A post by Cynthia Anka
Depending upon where you choose to give birth to your child,
the care given by the hospital staff may vary. In most hospitals, it is the
norm that your child is brought to you every three hours for a feed. This will
change when your hospital visit ends.
The feeding rhythm is a little different for each child and
each birth experience. During the first couple of days, one of two patterns
will occur. Either they will eat every 2-3 hours or they will eat with
occasional long sleep stretches.
Many of the families I have worked with have shared how
different it all becomes upon arriving home. Yes indeed.
Your child is still recovering and adjusting and now has to
acclimate to another new environment.
This is when newborns begin to establish their individual
sleeping and feeding rhythms.
The following is a general guideline that parents can work with.
-Every 2 hours for the first week.
-Every 2-3 hours the second to third week.
-Every 4 hours from the first month on.
Their are many variables that will change the above to less
or more such as birth weight, genetic build, medical complications, etc.
Feedings usually last one hour to one and half hours. Upon
waking, your infant will eat for about 20 minutes. If breast feeding, the feed
will be on both sides. Next, take a break and hold them for a few minutes and
then burp. Now, you will change the diaper as they usually go to the bathroom
while eating. Next get them settled for sleep by dimming the light and topping
off the feed. Splitting the feed In half allows time for digestion in order to
consume the rest of the feed to satiate. Your child will fall into deep sleep.
Hold and burp for a few minutes and then place onto bed for sleep.
By allowing your child to communicate to you when he/she is
hungry, the feeding rhythm will happen naturally and your child will eat and
grow as they should.
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