How big is the baby’s stomach?

The size of the stomach at birth is very small and increases according to the baby’s growth and also with the intake of breast milk, infant formula and other foods.

In the first days of life, the size of the baby’s stomach increases greatly, having on the first day of birth a capacity for up to 10 to 20 ml of milk, on the third day a volume of 22 ml, reaching a capacity of 44 ml of milk on the 7th day, for example.

In general, the size of the baby’s stomach and the volume of food he can eat is:

• 1st day of birth: size similar to a cherry and capacity of 10 to 20 ml;
• 3rd day after birth: size similar to a walnut and capacity for 22 to 29 ml;
• 7th day after birth: size similar to a plum and capacity for 30 to 90 ml;
• 1st month: size similar to a chicken egg and capacity of 90 to 150 mL;
• from the 3rd to the 6th month: size similar to a kiwi and capacity of 150 ml to 200 ml;
• From the 6th to the 12th month: size similar to an apple and capacity of 210 ml to 310 ml;

After the first year of life, the baby’s stomach grows according to its weight, having an estimated capacity of 30 to 40 ml for each kg of weight. Therefore, a baby aged 1 year and 6 months who weighs 10 kg will have a stomach with a capacity of approximately 300 to 400 ml.

How should breastfeeding be

As a baby’s stomach at birth is small, it is important to feed the baby small volumes of breast milk, or infant formula, several times throughout the day. Therefore, it is normal that at the beginning the baby needs to breastfeed more often, 10 to 12 times a day, as his stomach does not have a very large capacity.

Regardless of the size of the stomach, it is recommended that the baby feeds exclusively on breast milk until the sixth month of life, and can continue until the age of 2, or until whenever the mother and child want, on free demand, which is whenever the baby wants.

Infant formula may be recommended by the pediatrician when the mother is unable to breastfeed or when breastfeeding is contraindicated, such as in the case of contagious diseases or the use of some medications. Understand in what situations and how to choose infant formula.

When to start complementary feeding

The baby’s complementary feeding should be started in the 6th month of life, regardless of whether the baby is breastfed or formula fed. Understand better how to introduce foods into your baby’s diet.

The first baby food should consist of shaved or mashed fresh fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas and papayas. From the 7th month onwards, you should introduce the main baby food for lunch and dinner, which are made with cereals, such as rice and pasta; or tubers, such as cassava and sweet potatoes; proteins, such as chicken and beef; and fresh vegetables, such as carrots, chayote and zucchini, which must be mashed to prevent the baby from choking. See what a baby’s diet should be like from 0 to 12 months.