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How long should an 8 week old baby go between feeds


How Often Should I Feed My Baby? Tips for Infant Feeding Schedules

Written by Barbara Brody

In this Article

  • What Is a Baby Feeding Schedule?
  • How Often Should I Feed My Baby?
  • How Much Should I Feed My Baby?
  • When to Start Solids
  • When to Wean

What Is a Baby Feeding Schedule?

It’s simple: You should nurse or offer a bottle whenever your little one is hungry in the first few months as a newborn. And your baby is going to let you know, loud and clear! But crying isn’t the only clue.

Following your child's lead, instead of trying to stick to a strict time-based schedule, is often called “demand feeding” or “feeding on-demand.” Since your infant can't actually say "I'm hungry,” you’ll want to learn to look for cues that it's time to eat. These may include:

  • Leaning toward your breast or a bottle
  • Sucking on their hands or fingers
  • Opening their mouth, sticking out their tongue, or puckering their lips
  • Fussiness

Crying is also a sign of hunger. But if you wait until your baby is very upset to feed them, it can be hard to calm them down.

How Often Should I Feed My Baby?

Every child is different. It also depends on whether your baby is drinking breast milk or formula, since they digest breast milk more quickly.

If you're breastfeeding, your newborn will probably want to nurse every 1.5 to 3 hours. As they get older, they’ll slowly start to nurse less often and fall into a more predictable pattern.

Newborns should nurse eight to 12 times a day for the first month; when your child gets to be 4 to 8 weeks old, they’ll probably start nursing seven to nine times a day.

If they’re drinking formula, your baby will probably want a bottle every 2 to 3 hours at first. As your child grows, they should be able to go 3 to 4 hours without eating.

Newborn growth spurts and hunger

You may notice that your baby sometimes wants to eat more often or a larger amount than normal. This usually happens when a child is growing rapidly. Your child may go through growth spurts around these ages:

  • 7-14 days
  • 3-6 weeks
  • 4 months
  • 6 months

How Much Should I Feed My Baby?

There are general guidelines, but no hard and fast rules, for how much your baby should have at each feeding. It depends on their own habits and rate of growth, plus a few other things, such as their age and how often they feed.

Babies usually drink more each time (and feed less often) as they grow and their stomachs can hold more. If you breastfeed, your baby may drink a little less each time but feed more often than babies who get formula.

Most babies add about 1 ounce to what they drink per feeding with each month of age. This levels off when they’re about 6 months old, when they usually drink 7 to 8 ounces per feeding. Here’s about much your baby should drink at each feeding when they are:

  • Newborn to 2 months.In the first days after your baby is born, they may want only a half ounce of milk or formula at each feeding. This will quickly increase to 1 or 2 ounces. By the time they’re 2 weeks old, they should drink about 2 or 3 ounces per feeding.
  • 2-4 months.At this age, your baby should drink about 4 to 5 ounces per feeding.
  • 4-6 months. At 4 months, your baby should drink about 4 to 6 ounces per feeding. By the time your baby is 6 months old, they’ll probably drink up to 8 ounces each time you feed them.

Not sure if your baby is getting enough to eat? You can probably relax. If your child has four to six wet diapers a day, has regular bowel movements, and is gaining weight, chances are that they’re doing just fine. If you have any concerns, give your pediatrician a call.

When to Start Solids

Your baby needs to reach certain stages of development before you add solid food to their diet. If you breastfeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that you feed your baby breast milk alone until they’re about 6 months old. Many babies are ready for solids when they’re about this age.

Here’s how to tell if your baby may be ready for solid food:

  • They can hold up their head and keep it steady while seated in a high chair or other infant seat.
  • They open their mouth for food or reach out for it.
  • They put their hands or toys in their mouth.
  • They can take food from a spoon and swallow it instead of dribbling it all out.
  • They have doubled their birth weight and weigh at least 13 pounds.

