‘Demand feeding’, also known as ‘feeding on demand’ or ‘responsive feeding’ is a technique, experts recommend to follow, when your baby indicates the need to be fed. Babies express their hunger through remarkable actions such sucking on their tiny little hands, fingers or fists, turning their head from one side to the other, rooting, opening and closing their mouth, and
crying. But do note that crying may not always suggest hunger. Maybe the baby just needs to be snuggled or requires an urgent change of diaper. Therefore, you, as a parent (mother and the father) should be attentive towards the signs that the baby is showing.
More often than not, newbie parents wonder how many times in the day should they be feeding their babies.
Feeding patterns in babies vary. Not all infants have the same feeding routine or schedule. That said, here are a few guidelines to help you to follow one:
1. 0 to 9 Months
Till your baby is 9 months of age, give him breast milk every three to four hours a day. From 6th month onwards, you can start giving your little one solid foods such as iron-fortified baby cereals, pureed vegetables and fruits, selective dry fruits and spices, in powdered form. Consult your paediatrician for the type of dry fruit or spice that should to be given before actually making it a part of his diet.
2. 9 to 12 Months
Feed your munchkin breast milk after every four to five hours. Introduce healthy mixtures such as strained vegetables, fruit and yogurt, microwaved or steamed sweet potatoes, soft enough for the baby to digest easily. Also try feeding your baby shredded apple, strawberry or grapes.
Offer Less, Increase Later
This is an important safety tip. Why? Babies are good at knowing the exact quantity of food they require at given point in time. They do falter and tend to overfeed but such occurrences are rare. Excess feeding may result in the baby spitting out morsel, vomiting, upset stomach and gas. These are highly unpleasant scenarios for a 0-12 month infant to endure. Hence start with feeding less and increase the quantity of the baby food only if your baby demands it.
This brings us to the next step of streamlining the feeding pattern for your baby in the form of a meal plan. Do read the upcoming piece on What is a Meal Plan? And why it Matters?’
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