How often do you feed a 7 week old baby
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.
Seven-Week-Old Baby Feeding Schedule & Amounts
By Motherly Updated April 7, 2022
Although your seven-week-old’s feeding schedule probably hasn’t changed too dramatically in the past few weeks, you may find that it’s much easier for you to manage. After all, they say it takes a few weeks to create a habit—and that applies whether you are breastfeeding, formula-feeding or combo-feeding.
Be sure to celebrate the little wins both for yourself and your baby. When you do, we bet there is a lot to celebrate!
How much should a seven-week-old baby eat?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and La Leche League recommend the following feeding schedules and amounts for 7-week-olds.
Breast milk: 2 to 3 ounces every 2 to 3 hours
Formula: 4 to 5 ounces every 4 hours. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends that parents should follow the responsive feeding method, also known as feeding on demand, which looks to the infant’s hunger cues for when to feed. The schedules below are just examples—be sure to follow your baby’s hunger signals to know when your little one is ready for the next feeding. As babies get older, their hunger cues and feeding times start to become a little more predictable.
Related: 2-month-old baby milestones
What’s a good seven-week-old baby feeding schedule?
Remember, it’s more important that you follow your baby’s cues than adhere to a set schedule, so schedules outlined are general guides of how frequently you’ll feed your baby—not hard-and-fast rules.
These guidelines also apply primarily to infants born full-term and without any underlying medical conditions. For preterm infants, babies with certain medical conditions or for any specific questions pertaining to your child, be sure to consult your child’s pediatrician for a more customized feeding schedule.
Related: Baby Sleep Guides & Schedules
How can I boost breast milk supply?
For breastfeeding and/or pumping mamas, the breast milk supply generally regulates between six and 12 weeks postpartum. When this happens, you may find your milk supply lessens. That’s not necessarily cause for concern: Supply tends to meet the baby’s demand. If you would like to boost breast milk production, however, there are a few tried-and-true tips outlined in this how-to guide. Because supply is so linked to demand, also be sure to be consistent with feeding or pumping.
With your baby’s two-month well-check right around the corner, make an effort this week to write down any questions or concerns you have about your baby’s feeding schedule, tummy troubles or formula.
Trust us, pediatricians have seen and heard a lot—so there is no such thing as a silly question. You should also feel supported in your efforts to continue feeding your baby the way that works best for your family. You’ve got this!
Read more about wellness for mama and your 7-week-old:
- How much sleep does a 7-week-old need?
- Motherly’s Postpartum Wellness Class is here!
- Subscribe to the Becoming Mama podcast
- New guidelines for infants with fevers that all parents should know
A version of this story was published October 17, 2021. It has been updated.
How Much Should a Newborn Baby Eat
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Like every new mom, you're probably wondering, "How often should a newborn eat?" and “How many milliliters does a newborn baby drink at a time?”.
A mother's body is designed to provide her baby with all the nutrients she needs, but every mom needs practical advice and confidence when it comes to how much milk a newborn should drink. nine0003
Whether you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination, here you will find all the information you need to know about how much food your baby needs to grow and develop properly.
Signs indicating that the child is hungry
Every mother has a wonderful maternal instinct, but we cannot guess the child's desires from the first time. Over time, you will learn your child's unique gestures and body movements, as well as signs that he is hungry. In the meantime, here are some of the most common signs that a child is hungry:
- turns head towards your breast or bottle;
- clenches;
- puts pens in mouth;
- pouts, smacks or licks lips.
If your child is showing any of these signs, they are probably trying to tell you it's time to eat.
Ideally, your baby should be fed on demand when he is hungry. If you're breastfeeding, on-demand feeding is a good way to keep your milk supply going as your body will naturally respond to your baby's needs and continue to produce the required amount of milk. Bottle-feeding on demand can also be beneficial for your baby, as it allows him to self-regulate his feeding needs. nine0003
How much breast milk should a newborn drink?
So, how much should a newborn baby eat? A remarkable feature of each child is its uniqueness, so it would be wrong to feed the baby strictly according to the instructions. Don't panic if the recommendations below don't fit your own feeding schedule, but please contact your healthcare provider or pediatrician if you have any questions.
Although every baby is different, newborns typically eat every two to three hours, for a total of 8 to 12 meals a day. nine0003
How many milliliters does a newborn baby drink? At the very beginning, your body will only produce a small amount of yellowish and thick breast milk called colostrum.
This milk is an ideal source of nutrients that your newborn needs, in addition, it has many immunological components. 1
How much milk does a newborn baby drink? Infants drink 30-60 ml per feeding, while this volume increases to 60-90 ml by two weeks of age. So don't worry if you don't feel like your body is producing much milk in those first few days after your baby is born! Feeding times will also vary, ranging from 10 to 30 minutes at the very beginning and then gradually increasing as your baby grows.
How much breastmilk the baby takes if bottle feeding
If you choose to bottle feed your baby from time to time, do so at the same intervals and for the same period of time as if you were breastfeeding. Pumping is a great option for breastfeeding your baby. It will allow you to separate from the baby if necessary and at the same time retain all the benefits of breastfeeding. nine0015
It's also important to get a bottle that helps make bottle feeding more natural for both you and your baby.
