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Baby has already reached her first trimester, and maybe it’s time for mom to get back to work. Whether you have breastfed baby until then or have opted for infant formula bottles, here is what you need to know about keep the milk well baby and to meet all of their feeding needs.
Bottles or breastfeeding: how much should a 3 month old baby drink?
On average, babies are over 3 months old 5,5 kg but milk – breast or infant – is still her main source of nutrition. There are not many changes compared to the previous months: you need you adapt to baby’s rhythm, although her bottle-feeding complaints and appetite are gradually regulating.
In the third month, baby usually asks 4 bottles of 180 ml of milk per day, i.e. between 700 and 800 ml of milk per day. Some infants prefer to have 5 or 6 bottles or feedings per day, with a little less substantial amounts!
How much does a 3 month old child drink?
You can offer some mineral water low in minerals to your baby between feedings, if you are not using powdered milk and therefore do not add water to the bottle. However, water is a supplement at the moment, and it is on the amounts of baby’s milk that your attention should be focused.
The World Health Organization recommends a exclusive breastfeeding of the baby up to 6 months, but if you can’t, can’t, or don’t want to breastfeed, make sure you choose milk adapted to the needs of your infant : before the start of dietary diversification, it must be a first age milk, certified infant formula according to strict European Union regulations, enriched with vitamins, proteins but also essential fatty acids. Commercial milks of animal or vegetable origin are not suitable for the needs of newborns.
Food diversification: can I feed my 3 month old child?
It is not recommended to start your child’s food diversification so early, it is better wait at least another month. In any case, it is your pediatrician who will give you the green light to start your child’s food diversification.
At three months, the only source of baby food is therefore mother’s milk or infant formula. If you notice that your newborn baby’s growth chart is not progressing as before or that your baby is now refusing to feed, consult as soon as possible your pediatrician.
End of maternity leave: store your child’s milk properly
In the third month, mom’s maternity leave ends, and it might be time to go back to work. If you have chosen breastfeeding for your child, this requires a new organization and the use ofa breast pump. In order to properly store the milk consumed by your child, you need a suitable place in your refrigerator. If it is not necessary to sterilize the bottles, the hygiene of the latter must nevertheless be irreproachable.
You can store your milk at refrigerator for 48 hours and freezer for 4 months. However, bottles should not be thawed in the microwave or in a water bath, but gradually in the refrigerator. A bottle thawed in the refrigerator should be consumed within 24 hours. If your child does not drink all of his bottle, it should not be saved for the next one. We throw away the unused milk.
A tip: you can note on your child’s bottles the date on which the milk was expressed, but also the first and last name of your child if the bottles have to be transported to your place of work, to the nanny, to the nursery or elsewhere. If you are carrying bottles, put them in a cooler bag well sealed.