How, What, and When to Feed your Infant and Toddler

Feeding is about more than nutrition

As a new parent, you will get a lot of advice on how, what, and when to feed your baby. It can be stressful making these decisions, worrying that your child is getting enough to eat, and wondering if she is ready to take the next step when it comes to eating. While you should try to follow the standard guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics on what and how much to feed your infant or toddler, keep in mind that feeding is an important activity for more than just physical growth and development; it is also a way to connect and interact with your new baby. Also, remember that every child is unique, and things like what foods to feed your child, how often she gets hungry, and how much she eats might vary from these recommendations. It is important in these early months and years to discuss your child’s eating habits with your pediatrician and make an eating plan that is right for her.

Feeding guidelines by age

Birth - 4 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child’s life, and continued breastfeeding for one year. Whether or not to breastfeed exclusively or at all and how long to breastfeed are decisions that mothers will have to make based on your circumstances and what works for you and your baby. You can develop a plan as you go with the help of your pediatrician. Breastmilk, formula, or a combination of both should be the only things your child is consuming at this age. Generally, average-sized infants will drink about 2-3 ounces every 2-3 hours. However, this can vary depending on things like the size of your baby. You and your baby will slowly establish a feeding schedule, and both the quantity consumed and time between feedings will grow. Your baby is able to communicate when he’s had enough or when he is hungry, and you should follow his cues rather than the book. You will know that he is getting enough to eat if he has regular bowel movements, 4-6 wet diapers a day, sleeps well, and is alert when he is awake. Babies need to be burped after each feeding, or often even half way through a feeding, and spit up (not throw up) is normal.

4 - 6 months. By the time your baby is 6 months old, her birth weight will typically have doubled. You may notice that she is still hungry after feedings. She many have even started teething. If she shows any of these behaviors and can also hold her head up and sit in a high chair, talk with your pediatrician about introducing rice cereal. This is the easiest single grain for infants to digest. Start with one teaspoon of cereal mixed with 4-5 teaspoons of breastmilk or formula. Infants should not consume regular milk until they are one year old. It may take some time for your baby to adjust to this new item that’s on the menu. When you start her on cereal for the first time, don’t just put the spoon in her mouth. Put a little bit of cereal on her mouth or tongue and let her taste it. As your baby adjusts to eating cereal, you can introduce other single grains and start to make the cereal thicker. Her staple diet will still be breastmilk or formula, but at least one feeding can be 4-5 tablespoons of cereal.