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Every baby is different. Some need shorter naps, some longer. Feeding needs can vary, too. The goal is to find a routine that helps your baby grow and makes your daily life smoother.
What Are Your Newborn’s Feeding Needs?
Your baby’s tummy is tiny, so they need to eat often to keep up with all that rapid growth. In the first few months, expect to feed your baby every 2 to 3 hours, which adds up to about 8 to 12 feedings in a day. It might sound like a lot, but it’s completely normal.- Breastfeeding: Your breast milk is full of nutrients and antibodies, which is amazing for your baby. Since it digests quickly, your baby might need to be fed more often.
- Formula feeding: Formula keeps babies full a little longer because it takes more time to digest. It's also handy because other caregivers can step in to help.
How to Recognise Your Baby’s Hunger Cues?
Babies can’t tell you they’re hungry, but they give clear signs if you know what to look for. Noticing these early can help you feed your baby before they get too fussy.- Sucking on their hands or fingers.
- Rooting, where they turn their head toward anything that touches their cheek.
- Opening their mouth or making sucking sounds.
- Crying, which usually comes as a later sign of hunger.
How to Create a Feeding Schedule for Your Newborn?
Having a feeding schedule can give your day a nice rhythm and make things feel more manageable. It also helps your baby get proper nourishment.Here’s how to set one up:
- Daytime feeds: Try to feed every 2 to 3 hours. If they’re sleeping, gently wake them to make sure they get enough nutrition.
- Night feeds: Your baby will likely wake every 3 to 4 hours to eat. Feeding well in the day can help your child sleep for longer at night.
- Feeding duration: Each feed should take about 20 to 30 minutes. For breastfeeding, let your baby nurse on one breast until it’s empty before switching. For the formula, follow the packet instructions for the right amount.
- Wet nappies: A good sign your baby is feeding well is 6 to 8 wet diapers and 2 to 5 bowel movements daily.
- Stay flexible: Babies have growth spurts around 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months, when they may want to feed more often. Trust your instincts and adjust as needed.
How to Build Healthy Sleep Habits?
Sleep and feeding go hand in hand. Newborns need around 14 to 17 hours of sleep each day, but it comes in short naps because they don’t know the difference between day and night yet.These are a few simple ways to build healthy sleep habits:
- Feed before bed: Give your baby a feed right before bedtime so they aren’t hungry when you put them down.
- Put baby down sleepy but awake: Place your baby in their crib when they’re drowsy but not fully asleep. This helps them learn to fall asleep independently.
- Back sleeping: Always place your baby on their back to sleep until they’re 1 year old to reduce the risk of sudden unexplained infant death syndrome (SUIDS).
- Use a pacifier: A pacifier during sleep may lower SUIDS risk for babies over 3 to 4 weeks.
How to Create a Sleep Schedule by Age?
A consistent sleep schedule helps your baby settle into a routine.This is how their sleep needs change:
- Newborns (0 to 3 months): Expect 14 to 17 hours of sleep, with wake windows of 1 to 2 hours. Babies don’t have a set bedtime until 8 to 12 weeks.
- 4 to 10 months: They still need about 14 hours of sleep. That’s usually 11 to 12 hours at night and a couple of naps in the day. Some babies may also stop waking up for night feeds during this stage.
- Toddlers (1 to 2 years): Toddlers need 13 to 14 hours of sleep. Most of that is 10 to 12 hours at night, plus a nap or two in the day. Around 15 to 18 months, many babies switch to just one nap.
Finding the right balance with feeding and sleep makes your journey of new parenthood a lot easier. Those first months won’t feel so overwhelming with a few simple habits, and you and your baby will slowly fall into a routine that works for you both!
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FAQs on Tips for Building Healthy Baby Sleep and Feeding Schedules
- Can sleep routines help with colic?
Consistent sleep routines can help reduce overall fussiness and improve sleep quality, but they do not cure colic. - How does teething affect sleep and feeding schedules?
Teething can disrupt sleep and feeding by causing gum pain and irritability. This may lead to more night wakings, shorter naps, and changes in eating habits.
