Blank baby feeding schedule chart
A Newborn Feeding Chart That Works (With Printable!)
What's in this post...
Inside you’ll find all you need to know to put into a newborn feeding chart and then have a printable one for yourself! Whether or not you are interested in sleep training, this will get you started on a great solid routine.
I gave birth to my firstborn in a hospital in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
With a midwife whom I’d never met.
It all happened so fast and no one thought I was actually near 10 cm because they hadn’t checked dilation since I wasn’t in much pain. Must not be close, they assumed.
But really I’m a redhead and my pain signals are all jacked up so then it was go time before we knew it.
“But I don’t even have the paperwork ready…” she said in a sort of sweet and confused voice.
“IT’LL WAIT!” I yelled.
Fast forward a few days…
Fast forward a few days and I was ready to start tracking my baby’s feeds. I couldn’t remember which side she had fed from or if she was feeding enough and I felt stressed.
I wanted to write it down and keep it in her nursery. So I used a pen and a little notepad and over the next few weeks kept diligent track to make sure things seemed okay.
They were!
Read: The ultimate newborn napping, feeding, and sleeping schedule
Newborn Feeding Chart
Use this simple printable chart to track your feeds to make sure baby is fed, your supply is up, and everyone is well.
Basic Feeding Tips For The Early Weeks
(Psst… you can scroll down and get your free downloadable newborn feeding chart).
Here are some basic rules of thumb when it comes to feeding newborns. Talk to your pediatrician or nursing consultant if you have any issues, but for most babies these principles will help you have a calm, contented baby.
Read: 8 reasons you’ve got a fussy whiny little one
Focus On Filling Baby Up
Newborns are sleepy.
They want to feed a bit then nod off. This is not a good idea for a few reasons, listed below.
To keep track of whether or not your baby is taking full feeds, scroll down and get your free newborn feeding chart so you can keep track.
- Babies do not get the breast milk most rich in fat and calories (the hind milk) because if they nurse for a short period they’re only getting the fore milk (less density which means less filling).
- Also, they will not go into a deep sleep (which takes around 20 minutes) and then when they transition through sleep cycles (around 45 minutes or so after they’ve gone to sleep) they’ll wake up out of hunger.
- You will be feeding baby every hour all day long.
Related Reads:
- What To Do When Baby Is Feeding Every Hour (& Not Sleeping!)
- Feeding Baby Through One Year
Newborn Settling Guide
Tried-and-true *hands on* newborn settling strategies that even the most fussy (or wide-awake-sleep-refusing) newborns cannot resist!
Learn More
Feed Unswaddled By Day And Swaddled By Night
We want our babies to know the difference between night and day so they’ll have their wake times in the day and sleepy time at night.
This means that we create certain associations with being awake and other associations with sleep. One of those is the swaddle. You should swaddle from Day One because this will decrease the likelihood your baby “fights the swaddle.”
I had 5 babies and none fought the swaddle because we did it from Day One and there simply wasn’t an option.
Babies who are not swaddled will wake frequently or nap lighter since the startle reflex (moro reflex) will cause their arms to rise up and “startle.”
If they aren’t in a deep sleep cycle this might be enough to wake them.
During the day unswaddle them to feed so you’re communicating wake time. At night, unswaddle the bottom of their swaddle (the swaddles perfect for this shown below) to change their diaper, then reswaddle them and feed swaddled. This means baby will essentially sleep through the feed. Voila!
Read: How to clear up daytime and nighttime confusion in babies
Bring Baby To You, Don’t Lean Towards Baby
Those midwives in Scotland had it going on.
Not only did they give you all the logistics while you were in the hospital, they visited you for a few weeks AT HOME during the postpartum period.
You could ask them absolutely anything about anything and they helped make it all work. One thing they gave me in my welcome packet was a DVD on how to get baby to latch properly.
With 5 babies I have had 0 issues with latching on and I’m telling you this works.
Instead of leaning down onto baby, position the breast and the baby’s head so that you push the baby onto your breast.
This means your bringing baby where the milk is, not trying to bring the milk down to baby. And, it means this will make for a better latch.
Related Reads:
- The Difference Between Midwives And Doctors
- How To Get Your Newborn To Sleep Well From Day One
Newborn Feeding Chart
Use this simple printable chart to track your feeds to make sure baby is fed, your supply is up, and everyone is well.
