby as a whole family.
Author - Physiotherapist - DMITRIENKO T.G.

ds-27-ogonek.nubex.ru. ORGANIZATION OF FOOD. Attention! Information about nutrition in preschool educational institution

CAN A KINDERGARTEN PROVIDE A CHILD WITH INDIVIDUAL FOOD IF A NUMBER OF PRODUCTS (CITRUS, MILK, CHICKEN, ETC.) IS CONTRAINDICATED TO HIM?

The menu of kindergartens in the city district of Yalta, in accordance with the 10. 5 and 12-hour work schedule, provides 4 meals a day for pupils (I breakfast, II breakfast, lunch, a packed afternoon snack). The range of food products used in the daily menu of the MBDOU corresponds to the recommended SanPiN 2.4.1.3049-13 “Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for the arrangement, maintenance and organization of the working hours of preschool educational organizations” with the range of basic food products for use in the nutrition of children in preschool organizations.
In the staff of MBDOU kindergartens there are no allergist, dietitian, i.e. there are no conditions for organizing individual nutrition for children with allergies, the range of products used in MBDOU contains a large number of basic products that are allergens for your child.
In accordance with the law "On Education in the Russian Federation" No. 273-FZ of December 21, 2012, the main goal of the activity of an educational organization is the implementation of educational programs, you may be offered the provision of a public pre-school education service in the mode of short stay (without catering).

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BRING YOUR FOOD TO KINDERGARTEN FROM HOME IF THE CHILD IS ALLERGY TO SOME FOODS?
Unfortunately, this option of catering when visiting a kindergarten is prohibited. One of the documents regulating catering in preschool educational organizations is SanPiN 2.4.1.3049-13 "Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for the device, content and organization of the working hours of preschool educational organizations." According to clause 14.1 SanPiN 2.4.1.3049-13 acceptance of food products and food raw materials in preschool educational organizations is carried out in the presence of documents confirming their quality and safety.
In accordance with Appendix 5 of SanPiN 2.4.1.3049-13, in preschool educational organizations it is not allowed to use any home-made (non-industrial) food products in children's nutrition, as well as those brought from home (including when organizing festive events, birthday celebrations, etc. .P.).

DO I NEED TO PREPARE THE CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN FOOD IN ADVANCE? WHAT IS THE DIET IN KINDERGARTEN?
First you need to bring the home diet closer to what will be in kindergarten. In preschool institutions, as a rule, breakfast is at 8.30, second breakfast is at 10.30, lunch is at 12.00 (for early age groups) and 12.30 (for children 3-7 years old), a compact afternoon snack (including dinner dishes) - in 16.00. Children eat at home. The optimal time for dinner is 19.00. Before going to bed, the child is recommended a second light dinner, which may consist of kefir or milk.
If the time of feeding the child does not coincide with the kindergarten, then you need to switch to a new diet gradually. Children are hard to wean from the prevailing stereotype. With a sharp change in the feeding schedule, the baby may refuse to eat; after all, the feeling of hunger comes at the usual hours, and after a while the child's appetite fades away. It is best to shift the feeding time gradually by 10-15 minutes, and this should be started at least 2-3 months before the child goes to kindergarten.
It is more difficult in kindergarten for those children whose parents did not adhere to any daily routine at all. In this case, the diet must be established immediately upon admission of the child to a preschool institution. Kindergarten diet should be followed until school. In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the kindergarten menu, the range of products from which dishes are prepared. It is more difficult to adapt to the conditions of the kindergarten those children who are not used to eating dishes traditionally included in the children's menu (casseroles, puddings, cereals, omelettes, jelly, drinks prepared with milk, stews and stewed vegetable dishes). It should be noted that when preparing dishes for the children's menu, sparing methods of heat treatment are used, such as boiling, baking, poaching, sautéing, stewing, steaming, frying is not used.
Therefore, if the family adheres to the daily routine, is guided by the principles of healthy eating, the child will not have problems when entering kindergarten.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT THE KINDERGARTEN MENU? WHO COMPOSES IT AND ON THE BASIS OF WHAT DOCUMENTS?
In order to get acquainted with the regulatory documents on the nutrition of preschool children attending municipal educational institutions of the city district of Yalta of the Republic of Crimea, it is necessary to go via the Internet to the official website of the Department of Education of Yalta in the section Subordinate municipal institutions. Kindergartens.
Nutrition for pupils of municipal preschool educational institutions of the city district of Yalta of the Republic of Crimea is carried out on the basis of an approximate 10-day menu. An exemplary menu has been developed on the basis of unified approaches to the organization of nutrition for children in MBDOU, in accordance with SanPiN 2.4.1.3049-13 "Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for the arrangement, maintenance and organization of the working hours of preschool educational organizations", approved by the decision of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation May 15, 2013 N26,
When compiling the Sample Menu, a collection of technical standards "Collection of recipes for dishes and culinary products for feeding children in preschool educational institutions" was used, ed. M.P. Mogilny and V.A. Tutelyan. This collection was developed by scientists from the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Department of Food Technology of the Pyatigorsk State Technological University and is intended for enterprises providing food for preschool children.
The 10-day menu in each kindergarten is approved by the order of the head and a daily menu is compiled on its basis. The organization of nutrition for children in MBDOU should be combined with the proper nutrition of the child in the family. To ensure the continuity of nutrition, kindergartens inform parents about the range of children's food by posting a daily menu indicating the output of dishes and recommendations for organizing dinner at home, as well as recommendations for children's meals on weekends.

HOW DOES THEY COOK IN KINDERGARTEN? IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE SURE OF THE FRESHNESS OF COOKED DISHES?
The food that is served to children in the kindergarten is prepared at the kindergarten's food unit immediately before consumption. So there should be no doubt about the freshness of the dishes.
According to sanitary requirements, there are separate zones in the catering units - for cutting raw products, a meat shop, a vegetable shop, a room where they wash dishes, a hot shop. Cutting boards, knives, other kitchen utensils are marked, i.e. inscriptions: “for bread”, “for butter”, “for raw meat”, “for boiled meat”, etc. and are used strictly for their intended purpose. For each type of product (meat, fish, milk, vegetables, eggs) there are separate refrigerators. All products are stored at temperatures according to the storage conditions specified by the manufacturer.
Immediately after cooking, the rejection commission takes a sample, notes in a special journal the characteristics of the cooked dish (appearance, texture, color, smell, taste) and allows the dishes to be issued. Also, immediately after cooking, daily samples of each cooked dish are taken. Daily samples are taken with sterile or boiled spoons into sterile and boiled dishes (jars, containers) with tight-fitting lids. Dishes with samples are marked (the name of the meal and the date of sampling are indicated).
Daily samples are stored for at least 48 hours at a temperature of +2 .. . - +6 C in a separate refrigerator. Control over the correctness of the selection and storage of the daily sample is carried out by the responsible person.

WHO CONTROLS THE QUALITY OF COOKED DISHES? CAN PARENTS CHECK WHAT AND HOW THEY ARE COOKING IN KINDERGARTEN?
Internal control over the quality of incoming products, the conditions for their storage, compliance with the technology of cooking is carried out by employees of the kindergarten (head, storekeeper), the marriage commission (the composition is approved by order of the head). In addition, each kindergarten has either a commission to control catering, or a commission for administrative and public control, or some other body, which includes both the administration and employees of the kindergarten, and representatives of the parent community. Usually, the results of control are brought to the attention of parents at parent meetings (open days).
External control in the form of operational and thematic inspections is carried out by the administration of the Yalta city district together with the Public Council and other public organizations.