When to Wean

Most babies are ready to be weaned from the bottle by 12 to 18 months, but exactly when it happens is up to you and to your baby. Your baby may be ready to start to wean when they:

  • Enjoy solid food more
  • Eat on a regular schedule

The process takes time, and you can help your baby make the change by giving them a cup to try when they’re around 6 months old. Generally, you should stop bottle use by the time your baby is 2 years old.

If you breastfeed, the AAP suggests that you continue to feed your baby breast milk along with solid food until they’re at least 1 year old. Your child may give you clues that they’re ready to wean. They may:

  • Show more interest in solid food or drinking from a cup
  • Not want to sit still while you breastfeed

You may want to wean your baby for your own reasons. The process works best when it’s gradual. The AAP notes that if it’s what you and your child want, you can continue to breastfeed after your baby reaches their first birthday.

Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often (for Parents)

Breastfeeding is a natural thing to do, but it still comes with its fair share of questions. Here's what you need to know about how often and how long to breastfeed your baby.

How Often Should I Breastfeed?

Newborn babies should breastfeed 8–12 times per day for about the first month. Breast milk is easily digested, so newborns are hungry often. Frequent feedings helps stimulate your milk production during the first few weeks.

By the time your baby is 1–2 months old, he or she probably will nurse 7–9 times a day.

In the first few weeks of life, breastfeeding should be "on demand" (when your baby is hungry), which is about every 1-1/2 to 3 hours. As newborns get older, they'll nurse less often, and may have a more predictable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2–3 hours between feedings.

Newborns should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even overnight.

How Do I Count the Time Between Feedings?

Count the length of time between feedings from the time your baby begins to nurse (rather than at the end) to when your little one starts nursing again. In other words, when your doctor asks how often your baby is feeding, you can say "about every 2 hours" if your first feeding started at 6 a.m., the next feeding was around 8 a.m., then 10 a.m., and so on.

Especially at first, you might feel like you're nursing around the clock, which is normal. Soon enough, your baby will go longer between feedings.

How Long Does Nursing Take?

Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.

How long it takes to breastfeed depends on you, your baby, and other things, such as whether:

  • your milk supply has come in (this usually happens 2–5 days after birth)
  • your let-down reflex (which causes milk to flow from the nipple) happens right away or after a few minutes into a feeding
  • your milk flow is slow or fast
  • the baby has a good latch, taking in as much as possible of your areola (the dark circle of skin around your nipple)
  • your baby begins gulping right away or takes it slow
  • your baby is sleepy or distracted

Call your doctor if you're worried that your baby's feedings seem too short or too long.

When Should I Alternate Breasts?

Alternate breasts and try to give each one the same amount of nursing time throughout the day. This helps to keep up your milk supply in both breasts and prevents painful engorgement (when your breasts overfill with milk).

You may switch breasts in the middle of each feeding and then alternate which breast you offer first for each feeding. Can't remember where your baby last nursed? It can help to attach a reminder — like a safety pin or small ribbon — to your bra strap so you'll know which breast your baby last nursed on. Then, start with that breast at the next feeding. Or, keep a notebook handy or use a breastfeeding app to keep track of how your baby feeds.

Your baby may like switching breasts at each feeding or prefer to nurse just on one side. If so, then offer the other breast at the next feeding. Do whatever works best and is the most comfortable for you and your baby.

How Often Should I Burp My Baby During Feedings?

After your baby finishes on one side, try burping before switching breasts. Sometimes, the movement alone can be enough to cause a baby to burp.

Some infants need more burping, others less, and it can vary from feeding to feeding.

If your baby spits up a lot, try burping more often. While it's normal for infants to "spit up" a small amount after eating or during burping, a baby should not vomit after feeding. If your baby throws up all or most of a feeding, there could be a problem that needs medical care. If you're worried that your baby is spitting up too much, call your doctor.

Why Is My Baby Hungrier Than Usual?

