A baby feeding routine can be a lot to remember, especially as you transition from the newborn stage to a two or three month nursing schedule. As you create routines for moms, use this guide to make sure you’re giving your little one the best start in life.
What to Expect:
- Baby feeding schedule by age
- What is a good feeding schedule for a newborn?
- 2-month-old baby feeding schedule
- Baby feeding routine after 6 months
- Printable baby feeding chart
Baby feeding schedule by age
The best feeding schedule for infants depends on the age of the baby.
Infants need to feed at least eight times a day for the first few months. It is best to feed them every two hours during the day and three to four hours at night.
The frequency of feeding will change as they grow older, but as a general rule, infants should be fed every three hours from six months onwards.
Use a printable feeding chart (sign up here to get mine for free) to track your baby’s routine.
This is also great to save in your home binder for babysitters or even to create your own organized routines throughout the day.
What is a good feeding schedule for a newborn?
As a new parent, you may be wondering what is the best feeding schedule for your newborn. The following information can help you figure out what to do.
The best feeding schedule for a newborn depends on several factors, such as:
- the baby’s age and weight
- whether or not the baby is breastfed or bottle fed
If a baby is breastfed, they should nurse every 2-3 hours. This means that they will need to feed at least 8 times in 24 hours, but it may be more if they are smaller than average or if they have a big appetite.
If a baby is bottle fed, the feeding schedule will depend on how much milk formula the parents give them each time and how often they eat per day.
2-month-old baby feeding routine
There is no set time for how often a baby should be fed. The number of feedings per day can vary. The frequency of feedings depends on the age of the baby, how much milk they are taking in, and the time of day.
Some babies need to be fed more often than others because they are growing or have different needs.
However, a 2-month-old baby should be fed every 3-4 hours from start to finish, with a total of 5-8 feeds in a 24 hour period.
How many hours should a baby go between feeds?
The number of hours between feedings varies depending on the baby’s age. The average time between feedings is 3 hours for a newborn and 4 hours for a 2-month old.
Is it OK for babies to go 5 hours between feeds?
Especially as your baby begins to sleep longer at night, you might notice that the baby will begin to nurse less frequently but consume more. It is OK for babies to nurse less frequently, especially at night.
If you’re bottle feeding, you may notice that the baby consumes a larger bottle before bed, and then again after sleeping for a longer period. As long as the baby is consuming approximately 24 oz. throughout the day, this is a typical feeding schedule.
Baby feeding schedule after 6 months
A 6 month old baby should breastfeed 4-6 times in a day and consume 16-24 ounces of milk. They should be introduced to solid foods by the time they reach 7 months.
Printable baby feeding chart
Especially if you’re breastfeeding a baby, it can be difficult to track how much and when your baby is eating, or if your baby nursed on both sides.
Use the following printable baby feeding chart for both bottle-fed and breastfed babies.
Over time, as your track both mom and baby’s feeding routine, you’ll start to notice patterns as your baby will naturally create his or her own feeding routine.