Breast milk is the only food your newborn gets. For complete nourishment of your baby, you need to ensure that the baby gets sufficient amount of breastmilk every day. But how do you know how much milk your baby needs? Knowing your baby's milk requirement is also essential when you are a working mom .You need to express breast milk to make it available for your newborn when you are away.
MomJunction has a solution for you right here! Our Breast Milk Calculator helps you determine the quantity of milk your baby needs in every feeding.
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Result in ML | ||
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Breastfed babies consume smaller quantities of milk when compared to those fed on formula milk. According to a research done by American Academy of Pediatrics, a newborn baby typically needs 8-12 feeds during the first 24 hours. The average intake of breast milk remains at around 25oz (750ml) per day for babies aged between one and six months old. Depending on the number of times your baby feeds every day, you can determine the amount of milk that needs to be expressed per bottle/ per feed. So if your baby feeds nine times a day, the average amount of milk per feed would be around 2.78oz (83.33ml).
The milk intake of the baby may increase after five days to until a month. Thereafter, it remains almost constant for up to six months. So don't worry if you have to express the same amount of milk for the baby for up to six months. Most importantly, do not compare your baby's milk intake with that of other babies. As long as your child is happy and healthy, he is getting enough milk every day.
Your baby's age | Amount of milk per feed |
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Day 1 (0 to 24 hours) | 7ml (just over a teaspoon) |
Day 2 (24 to 48 hours) | 14ml (just under 3 teaspoons) |
Day 3 (48 to 72 hours) | 38ml (1.3fl oz) |
Day 4 (72 to 96 hours) | 58ml (2fl oz) |
Day 7 (144 to 168 hours) | 65ml (2.2fl oz) |
Baby weight (lbs) | Breast milk needed (oz) | Baby weight (Kg) | Breast milk needed (ml) |
---|---|---|---|
5 lbs | 12 oz | 2.0 kg | 313 ml |
6 lbs | 14 oz | 2.5 kg | 391 ml |
7 lbs | 17 oz | 3.0 kg | 469 ml |
8 lbs | 19 oz | 3.5 kg | 548 ml |
9 lbs | 22 oz | 4.0 kg | 626 ml |
10 lbs | 24 oz | 4.5 kg | 704 ml |
11 lbs | 26 oz | 5.0 kg | 782 ml |
12 lbs | 29 oz | 5.5 kg | 861 ml |
13 lbs | 31 oz | 6.0 kg | 939 ml |
14 lbs | 34 oz | 6.5 kg | 1000 ml |
If your baby has started eating solid foods, he will need lower quantities of milk. Typically, babies are introduced to solid foods after six months, as breast milk is all they need to stay healthy until then. Breast milk is the primary source of calories and nutrition for the baby even after six months, although the amount of intake may drop slightly.
Babies usually settle on to three feeds of solid foods roughly after eight months and, on an average, may need six to seven ounces of breast milk per feed three to five times a day . Ideally, breast milk is the first meal that a baby should have during the day, followed by solid foods.
As a parent, you may be anxious to know exactly how much food your baby needs per day. But experts recommend that you let the baby decide that – most babies can do that. All you need to do is provide them with healthy foods and sufficient amounts of breast milk in between, to ensure complete nourishment.
Mother's Milk | Animal Milk | Formula Milk | |
---|---|---|---|
Bacterial Contaminants | None | Likely | Likely when mixed |
Anti-Infective Factors | Available | Not Available | Not Available |
Growth factors | Available | Not Available | Not Available |
Protein | In Correct Amount- simple To Digest | Large Amount- Difficult To Digest | Partly Corrected |
Fat | Enough required fatty acids, lipase to digest | Lack in required fatty acids, No Lipase | Lack essential fatty acids, No Lipase |
Iron | Little Amount, Easily Absorbed | Little Amount, Not Easily Absorbed | Added Extra, Not absorbed easily |
Vitamins | Good amount | Not Enough A and C | Added Vitamins |
Water | Good amount | More Required | May Need Extra |
When your baby breastfeeds, he knows when to start and stop, depending on whether or not he has had enough during that feed. The chances of overfeeding the baby are also less when you breastfeed. However, that may not be the case when your baby is fed expressed breast milk by bottle. So how do you know if your baby is getting too much or too little?
Too little milk could result in malnutrition of the baby, and too much can lead to overfeeding. Your baby may refuse to drink from a bottle initially because the bottle nipple may feel and taste different when compared to the mother's skin. Hold the baby in a comfortable position and rock it gently before trying the bottle again. If the baby still refuses, you can try feeding the baby with a spoon or a sipper. Most babies will adjust quickly to the bottle once they are comfortable with the caregiver .
Your baby may also drink more milk than he needs when fed by bottle. The steady and fast flow of milk from a bottle can be one of the main reasons for that. Learning to manage the pace of the feed is important. Here are a few points to keep in mind when feeding the baby expressed milk by bottle:
While you can estimate the amount of milk your baby needs based on its intake, there are other signs that can tell you whether or not your baby is getting enough milk every day.
If you plan on getting back to work after your baby, you will need to store expressed breast milk in clean containers. However, care should be taken on how you store and use expressed breast milk for your baby's health and safety.
While it may be convenient to store expressed breast milk for a week or more, fresh milk is always better.
Breast milk calculator is one of the ways to estimate the quality of milk your baby needs per feed. However, it is not the only method, and you can only consider it as a guide for your doubts and concerns. You should always check with your doctor before planning to set one feeding routine.