Example Daily Rhythm
Newborns have tiny tummies. You’ll be feeding baby around the clock for weeks at a time. However, by giving full feeds and keeping baby awake during feeds (which can be a feat) you’ll be able to increase the time between feeds providing baby with more restorative naps.
Initially you want to aim for feeding baby every 2.5 to 3 hours. So you may feed at 6 am, 8:30 am, 11:00 am, then 2:00 p.m.
The only reasons baby should feed less than 2.5 hours apart are these:
- Baby is not feeding enough at each feed (not getting calorie rich hind milk or enough ounces of formula)
- They are going through a growth spurt.
- You are cluster feeding in late afternoon early evening on purpose.
Read: The Easy Peasy Newborn Routine That Makes For Happy Babies
A Printable Chart That Works Like A Charm
I’ve created a newborn feeding chart below where you can record what times your baby is feeding and use that to find a good rhythm for you and your baby.
Read: The Dreamfeed: The Why, The How, & When To Stop
Is baby sleeping okay?
Baby bedtime can begin to feel like an actual nightmare.
Moms just want baby to sleep well. You just want to have some peace and quiet after a long day of momming and yet you are spending so much time trying to comfort an exhausted baby and wondering where it all went to pot.
Because moms with babies are busy (and tired) I created a set of nitty gritty baby sleep checklists that get straight to the point.
- Things to look for if your baby is sick.
- Habits to check if your baby won’t sleep at night.
- What to do if your baby won’t go back to sleep at night.
- And so much more!
It’s not usually some major problem that’s causing baby sleep issues, it’s usually something small. Use these checklists and get some clarity today.
Read: Cocooning a Newborn & 7 Reasons Why it Can Be Good For The Family
Newborn Feeding Chart
Use this simple printable chart to track your feeds to make sure baby is fed, your supply is up, and everyone is well.
Sources:
- The importance of schedules and routines
- Routines minimize chaos which promotes resilience and regulation
- Routines indicators of predictable family life contributing to childhood development
Family Routines Reboot
Take our 3 day challenge to create life-giving family, child, and self-care routines.
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Printable Baby Schedule Chart To Help Baby Settle Into Routine
The first few days and weeks with a newborn are a blur of feeding, sleeping and crying. While your newborns needs may be sporadic, it won’t be long before patterns develop. Once those patterns begin to form, you can help your babe settle into a daily routine. A printable baby schedule chart can help you identify patterns and figure out a routine that works for the whole family.
Sponsored post by Mirum Shopper. All opinions are my own.
Printable Baby Schedule Chart
Although routines change as baby grows, having a general idea of when your baby will need to eat or sleep helps the whole family feel more settled.
Now that my daughter is three months old, I can look back and clearly see when patterns in her eating and sleeping started to develop. Those patterns slowly became routine for us so that I have a pretty good idea of what to expect on an average day. Of course, anything (like my current head cold) can throw a monkey wrench in our routine, but generally I know when she will sleep and when she will be hungry.
It is important to note that routines are not established overnight, and it may take several weeks to see a pattern emerge. But once you identify a pattern, you can encourage that pattern or encourage tweaks to that pattern to create a routine that works for the whole family.
Download the Printable Baby Schedule Chart here.
Parent’s Choice Formula
As routines settle into place it becomes easier to recognize your baby’s needs. Keeping feeding schedules routine is just as important as routine sleep.
Whether your baby is formula fed or you supplement with formula, it is important to know you are giving your baby formula that is easy to digest and has been well tolerated by millions of babies.
Parent’s Choice helps parents save up to $600 a year over alternative formulas and is nutritionally comparable to more expensive national brand infant formulas, including Enfamil®, Similac®, and Gerber®.
Clinically proven to be as well tolerated by infants as national brand formulas, Parent’s Choice is, of course, compliant with FDA nutritional standards and the recommendations of the AAP – the American Academy of Pediatrics. And it is clinically proven to support growth and development.
You can find Parent’s Choice at Walmart and the formula options include:
- Parent’s Choice® Premium Powder Infant Formula
- Value Size 35oz
- Makes 65, 4 oz. bottles
- Clinically proven to support growth and development
- Parent’s Choice® Advantage Tub Powder Stage 2 Formula
- Value Size 35oz
- Suitable for babies 612 months
- Parent’s Choice® Sensitivity Canned Powder Infant Formula
- Value Size 33.
2oz - Makes 59, 4oz bottles
- For fussiness & gas
- Value Size 33.
