Finding a black and white feeding guide for babies is a difficult thing to do. All children develop at different rates, meaning that there definitely isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to feeding suggestions. However, this post should help you get a clear indication of the general baby feeding habits to expect throughout the first year of your child’s life.

The Beginning: Birth – 4 m/o

During this time, your baby’s little digestive system will still be developing within. The first five days post birth are critical for you and your child. However, the first two weeks have the most frequent notable developments in their digestive system.

• Day 1: Your baby’s stomach will roughly only be the size of a cherry. This means he or she will only be able to hold about 5ml – 7ml of fluid inside at a given time. Therefore, if you are not producing copious amounts of milk, don’t stress. Your body will match milk production to your baby’s feeding needs.
• Day 3: Your baby’s tummy will now have grown to roughly the size of a walnut. They will now be able to ingest between 22ml – 27ml of fluid per feed and can be expected to feed between 8 – 10 times a day.
• Day 7: Your baby’s tummy will now have grown to the size of an apricot, meaning it can hold between 45ml – 60ml of fluid. 
• Day 14: Your little one has now developed to their final phase of initial digestive development. Their tummy should now hold between 80ml – 150ml of fluid and be about the size of an egg. You can expect roughly nine diapers through the day during this time; six wet diapers and three bowl movement diapers.

From week four towards the six month mark, you can expect your baby’s eating habits to remain relatively similar. However, once they reach six months, this is where things start to get interesting!

The Introduction To Solids: 6 m/o – 8 m/o

During this time, your child will begin to show signs of readiness for solids. Now’s the time to start slowly introducing them to certain solid foods whilst still breastfeeding. Here are some foods to include in your baby’s diet:

A selection of pureed foods including: 

• Meats
• Vegetables
• Fruits 
• Breastmilk
• Semi-liquid baby cereal

Now That You Have A General Feeding Guide For Babies

From the 8 month mark, you can begin to introduce smaller bits of whole foods such a cereals and meats cut into bite sized pieces. We suggest breastfeeding your baby I conjunction with solids for at least 24 months post birth. 

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