During your baby's first 3 months, breast milk or formula will provide all the
nutrition needed.
What Changes Should I Expect?
As your infant grows, feeding will change. Babies will start drinking more milk
during each feeding, so they won't need to feed as often and will sleep longer at
night.
Your baby's appetite will increase during growth spurts. Continue to feed on demand
and increase the number of feedings as needed.
Your infant also will become more alert as the weeks go by, cooing and smiling.
So there probably will be more interaction between you and your baby during feedings.
The following are general guidelines, and your baby may be hungrier more or less
often than this. That's why it's important to pay attention to your baby's signals
of being hungry or full. A baby who is getting enough might slow down, stop, or turn
away from the breast or bottle.
Breastfeeding: How Much and How Often?
As babies get older, they will start to breastfeed less often and sleep for longer
periods at night. Your infant probably is eating enough if he or she:
- seems alert, content, and active
- is steadily gaining weight, growing, and developing
- feeds six to eight times per day
- is wetting and soiling diapers on a regular basis
Your baby might not be eating enough if he or she doesn't appear satisfied, even
after feeding, and cries constantly or is irritable. Call your baby's doctor if you're
concerned your baby is not getting enough to eat.
A few weeks after birth, breastfed babies tend to have fewer bowel movements than
they did before. At around 2 months of age, your baby may not have a bowel movement
after each feeding, or even every day. If your baby doesn't have a bowel movement
after 3 days, call your doctor.
During periods of rapid growth, you may notice that your little one wants to feed
more often. This frequent nursing sends a signal to make more milk. Within a couple
of days, supply and demand will get into balance.
Exclusively breastfed infants should get vitamin D supplements within the first
few days of life. Other supplements, water, juice, and solid foods aren't usually
necessary.
