How often and how much you should feed your baby are questions that arise in almost every parent’s mind. All babies are different and their needs differ based on their body weight, appetite and age. The frequency of feed may also depend on whether the baby is feeding on breast milk or formula milk, as breast milk is more easily (and quickly) digested. However, there are certain general guidelines that can help make feeding satisfying for the baby and comfortable for the mother.
If you ask your mother or grandmother, they will probably tell you to feed your baby as per a fixed time schedule. It has now been found that it is more beneficial to feed the baby on cue rather than based on a schedule. Feeding on cue means understanding the signs that a baby makes to show that he/she is hungry. Babies do cry when they are hungry but by then it is usually the very last sign of hunger and they may be too worked up by then to settle down or drink their fill. Some of the early signs that parents can look out for are:
- Opening their mouths
- Rooting or searching for the breast with their faces
- Putting their thumb/hands into the mouth repeatedly
- Licking their lips or sticking their tongue out
- Fussiness that quickly escalates into crankiness
It is important that the baby does not go hungry because the next feed is still hours away. Ensuring that babies are fed at a time when they are hungry helps to keep them satiated and prevents them from overfeeding. Babies undergo growth spurts at 7-14 days, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months of age and are hungrier than usual during these times. Following the baby’s feeding cues makes it easier to identify when the baby is hungry and feed accordingly. Following the natural feeding rhythm of the baby also gives the mother the time needed to replenish breast milk.
By following the baby’s feeding cues, the parent/caregiver will be able to identify a pattern and create a feeding schedule. While newborn babies feed as often as every 1.5-3 hours even during the night, older babies tend to set a longer duration between mealtimes. Experts recommend giving a baby solid food only after he/she turns 6 months old. While solid food can be offered at regular adult mealtimes, the major portion of nutrition for the baby continues to come from breast milk or formula till he/she turns 1 year old.
If you have doubts about whether the baby is eating sufficiently, discuss the concerns with the pediatrician. The pediatrician will also be checking the baby’s weight and height on a growth chart. If the baby’s growth is seen to be within the healthy growth percentile, he / she is probably feeding well. A quick way to check at home would be to check the number of wet diapers the baby runs through in a day. Newborn babies usually use up 2-3 wet diapers in a day while after a week or so, the diaper count usually goes up to 5-6 wet diapers a day.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding can help the mother to bond better with her baby and provide the baby with all the nutrients required during that phase of his / her life. Even when the mother does not have a sufficient milk supply, it is recommended to offer both formula and breast milk to the baby at various times during the day.
Breast pumps are on the list of many mothers these days and there are various reasons for the same. If the baby is not able to latch on properly or does not take in the required quantity of breast milk in a feed, a breast pump will help the mother to drain the breast of milk which can then be bottle fed to the baby. If a mother is required to be separated from her baby for a prolonged period of time (more than 3-4 hours) or if she is away at work, breast pumping can ensure that the baby does not miss out on breast milk. Mothers of premature babies or babies with a cleft palate also use breast pumps to help maintain or improve milk supply.
There are divided opinions on whether to use a manual breast pump or an electric breast pump. If you are an exclusively breastfeeding mother, you probably will not be using the breast pump that often, maybe not even once a day. It is better to use a manual breast pump as it will be economical, quiet, and handy. Manual breast pumps are also great as a backup for times of power disruption when an electric breast pump will not work. On the other hand, electric breast pumps are easier and more convenient to use and require very little effort from the pumping mother. If you need to express breast milk often or in larger quantities (to be stored), an electric breast pump will help to pump quickly and effectively.
PIGEON has a wide range of manual and electric breast pumps that are efficient and convenient to use and clean. With a two-phase technology and stimulation and expression modes, the breast pumps make expressing breast milk a painless and comfortable experience.
