How Much Should Baby Swallow During the Get-go Yr?

A portrait of cute newborn baby being fed by her mother using bottle Odua Images/Shutterstock

How much should Baby swallow? Use the chart below to meet how often an infant should be eating month-past-month, through the start twelvemonth.

If you're a parent, you know: So many questions pop upward between doctor visits. How much should my babe swallow? How practise I know if she'south hungry or eating plenty? Can he beverage water? This quick guide explains how much your kiddo should eat, from newborn stage until age one.

To starting time, let's decode your baby'southward cues surrounding food.

What Are My Baby'southward Hunger Cues?

Your infant is constantly giving you lot cues whether he'due south hungry or full. Each baby is unique and as a parent, you will know best what your baby is trying to tell yous. Hither are some general cues babies give equally outlined by the Centers for Disease Command (CDC):

  • Hungry babies up to 6 months old may put easily to their mouths; turn heads towards the bottle or mom's chest; smack, lick or pucker their lips; cry or have clenched fists

  • Full babies up to 6 months old may close their mouths, turn their head abroad from a bottle or mom or relax their piffling hands

  • Hungry babies six to 12 months old may reach or point to food, open their mouths when offered food, go excited at the sight of food, or use manus motions and sounds to allow you know they are still hungry

  • Total babies 6 to 12 months old may push food abroad, turn their heads abroad or close their mouths from food when offered, or use hand motions and sounds to let y'all know they're total

How tin can you tell if your baby is well nourished? Your baby should:

  • Lose no more than than 7% of their trunk weight in the first few days afterward nascence so start to steadily gain weight

  • Have ane to two bowel movements a twenty-four hour period and at least six moisture diapers daily as an baby

  • Seem satisfied and happy between feedings

How Much Should My Baby Be Eating?

Now that we know the cues to look for, how much should a baby be eating in the first year of life? Download our printable chart to continue this info on paw.

  • Nascency to 4 Months Old: This is the time for canteen- or breastfeeding only.

    • Breastfeeding: viii-12+ feedings daily, assuasive your baby to make up one's mind how much milk at each feeding

    • Formula feeding:

      • i month: 6-eight feedings daily with 2-4 ounces of formula at each feeding

      • ii months: v-6 feedings daily with 5-6 ounces at each feeding

      • iii-4 months: five-6 feedings daily with six-seven ounces at each feeding

  • 4 to 6 Months Old: Yous'll be primarily canteen- or breastfeeding, just you tin can start introducing foods if your babe is ready. (This is how yous'll know.) Not a problem if she isn't! In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sectional breastfeeding for the first six months.

    • Breast milk and formula feeding: 4-6 feedings per day or 28-32 ounces per day

    • Solid foods:

      • Cereals: 3-5 tablespoons per twenty-four hour period of unmarried grain cereal similar this, made soupy with formula or breast milk

      • Fruits: 1-2 tablespoons of plainly, strained fruit 1 to ii times per day

      • Vegetables: ane-2 tablespoons of plain, strained vegetables ane to two times per solar day

  • six to 8 Months Onetime: Kickoff to innovate solids if you haven't already, in addition to formula and/or breast milk. Here's the best fashion to introduce your baby to solid foods. Finger foods and cups can be started now, too.

    • Breast milk and formula feeding: 3-5 feedings per day or 24-32 ounces daily

    • Solid foods:

      • Cereal: iv-half-dozen tablespoons per day of unmarried grain cereal, made with formula or breast milk

      • Fruits: 3-4 tablespoons of plain, strained fruit one to two times per 24-hour interval

      • Vegetables: iii-4 tablespoons of plain, strained vegetables one to two times per mean solar day

      • Protein: 1-ii tablespoons of plain, strained protein food of a unmarried kind one to two times per day

      • Snacks/Juices: Toast, crackers and yogurt; 2-4 ounces of 100% fruit juice if you'd like (though it adds no nutritional do good)

  • 8 to 10 months: It's time to start weaning from bottle- and breastfeeding and increasing solid foods. You tin can even effort making baby food at home!

    • Breast milk and formula feeding: 3-v feedings per day or 24-32 ounces daily

    • Solid foods:

      • Cereal: 4-6 tablespoons per day of unmarried grain cereal, made with formula or breast milk

      • Fruits: 3-4 tablespoons of plain, pureed, chopped, or mashed fruit one to 2 times per day

      • Vegetables: 3-4 tablespoons of obviously, pureed, chopped or mashed vegetables i to two times per day

      • Protein: 2-3 tablespoons of manifestly, pureed, chopped or mashed protein food of a single kind (call back meats, yogurt, cheese, legumes, eggs or fish) one to ii times per mean solar day

      • Snacks/Juices: Toast, crackers and other finger foods that plow to mush; 2-4 ounces of 100% fruit juice if you'd like (though it adds no nutritional benefit)

  • ten to 12 months: It'due south time to include more than table foods here—and Baby tin start feeding himself and using spoons.

    • Chest milk and formula feeding: three-four feedings per day or 24-30 ounces daily

    • Solid foods:

      • Cereal: 6-8 tablespoons per day of unmarried grain cereal, fabricated with formula or chest milk

      • Fruits: 2-iv tablespoons of apparently, pureed, chopped or mashed fruit twice per 24-hour interval

      • Vegetables: two-4 tablespoons of obviously, pureed, chopped, bite-sized or mashed vegetables twice per 24-hour interval

      • Protein: two-three tablespoons of patently, pureed, chopped or mashed protein of whatever kind twice per day

      • Starches: ¼-½ loving cup mashed potatoes, macaroni, spaghetti or bread twice per day

      • Snacks/Juices: toast, crackers and other finger foods that plow to mush; 4-6 ounces of 100% fruit juice if you lot'd like (though it adds no nutritional benefit)

Hopefully this list will help alleviate some new-parent stress. You may too find our guide to baby nutrient stages helpful. And, as always, exist sure to run any questions or changes to baby's feeding schedule by your pediatrician. You lot've got this!

Originally Published: August 27, 2019