Different milk needs at each age
Up to the diversification baby food around 4 months,milk is his only food. Whether maternal or in the form of infant formula, milk is a complete food for newborns and provides them with everything they need. “From the day of his birth and over the months, the quantities of milk he needs increase at the same time as the size of his stomach and his nutritional needs”, explains Aurélie Bardot.
How much milk for the newborn?
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for babies during their first 6 months of life. When the mother cannot or does not want to breastfeed, she can turn to infant formulas adapted to her needs, called “1st stage milk”, which can be given to him until he is 6 months old. This infant milk, lower in protein than cow’s milk but enriched with essential fatty acids and vitamin D, is mainly in the form of milk powder to be reconstituted. “For this, it is necessary to be careful to use the scoop adapted to the box and not another”, insists the nutritionist. “Each scoop must be leveled and mixed with 30ml water“.
Aurélia Bardot “During his first days of life, as we do with the breast, we offer the baby a bottle on demand”
The quantities of milk per day are given as an indication, and it must be kept in mind that each baby is unique and that we must adapt to their needs.
Between the day of his birth and his 7th day of life, the baby sees his milk needs increase by 60 ml per day, divided into 6 to 10 baby bottles.
– The 1er day : the newborn should drink approx. 60ml of milk,
– The 2e day : his needs pass to 120ml of milk,
– The 3e day : 180ml of milk,
– The 4th day : 240ml of milk,
– The 5th day ; 300ml of milk,
– The 6th day : 360ml of milk,
– The 7th day : 420ml of milk.
Then, between the 8th day of life and the end of the 1er monththe baby drinks on average between 500 to 600ml of infant milk per day, always divided into 6 to 10 baby bottles 60 to 90ml on average.
How much milk at 1 month?
At one month of life, the infant drinks on average 600 to 700ml. He is generally able to drink slightly larger quantities with each intake: either 5 to 6 distributed bottles of 120 ml on average.
How much should a 2 month old baby drink?
Between 2 months and 3 months of life, the baby drinks on average 700 to 800ml of infant milk per day. It can usually switch to 5baby bottles per day of 150ml each. However, some babies stay at 6 feeds a day.
How much does a 3 month old baby drink?
Between 3 and 4 months of life, the child needs on average 800 to 850ml of milk. When some stay at 5 bottles of 150 mlothers go to 4 x 180ml.
How much does a baby drink from 4 months?
From the end of the 4th month, the child is now ready to diversify his diet. Milk is no longer his only food, but it must remain the most important. Her daily milk consumption remains on average 800 to 900 ml per day with a minimum of 500ml.
How do you know when to increase the doses of baby bottles?
infants know how to regulate their appetite and eat their fill, not only on a meal but also on the day. It is important that they do not feel rationed in terms of quantity. Also, as soon as the baby has completely finished his bottles, this is a sign that it is necessary to increase its ration by an additional dose. A baby with a good appetite is often a baby with higher needs.
When to switch to the 210 ml bottle?
It is generally around the time of food diversification, therefore around 4 months, that the child switches to 210 ml bottles.
It is to the French inventor, Nicolas Appert – best known for the invention of the method of preserving food by canning – that we owe this simple calculation rule, allowing you to know the quantity of milk necessary for your baby. from birth to four months of age, depending on weight. This rule, which took the name of its inventor, consists in divide the baby’s weight in grams by 10, and add 250 to the total. “The result obtained is the quantity of milk the baby needs, in ml per day, to within more or less 100 ml”, indicates the nutritionist.
Child’s weight in grams / 10) + 250) = quantity of milk in ml / day +/- 100 ml
And for breastfeeding women?
For breastfeeding mums, neither measuring powdered milk, nor bottles, nor calculations: it is not always easy to remain calm in a world where everything is quantified. How to be reassured in case of doubt?
How can you be sure he is getting the right amount of milk?
If it is impossible to measure the quantities of milk absorbed by the baby, it is on the other hand possible to check what it rejectsthrough the stools and urine.
“The first days of an infant’s life, if the mother is afraid that her baby is not suckling enough, she can count her baby’s diapers and check her stool”, Carole Hervé lactation consultant
the 1st day of lifethe breastfed infant eats between 25 and 50ml of colostrum. It emits during the day a black saddle and fills a layer of urine.
the 2nd day, he takes between 115 and 185ml and product 2 black to khaki saddles and 2 layers of urine,
the 3rd daythe baby is drinking 200 ml of transition milk. He averaged over the day 3 khaki saddles and fills 3 layers of urine.
the 4th day,400ml milk are necessary to cover the needs of the baby, who emits on average 3 yellow saddles a tablespoon and 5 layers of urine.
Between D5 and D7, the baby regains its birth weight: this is a sign that it is feeding well at the breast.
Passed the first week and during the first monththe child produces on average 3 large saddlesthe size of an adult’s palm and fills 6 heavy layers of urine.
From the second month, the breastfed child may not have a bowel movement for several days. “It shouldn’t be a concern if and only if: he has unrestricted access to the breast, he appears healthy, he continues to gain weight, he suckles efficiently, he passes gas, and he fills 6 heavy diapers urine” insists Carole Hervé. This is a classic phenomenon called “infrequent stools of the breastfed infant“but that’s not constipation. When the stool finally arrives, it’s in abundance and the child risks having it from head to toe!
I express my milk: how much breast milk to give to baby?
Once the breastfed child has reached his “cruising” pace from the 3rd month, he needs approximately 750-800ml of milk per 24h. “When the mother is away, she can make an approximate calculation that will give her a theoretical figure for the quantity of milk to leave for her baby: 800 ml / 24 and multiplied by the number of hours of separation“, says the lactation consultant.
How much milk for a premature baby?
When baby arrives before the 37th week of pregnancy, it is considered premature. When the mother wants and can, breastfeeding is still recommended because it contains protective agents which protect him from diseases – retinopathy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia – and acute infections likely to affect young premature babies.
In the case of formula feeding, it is not the quantities of infant formula that change, but its composition. “The stomach of a baby born prematurely is small, it is not possible to increase the volume of his ration. We therefore give him a specific milk whose composition is adapted to its needs”, explains Aurélia Bardot.