Now that you've had a few weeks with your baby, you will probably find yourself getting used to her rhythms of sleeping and eating. Don't worry, though, if there doesn't seem to be a set pattern yet. One day soon, your baby will find her own schedule. She may have a "growth spurt" between 3 and 6 weeks; during this spurt, she may demand more breast milk or formula during the course of the day to support her rapid growth.

What Should My Baby Eat?

Until your baby is at least 4 months old, the only food she requires is breast milk or commercially prepared formula. Babies younger than 4 months don't have enough control over their mouths or tongues to eat spoon-fed solids, and introducing foods this early may lead to food allergies later in life.

How Much Should My Baby Eat?

There are two ways to check that a breast-fed infant is getting enough to eat: monitor her weight and count the number of wet diapers she produces. Your baby should be growing well (although initially she might not be gaining weight as quickly as a bottle-fed baby) and should be producing at least four to six wet diapers a day. It's often difficult to tell how much urine an infant is producing with today's super-absorbent disposable diapers, but you should be able to detect when the diaper is heavier than normal and is slightly wet. Don't become obsessed with rigid feeding schedules. The every-4-hours plan may be good for bottle-fed infants, but remember, breast milk is more easily digested, so your baby may want to eat more often.

If you are worried about increasing your supply of breast milk, you can most likely do this by taking care of yourself. Rest and a good diet, especially plenty of fluids, can replenish what seems like a dwindling supply. Stress or exhaustion can get in the way of your best breast-feeding efforts, as can offering formula or other foods. A better way to make enough milk for your baby is to continue allowing her to breast-feed on demand. This will stimulate your body to produce what your infant needs. A good plan would be to "hide out" with your infant for a few days, relaxing and nursing without any interruptions from visitors or chores.

It's easier to measure how much a bottle-fed baby is eating. By about 2 months, your infant will require about 4 or 5 ounces at each feeding. By the end of 3 months, your baby will probably need another ounce per feeding. By 4 months, 30 ounces a day should take care of all your baby's nutritional requirements.

Many infants "spit up" small amounts after eating or during burping because their digestive tracts are immature; this is not the same as bringing up all or most of a meal.

 Revised 3.22.09