For example, take a look at this Philips Natural bottle. Its wide, physiologically shaped nipple promotes a natural latch that is identical to that of a mother's breast, making it easier to alternate between bottle and breastfeeding.
Philips Avent
Natural Baby Bottle
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the child is full
How to understand that the child is already full? When breastfeeding or bottle feeding, look out for the following signs that may indicate that your newborn baby is full:
- baby closes his mouth;
- turns head away from bottle or breast;
- handles are not clenched and relaxed;
- falls asleep quickly.
If the baby shows signs of fullness, stop breastfeeding or bottle feeding, even if the bottle is not yet empty. 2
The right choice for you and your baby
Remember that every child is different and no one is as close to you as you are. Choose the feeding option that works best for you and your newborn, whether breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or a combination. nine0003
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How much a newborn should eat: feeding chart
0-6 months
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5/5 2 reviews
As soon as the long-awaited event has happened and the baby is born, the mother is faced with many questions.
One of the most frequently asked: how to feed and how much should a newborn eat? Indeed, this is a very important point, since a properly selected and debugged diet allows the child to grow and develop harmoniously, promotes good health and strengthens the immune system. How to calculate the norm for a baby from the first days of life to a year? nine0003
8 min. for reading Feb. 17, 2022
Contents
Listen to the experts
Calculation norms
- The first weeks of life
- One to four months
- Five to six months
- Seven to twelve months
How much breast milk a newborn should eat: table
Not enough breast milk or not at all: what to do
Norms and stages of the introduction of complementary foods
- First stage - vegetables
- Second stage - cereals
- Third stage - fruit
- Fourth stage - meat
- Fifth stage - new flavors
An example of a daily diet for a 6-8 month old baby
Frequently Asked Questions
Listen to the experts baby's age.
All these data are usually voiced to parents during a doctor's appointment and entered into the card for further assessment of the child's condition. Comparison of the actual weight and the prescribed norms allows you to find out whether the child is eating well enough and, if necessary, to correct mistakes made during feeding. If something is not clear to you at the appointment with the pediatrician, do not be afraid to ask again and clarify. After all, only a specialist can give competent recommendations specifically for your baby, based on the results of an examination or analysis. The advice of friends, grandmothers and mothers from various forums may be good, but they do not take into account the individual characteristics and needs of your child's body. So, they may not work or even hurt. nine0003 Be part of Nestle Baby&Me®
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Calculation norms
1.
First month of life As soon as the baby is born, it is immediately brought to the mother's breast to feed. This helps to strengthen the immunity of the baby and stimulates lactation in the mother. During this period, there is still no milk in the breast, but there is a very nutritious transparent sweetish liquid - colostrum. It is released in the first two or three days after birth and supplies the child with all the necessary substances. To eat, the baby needs a few drops: on the first day of life, the small stomach holds only 7 milliliters. On the second day of life, the baby begins to eat more often. It needs to be fed on demand or every two to three hours, while the baby eats within 10-20 milliliters at one time. Thus, per day the norm will be approximately 90 milliliters. Starting from the third day after birth, the mother actively produces breast milk, the volume of which increases as the child grows. In the first week of life, the baby should eat from 50 to 80 milliliters of milk at a time, and 400 milliliters per day.
At two weeks of age, the daily ration should be 20% of the weight of the newborn, and closer to a month - about 600 milliliters. It is important to note that these figures are approximate. Each baby needs its own, certain amount of milk or mixture, depending on individual characteristics: height, weight, mother's milk quality, calorie content of the mixture and the rate of development of the baby. nine0003
See also: Breastfeeding: the first steps after childbirth
2. From one to four months
Every day the baby grows, gains weight and increases its daily portions of milk. Having reached the month, the baby is already eating 90-100 milliliters six to seven times a day. After one month, the norms become as follows:
- At two months, the child should eat from 120 to 150 milliliters at a time. The daily norm, therefore, is 700-800 milliliters. nine0032
- A three-month-old baby should eat between 150 and 180 milliliters. In this case, it is recommended to observe the frequency of feeding no more than six to seven times a day.
- From the fourth month, babies need 180-210 milliliters of milk or infant formula. The average amount per day is not less than 1/6 of the baby's weight.
3.Five-six months
A six-month-old child normally eats 210-240 milliliters at a time, and the total amount of food per day should be 1/7 of body weight, or 800-1000 milliliters. Also, if there are no contraindications, complementary foods are introduced from six months. nine0003
4. From seven to twelve months
During this period, a single portion of breast milk for a baby ranges from 210 to 240 milliliters. At the same time, the average amount per day is not less than 1/8 of the child's body weight. Vegetable, fruit and meat purees, dairy-free and milk porridges are introduced into the diet (if the baby is not allergic to cow's milk proteins).
Below is a table that describes in detail the daily intake of a newborn for each age up to a year.
