In the first few weeks of having a newborn baby, things like sleep are going to be hard to come by. It’ll be a time of great joy and excitement but also great tiredness while your child gets used to the schedules accepted in the waking world. After three weeks you’ll be able to start bottle feeding your child with either a bottle of breast milk or baby formula. From here things can get a little easier for Mum as she won’t need to be awake for every feeding and loved ones or partners can start to pull their weight a little more.
Babies grow quickly and there are several occasions in which you can expect your child to have a growth spurt. The first is at three weeks and can be marked by your child being much hungrier and eating more than normal. The next is at six weeks, then three months and then six months etc. It may be necessary to give your baby slightly more food in this period but it’s just as important not to over feed!
As your child won’t be able to actively tell you that you’re over or under feeding it, you’re going to have to look for signs and non-verbal cues that they’re either still hungry or not hungry at all. It your baby is sick after eating or suffers from stomach pain (shown when babies pull their legs towards their bellies or when their tummies get sensitive to the touch) then the chances are you’re feeding too much. You’re feeding your child the right amount if they’re steadily gaining weight, generally happy after feeding and consistently needing a nappy change throughout the day.
Remember that, even though your baby can’t speak yet they’ll be trying to communicate with you all the same. It’s important that you learn to listen as quite often they’ll try and tell you what’s wrong!
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