How much milk should a four and a half month old baby have?

Four-month-old babies grow faster in weight and height, and their brains begin to develop. We can see that they are full of curiosity about things in the outside world. A four and a half month old baby has very high nutritional requirements. Let’s find out how much milk a four and a half month old baby should consume.

1. Breastfed babies:

As long as the weight gain is normal (an average of 15-20 grams per day), there is no need to rush to add various types of complementary foods. If breast milk becomes less and less, and the baby's weight only increases by 100 grams within 10 days, milk or other complementary foods will be needed.

However, in actual feeding, if you start adding milk at this month, the baby may refuse to eat because the baby is not used to sucking on a plastic nipple that feels completely different from the mother's nipple. No matter what the mother does, if the baby refuses to eat, other milk substitutes should be added. Otherwise, the baby's weight gain will be below the average level, leading to malnutrition.

2. Milk-fed babies:

The amount of milk fed should not be increased too much compared to last month, and should still be maintained at around 1000 ml per day. Because the baby's weight gain at 4-5 months is not much different from that at 3-4 months, the same feeding can be given. At this month, babies are more active and consume more energy, which can be compensated by the sugar content in other milk substitutes.

3. Add iron-containing complementary foods:

After the baby is 4 months old, the ingredients contained in the milk can no longer meet the baby's growth and development needs. In addition, the iron in the baby's body from the mother has been consumed, and the iron in breast milk or cow's milk is far from meeting the baby's needs. If it is not supplemented in time, iron deficiency anemia will occur. For this reason, egg yolks should be added to the baby's food in time during this month.

The main function of egg yolk is to supplement iron and protein. Start by adding 1/4, then gradually increase the amount, and when the baby is 6 months old you can feed the whole egg yolk. In addition, you can also add some infant cakes, whose main function is to supply heat energy. Infant cakes are purely starch food. The salivary glands of 4-month-old babies have gradually developed, and amylase is already available. Moreover, the baby's activity level has increased at this time, and the calories required have increased accordingly. It is still necessary to feed 2-3 pieces of high-quality infant cakes that are fortified with minerals and vitamins. In addition, you can also feed some mashed potatoes, mainly to supplement vitamins and minerals

The above is an explanation of how much milk a baby needs at four and a half months old. The baby has started to add some complementary foods, but the nutrition in all aspects must be balanced. Mothers with low milk intake do not need to worry. Babies at this time can eat some milk powder instead, but it is still recommended that parents choose milk powder for their babies based on the actual situation of the baby.