Newborns bring joy, happiness, and completion to any family. They also bring along lots of responsibilities, sleepless nights, and feeding times. How much do Newborns eat in the first few days? Ever wondered how much feeding a newborn could need?
How much milk could a newborn drink in the first few days or how much they could feed in their initial days after birth? Well, we are here to share all the insights with you so that all your queries are taken care of.
In This Article
- When To Start Feeding The Baby After Birth?
- How Often Do The Newborns Eat?
- How Much Milk Does A Newborn Need?
- How Often Do Breastfed Newborns Eat?
- How To Breastfeed a Newborn Baby?
When To Start Feeding The Baby After Birth?
Some doctors recommend feeding your baby as soon as he/she is born. This is because the sooner you breastfeed the baby, the faster your body will start the milk supply. While most women follow this rule, many women are not able to or allowed to breastfeed their babies owing to various reasons like a C-section, delivery complications to the mother, after-birth complications of the baby, or a baby in NICU.
It is highly recommended that a mother feeds her first milk or colostrum to the baby as it is highly nutritious and protects the baby in the first 48 hours of their life. After that, your regular milk supply initiates.
How Often Do The Newborns Eat?
As many times as he/she wishes! Yes, absolutely. The more your baby feeds, the more your body increases the milk supply to meet the demands. After all it’s a demand meets supply theory in breastfeeding. A baby that breastfeeds a lot will develop well, not lose weight and be at a lower risk of developing jaundice.
Look for signs that the baby is hungry like sticking out of the tongue, putting hands in their mouth or trying to suck on things. Once you feel the baby is hungry, you must encourage latching onto breasts. It is ok for your little muffin to be hungry all the time! It’s a sign that your baby is healthy.
How Much Milk Does A Newborn Need?
In the initial days after birth, you would notice that your baby does not feed for long but feeds a lot of times. The frequency is more because babies can’t really drink that much milk at once. They feel tired of sucking and sleepy as soon as they latch onto the breast.
By the time your baby is a week old, he/she should be getting about 1 Ounce per feeding. As the baby grows the amount the newborns eat also goes up to 2 ounces per feeding which will last for about 2 hours until your baby is hungry again.
How Often Do Breastfed Newborns Eat?
This would totally depend on your baby and his/her needs. In general, a newborn baby would need to be breastfed every 2 hours depending on how much milk he/she drank in the feeding.
Make sure your baby does not fall asleep while feeding because then your baby would have drunk lesser milk and would feel hungry sooner. Once your baby is a month old or so, he/she will start feeding for longer and the frequency of feeds will also decrease slowly and gradually.
How To Breastfeed a Newborn Baby?
Once your bundle of joy is born, you must initiate breastfeeding to provide colostrum or “first milk” to your baby. Once colostrum is over, a regular supply of milk will follow.
In order to feed your newborn, follow the steps:
- Hold your baby properly, preferably in a blanket, and bring him/her toward your breast
- With help of your finger, open the baby’s mouth in case he/she doesn’t. Place your areola into the baby’s mouth and ensure the baby has a grip onto it. You must make sure the whole areola is in the mouth or else you will end up with bruises and extreme pain.
- Once the baby has a latch, he/she will start sucking instantly.
- Help the baby is getting more milk easily by pumping some milk from your breasts into the mouth using your fingers in an upward motion.
- Ensure the baby remains awake while feeding so that he/she gets enough milk.
There is no bigger joy than breastfeeding your beautiful baby. now you understand about the quantity newborns eat. By following simple steps, taking a healthy diet and checking for your baby’s signs, you can ensure that your baby gets enough milk and stays protected. Happy breastfeeding!
