GUIDE TO FEEDING BABY FORMULA BY AGE

GUIDE TO FEEDING BABY FORMULA BY AGE

When it comes to feeding your newborn baby, most experts agree that feeding on demand is whether breast or bottle feeding  is preferable.

That means feeding your newborn baby when he or she shows signs of hunger, and continuing to feed until they lose interest.

That being said, having a rough guide can be a helpful in starting point.

The feeding instructions is provided on infant formula cans are there to guide you on how much and how often to feed your newborn baby.

Different mixing ratios and scoops may be used for different infant formula products, so it is important to specifically follow the details  on the specific can.

There is much individuality in how much each newborn baby will drink and variation in the amount that the same baby will drink from day to day.

It is always  important to  be guided by your new baby and allow your baby to drink to satiation point  even if this means discarding any unused formula in the bottle.

Unlike breast milk which changes composition as babies grow, infant formula concentration remains constant within the Step 1 and Step 2 product categories so it is only the volume consumed which changes as your newborn baby grows.

It is important to prepare the infant formulas with the correct  amount of powder and water as per the details  provided on the can.  This will help ensure your newborn baby nutritional requirements are being met. If you add too much powder to your baby bottle, your baby’s feed will be too concentrated. This can lead to constipation, causing your baby abdominal pain, bloating and discomfort when trying to do a pooty (poo). If you add too much water, your baby feeds will be too dilute and they will not receive enough nutrition to help baby  grow well.

Do not prepare  infant formula with a different concentration to that which is prescribed on the cans, unless under the specific guidance, instruction and details of a qualified health professional such as your GP, dietitian and  paediatrician.

Guidelines aside around 6 to 7 wet nappies daily, as well as a developmentally growing and thriving infant indicate that your new baby is likely to be receiving enough infant formulas.

From four days  to four weeks of baby  age
feeding frequency is at its highest, with five  to eight smaller feeds daily ,at such a very young age, infants tolerate only small volume feeds so the feeding frequency or the number of feeds they need per day is relatively high.

As babies grow the total volume of infant formulas required to meet their needs increases. Babies will also demand in more  times of growth spurts. Once again, feeding instructions on the cans in terms of volume and number of feeds depending on infant age can be used as a guide, but when changing feeding frequency or feed volumes, do this gradually to give your little one the opportunity to adapt to the change in feeding patterns ok .

It is especially important to keep always  appointments with your healthcare professionals  (GP) at this stage, as your healthcare professional will continue to monitor your little one’s  weight, length and development and this will provide your with really important feedback that your little one is getting enough good nutrition.

At around six to seven months
When introduction of solids is recommended, the amount of baby formulas needed will reduce gradually as solids begin to provide more and more nutrition to your baby, but infant formula still provides the bulk of nutrition for a baby until around 12 to 13 months.

After 12 to 13 months of age
Cows milk can replace baby formula as your baby is now ready to eat most foods in  with the whole family. Of course, toddler milk drink can be used to supplement the normal diet of an active toddler from 1 to 4 years, when their dietary intake may be inadequate.

Small serves of daily milk, at spaced intervals allows your toddler to consume other foods in between and not fill up on cows’ milk or toddler milk drink remember to give your child a cup at this stage, as they do not need a bottle anymore whilst topping up their nutritional intake.