How much and How Often Should my 3 Months Old Eat
Breastfed babies tend to be fed more often than those who are given formula feed. New born babies usually need nursing every 2-3 hours, but as they grow older, their stomach capacity increases and the time between their feedings increase as well. At 3 months old, you may still need to feed your baby after every few hours, and will continue night feedings too. This OneHowTo.com article is going to put some light on how much and how often should a 3 months old eat.
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See signs of hunger
At 3 months of age, your baby still has minimal skills to show his or her needs. You need to keep a watch on the symptoms of being hungry, such as sucking on everything your baby comes across, thrusting tongue out of its mouth, or simply crying. It is important for your baby to stay content, alert and active and gain adequate weight to grow, rather than counting on the ounces. If a baby is being fed adequately, which is around 6-8 times in a day, he or she should dirty enough diapers in a period of 24 hours.
Know the ounces
A healthcare professional or pediatrician will be able to suggest how much your baby should be fed to keep growing. On an average, a baby should consume 2-3 ounces of milk per pound of its body weight everyday, up to a maximum of 32 ounces. As the body weight varies from one baby to the other, you have to calculate your baby’s ounces yourself. You will need to nurse him 6-8 times every day, until your newborn experiences a growth spurt at 3 months. After this growth spurt, its feeding session will increase significantly.
Consider the growth spurts
Most babies undergo a growth spurt at 3 months of age. During this period, they may need more feed or more number of feedings everyday. If you are breastfeeding your baby, measuring how much he or she is drinking might be difficult. You can try expressing your breast milk to get some idea of how much your baby is drinking.
Stay on track
You cannot set a certain amount of milk that you would give to your baby each day, and think that you are giving it sufficient fluids and nutrition. Counting dirty diapers is very important for monitoring an infant’s feedings. By 3 months, your baby must not be producing one dirty diaper after every feed, and may be going as long as 3 days without a bowel movement. Keep a note of these things and consider if you are feeding your child enough or not.
Do not overfeed
Setting a certain number of ounces to give to your baby can sometimes lead to overfeeding. Some parents continue forcing the milk bottle on their baby, which usually leads to spit up or excess weight gain. Milk bottles are available in different sizes, and not every child will drink 12 ounces of milk in one feed. Some babies continue taking only 4 ounces per feed for their entire first year, while others increase this amount gradually. Learn the signs of fullness for your baby, and avoid overfeeding.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
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