Home › The Care of Babies › The Care of Babies: Hours

The Care of Babies: Hours

AGE Hours between feeding Number of feedings in 24 hours Ounces to each feeding Ounces in 24 hours and 7 A. M. 3rd to 7th day. 2 2 10 1-1 10-15 2nd to 3rd week. 2 2 10 13-3 15-30 4th to 5th week. 2 1 10 2-3 25-35 6th week to 3rd month. 2 1 8 3-5 25-40 3rd to 5th month. 3 1 7 4-6 28-42 5th to 9th month. 3 0 6 5-7 30-45 9th to 12th month 4 0 5 7-9 35-45 FEEDING ACCORDING TO BABY'S WEIGHT, THE BEST WAY, OR BY AGE Total Amts. for 24 hours At each feeding Child's Weight in Pounds for Age in Mos.

Milk Water Teaspoonfuls Sugar Milk Water Teaspoonfuls Sugar How Often In 24 Hours From 6 A. M. to 6 P. M.

From 6 P. M. to 6 A. M. 6, 7 and 8 up to 2 Mos. 8 oz. 16 oz. 5 1 oz. 2 oz. 1 bottle every 2 hours 8 bottles 6 bottles 2 bottles 9 and 10, 2-3 Mos. 12 oz. 20 oz. 5 1 oz. 2 oz. 1 bottle every 2 hours 8 bottles 6 bottles 2 bottles 11, 12, 13 and 14 3-6 Mos. 1 bottle every 18 oz. 18 oz. 6 2 oz. 2 oz. 3 2 hours 7 bottles 5 bottles 2 bottles 15 and 16, 6-8 Mos. 1 bottle every 24 oz. 18 oz. 7 3 oz. 2 oz. 1 2½ hours 7 bottles 5 bottles 2 bottles 17 and 18, 8-10 Mos. 1 bottle every 30 oz. 12 oz. 6 5 oz. 2 oz. 1 3 hours 6 bottles 5 bottles 1 bottle 19 and 20, 10-12 Mos. 48 oz.

Two tablespoonfuls make one ounce. 8 oz. 1½ 1 bottle every 3 hours 6 bottles 5 bottles 1 bottle THE CARE OF BABIES night feedings as soon as possible.

Hold the baby in the same position as for nursing at the breast and take care to tip the bottle so that the neck is always full. The baby should not take its food in less than ten minutes. If it sucks too rapidly, withdraw the bottle occasionally for a minute or two, or use a nipple with a smaller hole. But do not prolong the feeding over fifteen or twenty minutes. Never let the child suck the empty bottle. Do not let it go to sleep with the nipple in its mouth. If you start right and get the baby into the habit of nursing at regular intervals, it will not cry for food at other times. If the baby cries, look at the clock, if not feeding time the trouble is something else. Infants and children are frequently fretful from thirst.

How Much to Feed. - Measure the food and give regular amounts at each feeding. Never coax the baby to take more food than it wants.

Too much food and too frequent feeding does greater harm than too little. It over-taxes the digestion and leads to stomach and intestinal disturbances. Regurgitation, or the "raising" of the milk after feeding indicates over-feeding. Cut down the amount and avoid digestive troubles and diarrhea. If the baby does not take the whole feeding throw it away. Do not attempt to save it for the next time.

During days of extreme heat give not more than half the usual food at each feeding, but give the baby all the cold boiled water-not ice water -that it craves. At all seasons take care to give the baby water at frequent intervals in sufficient quantities to quench its thirst. Feeding Problems. If a bottlefed baby does not thrive the difficulty may be that the food is too rich, or not rich enough; that the amount fed is too much, or too little; or that the food spoils before it is fed from not being kept clean and cold. The food must be kept clean and cold to be wholesome at any age. But the a quality of the food, the amount to be given at each feeding, and the frequency of the feedings must be modified and adapted to the needs of the growing child. It is usual to give rules for feeding according to the age of the child, but regard must also be had to its weight in pounds.

There is relation between the weight of the baby and size of the stomach. Large babies require more food than small babies. Most authorities agree that a child should not be fed oftener than once in two hours, nor more than ten times in each twenty-four hours during the first few weeks of life, and that the intervals between feedings should be lengthened and the number of feedings decreased progressively up to the end of the first year. The exact time to make these changes must be determined in each case by the state of the baby's health, but the tables on the opposite page may be taken as a fair general average and will be found helpful and suggestive.

It is best to begin with a weak food, as the first milk mixture in the accompanying table, for babies from birth to three or four months of age.

The food should be increased gradually both in strength and quality. Do not increase the quantity more than half an ounce at a time. Never increase both the quantity and the richness of the food at the same time. Never feed oftener than suggested by this table. The child's stomach needs some rest. Too rich food or too much food at the beginning makes later feeding difficult. Over-feeding at any time will upset the baby's digestion and may lead to serious illness. Weight and Height.-The age of a child alone is not a trustworthy guide as to the amount or strength of the food which it should have.

The weight is a much more correct index. Weigh the baby every week.

Measure its length (or height) and keep a record for future reference.

Compare this record with the following standard table of the growth and development of a normal infant. 1 This will show you at once whether or not your baby is enjoying a normal development. The average weight of a child at birth is 7 or 7½ pounds. During the first week there is a loss of a few ounces. Thereafter the normal gain is about six ounces a week for the first three months, and after that about four ounces a week to the end of the first year.

All weights during the first year should be taken without any clothing.