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Baby feeding patterns and introducing new foods

Dr Tanya Byron

One of the joys of parenting is feeding time, it is when you can sit down with your newborn and enjoy bonding while providing the nutrition they need.

Providing your baby with the right amount of nutrients at the correct times is important for the healthy development of your baby in infancy and later life. There are a number of questions when it comes to feeding your child.

How often should you feed your baby?

In the past, paediatricians recommended feeding your baby every three to four hours only - no matter if your child was hungry or not. Nowadays paediatricians will tell new parents to be more flexible and feed your child on demand, responding to your baby's hunger by giving their next due feed a little earlier, if they are hungry. It is usually advised to keep the first feed and night time feed the same time each day, whilst all other feeds can be flexible. This stops feeding becoming too random and gives the baby some sense of routine.

All breastfed newborn babies will typically eat every two hours; usually after waking. Of course this will fluctuate, as many outside factors (including how much was eaten at the last feed) could come into play. Bottle-fed newborns may need to eat every three or four hours; but this number can always fluctuate. Keep in mind that your child should not be introduced to cow's milk as a drink until they are one year old.

As your baby's stomach grows, your feeding schedule will start to normalize and the time between each feed will begin to increase. When your baby reaches six to eight months old, they should only nurse or take a bottle four to six times a day and by this time they shouldn't be waking during the night for a feed. Finally, your child will switch from breast milk or formula to whole cow's milk when they reach one year. By this age your child should be eating three meals a day with nutritious snacks interspersed to tide them over.

Feeding patterns can be confusing, but you will learn what your baby needs. You will also learn how to respond to those needs. If there are problems, contact your paediatrician to make sure there are no health issues.

When is your baby ready for weaning onto solid foods?

As your baby gets older, you will notice that the time between feedings gets longer. Your baby will also eat quickly. By the time your child is four to six months old your baby's nutrient and energy requirements become difficult to meet with breast milk or formula alone and you will then begin to introduce solid foods because at this stage your baby's digestive system is mature enough to cope with the change. Current NHS advice is not to give your baby solids until 6 months of age, although some babies may be ready earlier.

Some of the signs of a baby that is ready for solid foods are when they can sit up with support, good head and neck support, a baby that pays attention to other family members at dinner time, and the ability to swallow soft baby cereal. Remember that rice cereal should be used first and to supplement the baby's food with either formula or breast milk.

The aim of weaning is to gradually introduce different tastes and textures so that, by the age of one, your baby's enjoying a varied and healthy diet.

Every baby is different. Some enjoy trying new tastes and textures, moving through the weaning quickly and easily, while others need a little more time to get used to new foods. Proceed at your baby's pace, moving on to each new weaning stage when it is right for them.

What type of solid foods should you first introduce?

When your baby is six to eight months old you will continue to introduce new foods, but you should do so one food at a time in order to ensure there are no food allergies. Firstly you should start to introduce the feeling of the spoon in your baby's mouth and eventually mix the following pureed foods on a teaspoon with some breast milk or formula milk (whichever your baby has).

- Pureed vegetables such as carrot, Swede or potato
- Pureed fruit such as banana, cooked pear or apple
- A non-wheat based cereal such as baby rice, sago or cornmeal

Don't force food on your baby, especially at this stage. Remember they're still getting most of their nutrients and energy from breast milk or formula.

Once your baby's used to taking food from a spoon you can slowly increase the amount of times, per day, you offer it.

At this stage your baby will still be taking 500/600ml of breast or formula milk every day, along with it your baby should have one serving of protein rich food such as soft cooked meat, fish or pulses such as lentils. Eggs should be thoroughly cooked until the yolk is hard

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