The newborn phase is a joyous time. But it can also be challenging as you work out your 4-day-old baby feeding routine. It’s essential to get it right to help your baby thrive.

This article covers a range of feeding-related topics, including how much to feed a 4-day-old baby. It also offers many more tips to help you establish a great routine.

Understanding Feeding a 4-Day-Old Baby

Let’s start with understanding some important facts and challenges around 4-day-old baby feeding.

The Importance of Baby Feeds

Nutrient- and antibody-rich colostrum is the first milk your body produces, in the first few days after birth.

Breastfeeding is a great choice for your 4-day-old baby feeding schedule, if you are able. It’s healthy for your baby and costs you nothing. However, some women may find breastfeeding challenging, while some babies may struggle to feed in this way.

Bottle feeding is a great alternative. It allows another family member to feed your baby so you can have a break. And you can easily see how much milk your baby has consumed.

However, it doesn’t offer quite the same protection against infections as breastfeeding since breast milk contains antibodies.

Common Feeding Challenges for a 4-Day-Old Baby

Feeding your newborn baby isn’t always easy. Your 4-day-old baby may not be interested in feeding or may feed constantly.

Your newborn may be sleepy much of the time, which can make sticking to a feeding schedule tricky. Or your 4-day-old baby may be feeding all night, leaving you exhausted.

We’ll offer some tips and schedules in this article to help you overcome these challenges.

Feeding Schedules and Patterns

Check out these schedules to help get your newborn baby into an established routine.

Typical Feeding Schedule for a 4-Day-Old Baby

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends feeding your newborn baby on demand. Most newborns need feeding every 2 to 3 hours, which amounts to 8 to 12 feeds every 24 hours.

If you’re breastfeeding, you should be producing 500 ml or 16.5 ounces of milk per 24-hour period.

A typical bottle feeding schedule is 28.5 ml to 57 ml or 1 to 2 ounces around 8 times a day.

Your baby will give you cues to let you know they’re hungry. These include:

• Turning their head to one side.
• Opening and closing their mouth.
• Making sucking actions.

With time, you can learn to recognize these and other signs that your baby is hungry.

Adjusting Feeding Schedules Based on Baby's Needs

If your 4-day-old baby is feeding constantly, you can establish a routine — feeding, napping, diaper change, interaction — so they learn to expect when to feed.

If your 4-day-old baby is not feeding, you should consult your pediatrician for a check-up immediately. You could also encourage them to feed by establishing a regular routine, by trying different positions, and by practicing skin-to-skin contact so they can start feeding for themselves.

If your baby is feeding throughout the night, rest during the day — sleep when your baby sleeps as best as you can. And make night feeds easier on yourself by setting up everything you need before going to bed.

Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding Tips

Follow our tips for successful breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

Tips for Successful Breastfeeding

To get into a good position to feed your baby:

• Get comfortable.
• Hold your baby’s body in a straight line.
• Hold them close to you, facing your breast.
• Support their neck, shoulders, and back.

To help your baby latch on:

• Ensure their nose is level with your nipple.
• Gently tip their head back. Their mouth should now open wide.
• Your baby should now be able to latch on.

To ensure your baby is getting enough milk, try these tips:

• Let them feed as often and for as long as they want.
• Express some breast milk after feeding to stimulate your supply.
• Offer your baby both breasts at each feed.
• Consult your pediatrician if you are worried about your baby’s nutrition.

Bottle Feeding Guidelines for a 4-Day-Old Baby

Get your bottle-fed baby off to a great start by choosing the right formula and bottle.

Choose a formula that’s suited to your baby’s stage of life and opt for a bottle with a slow flow rate, formulated for newborns. Bottles with anti-colic valves to reduce the amount of air swallowed are also a great choice.

To bottle feed your newborn:

• Sit comfortably and hold your baby in a semi-upright position.
• Brush the nipple against your baby’s mouth until they open wide, then gently place it in their mouth.
• Keep holding the bottle horizontally while they feed.
• Switch sides halfway through to mimic breastfeeding if you are offering a mix of breast and bottle.

Tools and Logs for Tracking Feeding

Find out about tracking your baby’s feed times and amounts here.

Maintaining a Feeding Log

Tracking your baby’s feeding times and amounts can help you get into a routine. It also helps you monitor the amount of milk your baby is consuming.

You can create your own simple feeding log by recording the date and time and amount of milk consumed in a notebook.

You could also download a baby tracking app on your cell phone.

Tools to Help with Feeding

There are also lots of products and tools to help you with feeding your 4-day-old baby:

• If your baby is colicky, choose an anti-colic bottle to reduce air consumption.
• You can also choose formula suitable for newborns to fulfill their nutritional needs.
• Invest in a breastfeeding pillow to help support you during feeding sessions.
• A breast pump will help you store breast milk and stimulate supply.
• Don’t forget breast pads and nipple cream to ensure your comfort.

Making Feeding Easier

Understanding and managing feeding for your 4-day-old baby is essential to their well-being.

Use our tips to ensure that your newborn’s nutritional needs are met. They’ll make feeding easier and more comfortable for you, too!