When babies go through a period of rapid growth (called a growth spurt), they want to eat more than usual. These can happen at any time. But in the early months, growth spurts often happen when a baby is:

  • 7–14 days old
  • 2 months old
  • 4 months old
  • 6 months old

During these times and whenever your baby seems extra hungry, follow your little one's hunger cues. You may need to breastfeed more often for a while.

How Long Should I Breastfeed My Baby?

That's a personal choice. Experts recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively (without formula, water, juice, non–breast milk, or food) for the first 6 months. Then, breastfeeding can continue until 12 months (and beyond) if it's working for you and your baby.

Breastfeeding has many benefits for mom and baby both. Studies show that breastfeeding can lessen a baby's chances of diarrhea, ear infections, and bacterial meningitis, or make symptoms less severe. Breastfeeding also may protect children from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), diabetes, obesity, and asthma.

For moms, breastfeeding burns calories and helps shrink the uterus. In fact, breastfeeding moms might return to their pre–pregnancy shape and weight quicker. Breastfeeding also helps lower a woman's risk of diseases like:

  • breast cancer
  • high blood pressure
  • diabetes
  • heart disease

It also might help protect moms from uterine cancer and ovarian cancer.

approximate diet for a week, menu for a day with artificial and breastfeeding for an 8 month old baby

Published: 02/10/2021

Reading time: 3 min.

Number of reads: 93301

Author of the article: Ponomareva Yulia Vladimirovna

Pediatrician, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Allergist-Immunologist . The process of intensive growth and development continues - the baby is rapidly mastering new motor skills, improving in speech and cognitive activities. nine0003

The pace of growing up and high activity determine the clear requirements for the nutrition of the baby, which must quantitatively and qualitatively meet the needs of children at this stage of life. By the 8th month of life, the child's digestive tract is already quite mature. It is able to digest and assimilate the products of the main food groups. Let's look at the basic principles of compiling a baby's diet, and also develop a menu for 8 months, indicating an approximate list of dishes and a meal plan for a week. nine0003

Contents: Hide

  1. General principles
  2. A must in the diet
  3. Sample menu for a week for 8 months

General principles Breast milk is no longer the basis of the diet, but continues to be a source of easily digestible and beneficial nutrients, and also protects the baby from many infectious diseases. If the baby is artificially fed, use an adapted mixture in the diet that suits him well and matches his age. In addition to breastfeeding, an 8-month-old baby's eating schedule includes 4-5 meals. Of these, three are basic (breakfast, lunch and dinner), two are additional (second breakfast and afternoon tea). The baby already withstands 3.5–4 hours between meals and at least 6 hours at night. The volume of each feeding is 170–200 ml and approximately 1000 ml/g per day. nine0003


A must in the diet

Your 8 month old baby's daily menu should include the main food groups that ensure the supply of vital nutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates. What products must be included in the menu at this age? Porridge is one of the first and most important complementary foods. It is rich in all the main nutrients, provides long-lasting satiety and has a pleasant taste. By the 8th month of life, babies digest and assimilate dishes from various cereals well, therefore, multi-component cereals with natural fruit or vegetable additives, dairy-free or based on specially prepared milk can be used in nutrition. nine0003

Vegetables and fruits do not have a high nutritional value, but are a major source of fiber. Therefore, they are also required in the daily menu. Meat complementary foods are a source of protein that is complete in terms of amino acid composition, and a baby should receive 60–80 grams of meat per day. Dairy products are another source of complete protein and easily digestible fat. However, the introduction of non-adapted dairy products can cause allergies and increase the load on the baby's kidneys. In this regard, the menu should contain no more than 50 grams of cottage cheese daily. From 8 months, fermented milk drinks for baby food can be introduced into the diet of a healthy child. nine0003


In addition to animal fats, the daily diet should include vegetable oils as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are absolutely necessary for a growing organism.

