Did you know? Breast milk is liquid gold. It is specially designed to cater to all the nutritional needs of your baby in the first six months of life. For maximum benefits, breastfeeding should be started soon after the birth of your child and should be maintained exclusively for six months. Babies should always be fed on demand. However, first-time moms may find it difficult to follow her newborn baby’s cues of hunger.
Hence, given below is the ‘approximate’ schedule that should be followed in the first six months of life. However, every baby is different, thus the mother is the best judge of what suits her baby.
Feeding scheduled for 0 to 6 months old baby
| Age
(Months/ Years) |
Food/ Diet | No. of feedings | Frequency |
| Birth to
One Month |
Ø Breast milk (Formula milk only in case of deficiency of breast milk) |
10 to 12 | Every two hours
( or on demand till milk supply is established) |
| One to Three Months | Ø Breast milk
(Formula milk only in case of deficiency of breast milk)
|
8 to 10 | Every two to three hours |
| Three to Five Months | Ø Breast milk
(Formula milk only in case of deficiency of breast milk)
|
7 to 9 | Every two to three hours |
| Sixth Month | Ø Breast milk (Formula milk only in case of deficiency of breast milk)
|
7 to 9 | Every two to three hours |
Important facts about breastfeeding:
- As breast milk digests easier than formula, it moves through your baby’s digestive system faster and, therefore, a breastfed baby is hungry more often than a formula-fed baby.
- Exclusively breastfeed your baby till six months of age if possible. The benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh formula feeding.
- Frequent feedings help in stimulating breast milk production.
- New-born babies should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even at night.
- Count the time between feedings from the time your baby starts nursing — rather than when he or she ends the feeding i.e. 6.00 am, 8.00 am and so on.
- Every time your baby cries it may not necessarily be because of hunger. Sometimes babies just need to be cuddled or the diaper may be soiled.
- As babies get older, they may take about 5-10 minutes on each breast, whereas newborn babies may feed for up to 20 minutes on each breast.
- As babies gain weight and grow older, they begin to feed more at each feeding and go longer between feedings.
Exclusive breastfeeding is a cornerstone of a child’s survival and child health because it provides essential, irreplaceable nutrition for a child’s growth and development.
Shop Breastfeeding essentials –
So enjoy this phase of motherhood and experience the joy of bonding with your baby through exclusive breastfeeding.
Share this post to spread the word about breastfeeding. Do share your experiences as a new mom in the comments section.
Happy parenting!
References-
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/benefits-breastfeeding/
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/nursing-basics#1
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/wellness-womenshealth_breastfeedingguide_0.pdf
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/globaltargets_breastfeeding_policybrief.pdf
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-breastfeeding
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