I’ve noticed, now that my son is three weeks old, his feeding habits have started to change.  He’s hungry more often, and will eat more in one feeding.  For the most part I’ve been sticking to the basic guidelines he had in his first week.  Feeding at the breast for at least 20 minutes on each side, or eating 3-4 oz in a bottle feeding.  Where it used to be a challenge to get him to feed the entire forty minutes, or to finish that last oz in the bottle, now he will go an hour or more at the breast, and will still seem hungry after gulping down the entire 4 oz from a bottle.  This is becoming a bit of  a hassle for me, since it means the time between feedings is less.  Some days around our house it seems like all I do is feed the baby.  I know he should be eating more as he is growing, but exactly how much should he be eating as he enters the 1 month stage?  2 Month?  3?  I think I can add this to the list of things that no one really seems to tell you as a new mom.  They look mostly at how much weight your baby is gaining, but if you’re in between doctors visits it’s a little hard to keep an accurate account of his weight gain.  The easiest way to make sure he’s getting enough is to keep tract of his diapers, as I mentioned in a previous post.  Babies should be maintaining at least 1 – 2 poops a day, and 6 or more wet diapers.  That should only lessen when he or she gets a few months older.  Again, a great way to tell after the fact.  But when you’re trying to measure out bottles and time feedings, it can still be a challenge.  After consulting with my son’s pediatrician, and researching different websites, I’ve come to the conclussion that no one really has an answer for this.  There’s no table that lays out how many oz a baby should eat based on his or her age.  It starts off with 3-4 oz every 3-4 hours or 40 minutes at the breast, then there is no new info until babies start eating solid foods.  The general consensis is to feed your baby as much as he or she will eat.  If your baby wants to eat 6 oz every 4 hours, or if they eat 2 oz every 2 hours then that’s fine.  If it takes them 30 minutes at the breast every 2 1/2 hours, or an hour every 4, that’s okay too.  Every baby is different.  The real trick is finding the right rythm for you and your baby.  It can be a hassle for you both in the beginning, but my pediatrician assures me that most babies fall into a regular schedule by about two months.  Then it will be much easier to tell when something is wrong.  If by 3 months you and your child are used feeding for 35 minutes every 3 hours, and he or she suddenly stops eating as much then you’ll know it’s time to call the doc.  Just keep track of those diapers, and as long as baby is having normal bowel movements and content between feedings (however long that may be) then he or she is getting enough to eat!