How much breast milk should a newborn eat: table
| Child's age | The amount of milk eaten per feeding, ml | The amount of milk eaten per day, ml |
| 3-4 days | 20–60 | 200-300 |
| 1 week | 50–80 | 400 |
| 2 weeks | 60–90 | 1/5 child weight |
| 1 month | 100–110 | 600 |
| 2 months | 120-150 | 800 |
| 3 months | 150-180 | 1/6 child weight |
| 4 months | 180–210 | 1/6 child weight |
| 5-6 months | 210–240 | 1/7 baby weight (800-1000) |
| 7-12 months | 210–240 | 1/8 weight baby |
Important!
Remember that every child is unique, has individual characteristics and needs.
Therefore, slight deviations from the standard indicators are quite possible.
Not enough breast milk or not at all: what to do
When a baby cries after waking up, he is hungry. Modern doctors do not advise mothers to maintain any strict feeding schedule. If the mother gives the baby a breast when he asks, and the baby eats for her own pleasure and at the same time sleeps soundly and well, smiles and is not naughty, then she is full and completely satisfied. nine0003
But if the baby cries and sleeps badly, then perhaps he does not have enough milk. In this case, check if the baby is eating his age norm, and try to keep track of this indicator in the future. Found that you don't have enough breast milk? Do not worry, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. The specialist will help you find a way to support milk production and improve lactation.
If you cannot solve the problem and normalize lactation, consult a pediatrician and find the right supplemental formula for your child.
With strict observance of all the doctor's recommendations, instructions for preparation and dosages indicated on the package, the mixture makes it possible to compensate for the lack of breast milk and provide the baby with the necessary amount of nutrients. nine0003
Important!
Even if you don't have enough breast milk to fully meet your baby's needs, try to remain on partial breastfeeding for as long as possible. After all, the ideal food for a child is mother's milk.
Complementary feeding rules and stages
As a rule, complementary foods are introduced from the age of six months. Before you start exploring new products, you should consult with your pediatrician. In general, different types of food are introduced in stages, starting with very small portions. nine0003
1.First step - vegetables
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the best product to start with is a one-component vegetable puree, such as zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower or potatoes.
If everything goes well, you can try pumpkin, carrot, pea and tomato puree a little later.
It takes seven to ten days to fully introduce the product into the baby's diet. We start with half or a whole teaspoon once a day until breastfeeding. If there are no allergic or other adverse reactions, you can continue the introduction of this product, gradually increasing the dose to a full serving - 100-150 grams. nine0003
2. The second stage - cereals
After the introduction of vegetable puree, we recommend diversifying the baby's menu with cereals. For acquaintance, it is better to choose liquid one-component gluten-free cereals, for example, rice or buckwheat. Then you can add oatmeal or semolina.
The initial portion of porridge is half or one teaspoon. Gradually increase the portion to a full - 150 grams.
3. The third stage — fruit
We also start complementary foods with one-component low-allergenic purees, such as apple, pear, plum, banana.
These products are not only tasty, but also contain vitamins and minerals necessary for the child. nine0003
Fruit purees are also introduced with caution, starting with half or a whole teaspoon. Gradually, the portion increases to 100-150 grams.
Find out more: Gerber Baby Food: Puree Range
4. Fourth Stage - Meat
Meat is an essential product for development, rich in iron and protein, which is well absorbed in the body. It is introduced in the form of a homogeneous one-component puree from dietary turkey, rabbit, chicken, veal or lamb. nine0003
At the beginning we give a try - half or one teaspoon, over time we bring the portion to 60 grams.
5. The fifth stage - new tastes
After the successful introduction of the above products, the baby forms a full-fledged varied menu. So you can introduce the young gourmet to new flavors that could previously provoke an allergy: multi-component purees, fruit and cereal cocktails, children's snacks, pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables.
See also: Introduction of complementary foods to children with food allergies
Example of a daily diet for a baby at 6-8 months
A child from six to eight months should be given complementary foods three times a day. Further, at the age of nine to eleven months, the amount is increased to four times a day. To make it easier and clearer, check out two options for a full-fledged daily diet, which outlines what and how much a newborn should eat.
See also: Nutrition for a 7-month-old baby: making a menu for a baby
Popular questions
1. How to warm up breast milk?
Use the bottle warmer to warm breast milk that has been stored in the refrigerator. If this is not at hand, put a tightly closed bottle in a container of warm water and hold it there until the milk warms to body temperature - 37 ° C.
2. How often should a newborn eat? nine0238
A newborn needs to be fed every 2-3 hours, ie 10-12 times a day.
3. How much milk does a newborn eat?
During the first days of life, the baby has a very small stomach and a poorly developed sucking reflex. Therefore, for one feeding, the newborn eats 7-9 milliliters of colostrum. Breast milk from the mother appears only on the third or fourth day.
4. How to calculate how much a child should eat? nine0238
To understand how much a newborn should eat, you need to know his age and weight. Data for calculation: from 10 days to 1.5 months, the baby needs such an amount of food, the weight of which is approximately 1/5 of the child's body weight; from 1.5 to 4 months - 1/6, from 4 to 6 months - 1/7; from 6 to 8 months - 1/8; from 8 to 12 months - 1/9 of the body weight.
Articles on the topic:
Breastfeeding: benefits for the baby, health for the mother 12 rules of healthy nutrition for children Baby does not eat well, how to feed? nine0238
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