In addition to essential nutrients, a daily intake of vitamins and minerals is just as important. For a child in the second half of life, the main source of these important substances are enriched baby foods, for example, the Bebi Premium line of baby cereals includes all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the harmonious growth and development of the child. nine0003

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    Breastfeeding patterns - what to choose

    — Polina Aleksandrovna, what is the difference between breastfeeding, mixed feeding and formula feeding?

    - The differences between breastfeeding from artificial and mixed clearly explain why feeding regimens differ.

    - Normally, by what month should the feeding regimen be established?

    - The diet is constantly changing. The older the child becomes, the larger portion of milk he eats, the smaller the frequency of feeding. nine0003

    After childbirth, when the mother is lactating, the child also develops its own diet. In the first weeks, everything is quite chaotic and there is no regime as such, and the mother makes sure that the interval between breastfeedings is not more than 2.5 hours (it can be half an hour or two hours) and the child does not remain hungry. From about the second or third week, the baby has more or less regular intervals between feedings. We can say that the regime has been established. But this mode gradually changes as the baby gets older. nine0003

    - What is the benefit - and what harm can be from feeding by the clock?

    pros

    • The child knows when it's time to eat - the body adapts initially. It's no secret: certain enzymes are needed to digest food. When food enters the child's body regularly, his enzyme system and gastrointestinal tract adjust to the regime, and it is much easier for the child to digest food. nine0022
    • A mode of wakefulness and sleep is being formed - at every minute of time, the child understands what will happen to him.
    • Parents are not "hostage" to the baby, they have the opportunity to plan their free time - especially mothers, who always do not have enough time. The feeding regime and the regime of wakefulness and sleep make the situation very easy - at every moment the mother knows what awaits her. nine0022

    Minuses

    • Mom keeps a feeding schedule, but doesn't stick to a sleep schedule - and sets herself a trap. She can get into a situation where the baby is sleeping, and it's time to feed him. And it is not clear whether to wake the baby or let him sleep. If you choose a regimen, then it must be observed both in feeding and in laying down.
    • There are situations when it is difficult to feed the baby on time (for example, you are far from home and you do not have formula). But it is worth foreseeing everything, and there will be no problems. You just need to be able to plan everything correctly. nine0022

    — How to painlessly accustom a child to an hourly feeding schedule?

    For a child, the regimen is not something painful, and if we build a clear daily routine, then, believe me, it becomes comfortable not only for the mother, but also for the baby. This is absolutely normal. But in order to build a regimen, you need to understand what it should ideally be - you must plan what intervals between feedings you want to come to. nine0003

    The next step is to evaluate where you are right now. For example, you would like to make the interval between feedings three hours, but the baby eats every hour and a half. Of course, if you just suddenly start to pause between feedings at three hours, nothing good will come of it - it will be very stressful for the child.

    Therefore, you need to act smoothly:

    • determine point A, from which you are going, and point B, to which you must arrive; nine0022
    • gradually adjust to the mode that we would like to have ideally.

    Transition diagram

    Now the breaks between feedings are 1.5 hours, and we want 3 hours. We add five minutes each time so as not to injure the child, and at some point we take a break not at 1. 5 hours, but at 1 hour 35 minutes, then at 1 hour 40 minutes and so on. The amount of food will also change a little.

    nine0017 - If we talk about night feeding with an hourly schedule, is it necessary to wake the baby when it's time to eat?

    - Night feedings are normal for a child up to a year old.

    Newborn has no division of day into day and night - there are approximate three-hour cycles. He woke up - ate - slept, woke up - ate - slept. And so every day. For a newborn baby, night feedings are the absolute norm.

    For a 1 year old child Feeding 1-2 times a night is normal. But a child of a year may not eat at night.

    In order to understand whether it is worth waking up and feeding the baby, you need to know how much he eats per day. Each child at each age has a certain norm - the amount of food that he should eat per day (we always count not per day, but per day).