- Parent’s Choice® Gentle Infant Formula with Iron
- Value Size 33.2oz
- Makes 60, 4 oz. bottles
- For fussiness, gas and crying
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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.
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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. nine0003
| 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 | nine0013 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. nine0003
| 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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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.
Union of Pediatricians of Russia
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Complementary feeding
How to introduce complementary foods correctly is one of the most pressing issues that concern parents.
In the first months of life, the main food for the baby is breast milk or an adapted milk formula, however, as the child grows and develops, this becomes insufficient and it is necessary to think about the introduction of complementary foods.
Your baby is over 4 months old. He has noticeably grown up, become more active, is interested in objects that fall into his field of vision, carefully examines them and reaches for them. The child's emotional reactions have become much richer: he smiles happily at all people, makes various sounds.
Perhaps you notice that the child looks into your plate with interest, closely monitors what and how you eat, does this mean that it is time to introduce complementary foods? And where is the best place to start? Let's figure it out! nine0003
When should complementary foods be started?
According to the Program for optimizing the feeding of infants in the first year of life in the Russian Federation (2019), the recommended age for the introduction of complementary foods is in the range from 4 to 6 months.
The following points will help determine the readiness of the baby for the introduction of complementary foods:
1. Food interest - you can check its presence as follows: during your meal, give the baby an empty spoon or fork, and if he plays with it, licks it, then there is no food interest yet; but if the child is dissatisfied with the fact that the spoon is empty, food interest has probably appeared. “But how does a child understand that there should be food in a spoon?” Parents often ask.
The answer is quite simple: take your baby to the table with you so that he can see how you eat! nine0003
2. The child can sit alone or with support. It is unacceptable to feed the child lying down, because he may choke.
3. Extinction of the “pushing out” reflex - when the baby pushes out of the mouth both the offered food and the pacifier, etc.
Why is it not recommended to introduce complementary foods before 4 and after 6 months of life?
Before 4 months of life, the baby is not yet ready to digest food other than breast milk or infant formula. By this age, a number of digestive enzymes mature, a sufficient level of local immunity is formed, which reduces the risk of developing allergic reactions, the child acquires the ability to swallow semi-liquid and thicker food, which is due to the extinction of the “spoon ejection reflex”. The introduction of complementary foods after 6 months can cause a pronounced deficiency of micronutrients (iron, zinc, etc.
) and lead to a delay in the formation of chewing skills for thick foods. Too late the introduction of a variety of products increases the risk of allergic reactions. Remember that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods is set individually, taking into account the readiness of the child to accept new foods. nine0003
Complementary feeding guidelines:
1. introduce a new product in the first half of the day to track possible reactions to it;
2. cereals, vegetable / fruit / meat purees should be introduced, starting with monocomponent ones, gradually adding other products of this group;
3. start giving a new product with 1/2 teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume to the age norm within a week;
4. It is not recommended to introduce new products during acute infectious diseases or at some special moments (moving to another apartment, leaving the city, on vacation, illness of parents, etc.). nine0003
What is the best way to start complementary foods?
The first complementary food can be anything.
Often parents worry that if the child first tries the fruit, then because of its sweet taste, he will refuse other foods. We hasten to reassure you: breast milk is also sweet, so babies may like sweet fruits / berries more, but this does not mean at all that he will refuse vegetables or cereal. Traditionally, they begin to introduce complementary foods in the form of mashed potatoes, but if the child shows interest in “pieces”, then, observing the safety rules, you can give them. Also, along with the introduction of complementary foods, you can offer the child water. nine0003
With the start of the introduction of complementary foods, the child is gradually transferred to a 5-time feeding regimen. If the baby shows that he is full and no longer wants to eat (for example, leaning back or turning away from food), then you should not continue to force him to feed, because this can lead to eating disorders in the future. Also, do not force the child to eat as much as possible before bedtime in the hope that he will not wake up for nightly feedings.
Traditionally, in our country, complementary foods begin with vegetables or cereals. nine0003
Vegetables: zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, etc. If the child did not like the dish, for example, broccoli, do not give up on your plan and continue to offer this vegetable in small quantities daily, you can even not once, but 2-3 times, and after a while (7-14 days) the baby will get used to the new taste. This diversifies his diet, will help form the right taste habits in the child.
