Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
A Three-Month-Old Eager Eater | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
How often should a three-month-old eat? My daughter is still in that four ounces of formula every two to three hours schedule.— Young Mommy | | | ANSWER |
October 8, 2000 | | | Dear Young Mommy,
I think it's okay for a three-month-old to eat every two to three hours, although it can be a little exhausting for the person doing the feeding. It's reasonable to try spacing the feedings out a bit for your own sake. Here are a few suggestions:
Make sure that your daughter really is full after each feeding. When she stops sucking, give her a minute or two, then try to give her a bit more formula. If she takes more formula eagerly, she wasn't really full, just taking a break.
Give her a pacifier. Babies have a need for sucking above and beyond their need for sustenance. If sucking a pacifier seems to satisfy your baby, great. Rest assured that she'll let you know if she is really hungry.
You also might try giving your baby some cereal. Start with a small bit on the tip of a baby spoon, and keep offering until she loses interest. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents wait until a child is at least four months old to begin spoon feeding, but a few babies are ready to start before that. Once she has something solid in her tummy, she might last a little longer between meals.
These ideas are valid for most healthy children, but if your daughter is small (for example, if she was born prematurely) and perhaps catching up to her natural weight, then she might need to eat more often. There are also many healthy three-month-olds who just prefer to eat relatively frequently. If you can bear it, there's no harm in letting her eat on her schedule.
— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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