Bottle-feeding schedule for your baby

How much formula does your baby actually need? Do you feed on demand, or do you follow a schedule? You may be looking for a little more support. But how strictly should you actually follow such a formula feeding schedule? Read all about it in this article.

Feeding on Demand: Bottle-Feeding Tips

When people talk about feeding on demand, they often rather think of breastfeeding. But just like breastfeeding, bottle-feeding also allows you to feed your child on demand. In principle, you do not have to follow a fixed bottle-feeding schedule at all. As long as your child is growing well, has about 6 wet diapers a day and is lively and active, you know your little one is doing alright. For the first few days, your baby will demand to be fed about 10 to 12 times per day. A baby’s stomach is still very small and cannot handle too much milk at a time.

No rules for the amount of bottle-feeding

Your baby is born with a natural sense of hunger and satiety. That is why there are no rules for how much formula your child needs; he or she is quite able to determine that themself! The need to be fed differs not only from one child to another but also differs from one day to the next. Are you bottle-feeding and your baby turns his or her head away, allows milk to trickle out of the corners of their mouth or does your child start to make restless movements? That’s a sure sign that your little one has had enough!

Drinking more or less frequently

Another matter a feeding schedule cannot take into account are adjusting days or cluster feedings. During the first few days, there will be periods when your baby wants to drink longer and more often, allowing him or her to sleep longer in between. Later, this often happens in the early evening, to permit your baby to sleep for longer stretches at night. This is quite normal, and it is therefore important to go along with it and not to adhere to a strict schedule.

How much formula does my baby need?

We can well imagine that fresh parents can still do with some guidance in this regard. You will surely want to be certain that your child is getting enough nutrition. This makes absolute sense. There are also a number of guidelines that you can keep in mind. That’s 150 milliliters of formula per kilogram of your baby’s weight, per day. However, keep in mind that this is really only a guideline and not a set amount. Your child will indicate how much he or she wants to drink on any given day.

Bottle-feeding schedule for your baby

Accordingly, your child does not require a bottle-feeding schedule at all. Nevertheless, an example of a feeding schedule can be useful. Below, we provide an example of such a schedule for babies of up to 6 months. But will your promise to use it as a guideline only and not as a rule cast in stone? Don’t be concerned if your baby drinks more or less than the schedule.

Source: children's healthcare centre

Source: children’s healthcare centre

How do you know if your baby is hungry?

Your baby can indicate that he or she is hungry in subtle and less subtle ways. Most babies start to suck on their lips or hands, smack their lips or try to look for a bottle by with their mouth for a bottle and open the mouth as soon as you touch it. Of course, your child can also indicate this in his or her own way, which you will learn to recognize automatically. Do not wait too long, because if your baby is upset, he or she may be able to drink less well or in a less relaxed manner. Tip: Download our app, and chat to other parents on our forum. By sharing your experiences, you learn from each other!

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