AGES 1 TO 3 MONTHS: FEEDING

Ideally, your baby will continue on his diet of breastmilk or formula without any additions from ages 1 month to 4 months. The amount he consumes at each feeding should gradually increase from about 4 or 5 ounces during the second month, to 5 or 6 ounces by 4 months. His daily intake should reach about 30 ounces by 4 months. Ordinarily, this will supply all his nutritional needs at this age.

If your baby seems persistently hungry after what you think are adequate feedings, consult your pediatrician for advice. When a breastfeeding infant is not gaining weight, your milk supply may have decreased and a supplemental bottle or two may be the answer. If it's clear that he's getting enough milk but is still hungry, the doctor may advise you to start solid foods. Solids should be introduced only near the end of this period; however, because younger babies have a tendency to push the food out with their tongues, which makes spoon-feeding difficult. Also, young infants may not be able to tolerate certain solid foods. If you do need to introduce solids, start with the least allergenic food, which is rice cereal, and thin it as much as possible with breastmilk or formula.

Bowel Movements

Even if you don't make any additions to your baby's diet, you'll probably notice a change in his bowel movements during these months. His intestines can now hold more and absorb a greater amount of nutrients from the milk, so the stools will tend to be more solid. The gastrocolic reflex is diminishing, so he should no longer have a bowel movement after each feeding. In fact, between 2 and 3 months, the frequency of stools in both breastfed and bottle-fed babies may decrease dramatically; some breastfed babies have only one bowel movement every three or four days, and a few perfectly healthy breastfed infants have just one a week. As long as your baby is eating well, gaining weight, and his stools are not too hard or dry, there's no reason to be alarmed by this drop in frequency.

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