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Spending time feeding your baby is one of the most pleasurable and
important things you can do. And while you’re at it, you want to
make sure your baby is getting all of the nutrition she needs. Here
are a few guidelines that can help you tell if baby is getting enough
to eat.
Vital signs
• Is your baby gaining weight? If the answer is yes, then
that’s a pretty good sign baby is getting enough formula. If the
answer is no, you should talk to your baby’s doctor and discuss what
steps you need to take.
• Check out baby’s diapers. If baby is getting enough
formula, she should be wetting a diaper almost hourly until she’s 3
months of age. And she should be having at least three bowel movements
each day by the time she’s 2 weeks old. The number of bowel
movements will gradually taper off as baby grows older and starts on
solid foods.
• Keep track of baby’s formula. The quantity of formula a
baby needs depends on the child’s weight, growth rate, and
metabolism, but most newborns will drink two to three fluid ounces per
day for every pound of body weight. For example a 10-pound baby, will
drink between 20 and 30 ounces of formula each day.
Is baby ready for solid foods?
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A good time to introduce baby to
drinking from a cup is when baby starts eating solid foods
between 4 to 6 months of age. |
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If baby always seems hungry, you may be thinking about introducing
solid foods, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends baby be
4 to 6 months old before solid foods are introduced. Remember not all
babies are ready to eat solid foods at the same time. Rely on your
baby, not a calendar, to let you know if she’s ready at this age. If
you introduce solid foods too early, your baby is more likely to have
allergic reactions. Babies can’t properly chew and swallow solid
foods much before 4 to 6 months of age. And your baby’s digestive
system must mature somewhat before it can handle these new foods.
Signs that baby’s ready for solid foods
Before you introduce solid foods, ask yourself these questions:
• Has baby doubled her birth weight?
• Does baby consume 32 ounces or more of breastmilk or formula each
day?
• Can baby sit up with little support and turn her head when she’s
full?
• Can baby move a dab of thinned baby cereal to the back of her
tongue and swallow it? (This is a signal that baby has the ability to
swallow nonliquid foods.)
• Does baby frequently put things in her mouth?
• Is baby interested in trying new tastes and textures?
• Does baby watch with interest as you eat, perhaps even opening her
mouth and leaning forward as if to ask for a bite?
If you can answer yes to these questions, baby may be ready to start
solid foods. Just remember, until your baby is about a year old, her
main source of nutrition should still be breastmilk or iron-fortified
formula.
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