    • If a child has eaten his norm during the day and sleeps at night, then he does not need to be awakened.
    • If child for day ate about 70% of his norm , then at night it is advisable to wake him up and feed him.

    We always evaluate nutritional adequacy by weight gain.

    • If a child in one month has gained weight and height within the norm for his age, then he receives enough nutrition.
    • If a child does not gain weight and height , then he needs to be offered food more often at night so that he fits into the norm. nine0022

    - If there are too many nighttime feeds on an hourly or on-demand basis, what should I do about it?

    - Night "snacks" do not always indicate the child's need for food. When a child asks for a breast at night, mothers mistakenly think that this is only hunger and nothing more. In fact, a child may worry at night due to a violation of the regime or the so-called negative association for sleep (when he can only fall asleep with a breast). nine0003

    When there is no regime, the child "does not get enough sleep" of the daily norm and there is a so-called accumulated fatigue, his nervous system is in a very strong excitation. In such a situation, nightly feedings every hour often indicate that the baby has a violation of the regime - it is difficult for him to get up, his nervous system is overexcited, he physically cannot fall asleep without his mother's breast.

    Such night feedings can be identified easily:

    • the child wakes up every 40 minutes - 1 hour at night and asks for food, and during the day he usually eats every 3-4 hours - which means that he is unlikely to experience hunger; nine0022
    • the child eats very little at night - he kissed his breast or a bottle, ate 10-20 g and fell asleep. This means that the baby performed a certain ritual: he waited for his mother, satisfied the sucking reflex, and thanks to this he fell asleep - in such a case, he did not have a goal to eat.

    With these night feeds, you need to pay attention to two factors:

    1. Sufficiency of nutrition - it is worth making sure that the child receives the required amount of food during the day, does not starve during the day and does not get at night the amount of food that should have been received in the daytime . nine0022
    2. Correct regimen - you need to make sure that the child is all right with the regimen, there is no accumulated fatigue and a negative association with sleep.

    Is it normal for a child not to eat at night or very little?

    “This reverse situation may or may not be the norm. It all depends on the age of the baby and on whether he receives enough food in the daytime feeding.

    Newborn

    It is not normal for a newborn child not to eat at night, he must eat every 2.5-3 hours. When breastfeeding, this is critically important - for the mother to establish lactation, and for the baby to replenish the reserves that he needs.

    An unpleasant situation can happen in the first couple of months - the mother is glad that the baby sleeps well and does not wake up at night, and on weighing it is clear that the child not only gained a little, but did not add at all in one month, that is, he is clearly starving. nine0003

    Newborn babies have this feature: if they receive very little food, they do not have the strength to ask. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that a newborn baby eats both day and night!

    Infant

    A child older than 1.5-2 months adds weight and height within the normal range, eats all the amount of food he needs during the day, feels great, is not crying or irritated, and at the same time sleeps at night - let him sleep to his health. The most important thing is that he gains weight and height - these are the main indicators by which we can assess that the child has enough nutrition. nine0003

    — If a mother prefers on-demand feeding, what is the most gentle way for her to organize it?

    It is important to understand that one should not go to extremes.

    First extreme:

    the child sleeps for a very long time, the intervals between feedings are 5-6 hours. It seems to mom that everything is fine, but weighing shows that the child is underweight. Mom waited too long and missed the moment when the child simply stopped asking for food due to exhaustion. nine0003

    Second extreme:

    A 7-month-old baby eats every hour, that is, about 20 times a day. This is, of course, an abnormal situation.

    When we talk about feeding on demand, we mean that there is a certain interval between feedings. It varies depending on age:

    • for a newborn baby it is about 2 hours;
    • for a child older than 1 month - approximately 3 hours;
      • nine0021 closer to 4 months - 3-3.5 or 3.5-4 hours, each baby individually.

    NORM - from 2 to 4 hours during the first year of a child's life, and you can deviate from this norm by +/- for half an hour. If the intervals between feedings become very short (every hour) or very long (5-6 hours), we adjust them in order to stick to the norm and not go to extremes.