As for cereals, it is worth starting with dairy-free gluten-free ones - buckwheat, corn, rice. You can use commercial baby food porridge, which is enriched primarily with iron. In addition, such porridge is already ready to eat, you just need to dilute it with water, which will save you a lot of time. nine0003
It is also recommended to add oil to food, for example, vegetable puree to vegetable puree, and butter to porridge.
Of meat products, lean meats, such as mashed turkey or rabbit, are most preferred to start complementary foods.
Meat puree contains iron, which is easily absorbed, and adding meat to vegetables improves the absorption of this micronutrient from them. Subsequently, the daily use of children's enriched porridge and mashed meat allows you to meet the needs of babies for iron, zinc and other micronutrients. nine0003
When introducing fruit purees (apple, pear, peach, prunes, etc.) into your baby's diet, you should pay special attention to the composition of the product - it is important that it does not contain added sugar.
Fish is a source of easily digestible protein and contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the omega-3 class, as well as vitamins B2, B12, and minerals. Preference should be given to oceanic fish, preferably white (cod, hake, pollock, sea bass, etc.), salmon can be recommended from red, and pike perch from river. nine0003
Fermented milk products are prepared using a special starter culture that breaks down milk protein, so that the baby can get an indispensable set of amino acids in a well-available form.
Some foods have added prebiotics, certain vitamins and minerals. Their regular use favorably affects the functioning of the intestines, increases appetite and the absorption of micronutrients.
Recommendations and timing of the introduction of complementary foods for children at risk of developing food allergies and suffering from food allergies are the same as for healthy children. Delayed introduction of highly allergenic foods has previously been recommended to prevent the development of allergic diseases in children at risk. There is now evidence that this practice may lead to an increase rather than a decrease in the incidence of food allergies. The most common highly allergenic foods include cow's milk, chicken eggs, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and fish. If a child has a high risk of developing allergies or an existing allergic disease, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician, an allergist-immunologist before introducing highly allergenic products.
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By the age of 8 months, when all the main food groups have already been introduced and your baby is improving his skills to eat on his own, special attention should be paid to the diversity of the composition of dishes and the change in food consistency - from puree to finely and coarsely ground. Soft foods cut into small pieces (fruits, vegetables, meat, etc.) are perfect for a little gourmet, which diversifies his diet and will contribute to the formation of chewing skills.
By 9-12 months, most babies have the dexterity to drink from a cup (holding with both hands) and to eat foods prepared for other family members. This behavior needs to be encouraged, but combined with regular feeding to meet energy and nutrient requirements.
It is advisable to use industrial products that are designed specifically for young children after a year.
What should not be given to the baby? nine0131
It is not recommended to add salt or sugar to food to enhance the taste.
Drinks that should be avoided include fruit juices, whole cow and goat milk (whole milk is not recommended for children under one year old, and even longer, due to a high risk of developing iron deficiency and increased kidney stress), sweet fruit drinks, compotes and carbonated drinks.
Also, some foods should be excluded from the diet of infants: solid round foods (for example, nuts, grapes, raw carrots, raisins, peas, etc.), due to the fact that the child can choke on them. nine0003
It is not recommended to eat products with added sugar, for example, confectionery (marshmallow, marshmallow, marmalade, jam, jam, cookies, waffles, etc.), etc.
You should not give your child the meat of large predatory fish (shark, bigeye tuna, king mackerel, swordfish): these types of fish accumulate more harmful substances than others.
It is forbidden to give honey to children under one year old due to the fact that it may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which in the still immature digestive system of babies are able to multiply, produce toxins directly inside the intestines and, thus, cause infant botulism, which can be fatal.
outcome. nine0003
Do not give babies raw meat, fish, eggs, caviar, salted fish, soft pickled cheeses because of the risk of intestinal infections.
If you follow all these simple rules, your baby will grow up healthy and happy!
Diets for different ages
References:
1. Methodological recommendations. The program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation. [Internet]. - M.: Union of Pediatricians of Russia, 2019. [Methodicheskie rekomendaczii. Programma optimizaczii vskarmlivaniya detej pervogo goda zhizni v Rossijskoj Federaczii. [Internet]. – Moscow: Soyuz pediatrov Rossii, 2019.(In Russ.).] Available: http://www.pediatr-russia.ru/information/dokumenty/other-docs/nacprog1year_2019.pdf Link active as of 20.04.2020
2. Duryea T.K. Introducing solid foods and vitamin and mineral supplementation during infancy. In: Post T, ed. UpToDate . Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate; 2020.