    — If a child eats little, but often enough, then what regimen is more relevant for him? nine0018

    - Little, but often - this is not quite normal. It is important to observe the daily amount of food. If a child consumes a daily norm that he needs by age, and at the same time eats little, but often, it means that either the mother does not have enough milk for the child to eat more and, accordingly, withstand long intervals, or the child is simply already used to it - He can't eat more at one time. In both cases, you need to try to slightly increase the intervals.

    We can feed both on demand and on schedule - there is no fundamental difference here. But most likely, if we stay on demand, the baby will continue to feed every hour and his amount of food at a time will be quite small for his age. Therefore, you need to try to maintain a slightly longer interval between feedings and watch how much he will eat. nine0003

    - There are situations when a child's regimen is disturbed for some reason - allergies, gastrointestinal upset. How soon can you return to your normal routine?

    - By and large, the sooner you return to normal mode, the better. Do not worry too much if the child does not eat for several days according to the regimen, this will not affect your condition or the physical condition of the baby in any way. The most important thing is not through force and not aggressively, but very gently to return the child to the regime that he had. The clearer and longer the regime was, the easier it is to return to it. nine0003

    — Why is it important to observe the feeding regimen?

    — It is important to observe the feeding schedule:

    1. For parents — so that the mother is not a “hostage” of the child and understands what will happen in the near future, could plan something or leave the house. This, it would seem, is not so important for the child, but it is important for the general climate in the family, so that the mother feels relatively free, not “tied hand and foot” to her baby.
      2. nine0021 For a baby, I am always for the regime and I always urge parents to comply with it, because for a child everything should be predictable - he gets used to the order, gets drawn into the regime and feels as comfortable as possible. Parents are comfortable when they know what will happen to them - and the baby is much easier when he knows that food or sleep is on schedule - his body begins to adjust accordingly.

    — In what cases is it possible to move away from the usual feeding regimen? nine0018

    - If you can not deviate from the regime, then it is better not to deviate. But if this happened, do not worry, do not blame and do not reproach yourself, nothing critical will happen, even if the child does not eat according to the regimen for a couple of days. Just get back to your routine as quickly as possible and you'll be fine.

    - Polina Alexandrovna, please give examples of the feeding regimen and daily diet for babies of different ages.

    — There are a few things to consider when planning your baby's feeding schedule and diet. nine0003

    • The amount of food that the child should receive per day.

      Many mothers, unfortunately, mistakenly believe that the daily volume depends only on the age of the baby. But there is no universal portion, it is more in line with the weight of the baby. So, two children of the same age, but of different weights, will need different amounts of food per day. Therefore, it is quite difficult to find clear instructions on how many milliliters at a time a child should eat in each case.

    • Feeding frequency.

      In order to calculate the amount of food at one time, you need to know how much food you need per day and how many times the mother will feed the baby - that is, the frequency of his feedings. In this case, you should always focus on children's weight. I recommend scheduling meals with your pediatrician so that everything is tailored to your child's specific needs.

      • for a 2-month-old baby - 6-7 times a day and +/- 120-150 ml of breast milk eaten per feeding,
      • for a child 5-6 months - 5-6 times a day +/- 180-210 ml of breast milk eaten per feeding,

    For babies who are on complementary foods, servings are larger, but it all depends on weight and frequency of feedings. And you need to remember: complementary foods are not an additional amount of nutrition, it must fit into the daily norm, which corresponds to age and is redistributed between complementary foods and breast milk and / or mixture in different percentages. nine0003

    A breastfeeding, formula-fed or formula-fed baby regimen is a great helper for mom and baby. The regime should not lead to additional difficulties in the family - sit with a stopwatch near the baby, wake him up at night when three hours have passed after feeding. If you adhere to the correct diet and sleep, then both the child and you will have an understanding of what will happen next at any given moment.

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