# Formula bottle feeding a 4 month/17 week old - how many times a day and how much?



## Jody R

As the title says, if you bottle feed formula to your baby how much do you give them and how often through the day?

Joseph started sleeping through so on most days he was only taking four bottles at four hour intervals. He was taking almost 8 fl oz at a time.

However, issues with my mother about weaning him now made me think about this.

He cut himself down so I thought it was normal but the formula box says he should be on five bottles of 7 fl oz per day.

I am a bit worried now, he was weighed at 14 weeks and again at 17 weeks and has only put on about 4 oz in three weeks, which is quite a big drop for him.

I've decided to give him an extra bottle but since he is sleeping well I am going to feed him at three to three and a half hours rather than every four.

So today that is 6:30am, 9:30am, 12:30pm, 4:00pm and 7:30pm.

If he doesn't get on with that and start putting the weight on I will have to speak to the health visitor and maybe start weaning early.

But I wondered what anyone else with a four month/17 week old baby is doing.


----------



## Hevz

You'd probably be best posting this in the formula feeding section....does it not tell you how much on the side of the tin babe???? All babies have different appetites too so whatever advice you get, remember that some drink more and some less and it depends on baby's weight too. Sorry I can't be of any more help but I breastfeed babe.

Good luck:hugs:


----------



## pictureperfect

Hiya 
Chloe is 18 weeks old and is on 5 7oz bottles a day although its very rare that she completely finishes a bottle usually does about 6 oz each time.
Her feed times are [roughly] 6.00am, 9,45am, 1.30pm, 5.15pm, 8.30pm, she always wakes up around 6.00am but if she didn't I wouldn't wake her up, she never cries for food so i'm always clock watching as she wouldn't let me know when she was hungry.
She sleeps from about 9.00pm to 6.00am and then back to sleep till about 8.30am.
Hope this helps, am getting her weighed today so once i've done it I can let you know her weight if that helps x


----------



## dali

i would just feed himwhen eve rhe is hungry hun, and if for instance he finishes a 6 oz bottle then move him up to 7 oz , when he will drink a whole 7 oz move up to 8, i wouldnt pay too much attention to the tin as this is only a guide. theres no harm in giving him an extra bottle if he will take it. just let him have as much as he wants whenever he wants it and see how it goes.
on the bright side at 4 months early weaning is atleast an option to fall back on although best to wait until 6 if you can, it would help put the weight on.
was the hv concerned about the drop in weight? it may just be a natural fluctuation in his weight, these things happen id weigh again in a couple of weeks and see how your going, as long as he is happy and content in himself i wouldnt worry too much right now


----------



## Happy

Phoebe only drinks a 4oz bottle every 3-4 hours. we feed her at 7am, 10am, 1pm,4pm and 7pm. She will drink 7oz at her 7pm feed and also her dream feed before we go to bed but never anymore than that.

Her sleeping has gone awol lately and she has been waking at 2am and drinking a 6oz bottle. She is putting on weight and weighs 15lb but she never seems fussed by her milk unless its during the night.


----------



## Jody R

Thanks everyone.

The health visitor wasn't worried, she said these things can happen, a growth spurt and a lot of activity can mean eating a bit more but not putting much weight on.

And he's 17 weeks today and just completely rolled over onto his tummy for the first time. He's been ready to do it for the past two weeks but gets stuck on his side, so he has been very active and using energy.

The formula box says he should be on five bottles of 7fl oz per day but when he started sleeping through he naturally cut himself down to four bottles at four hour intevals while he was awake. He was already up to 8fl oz though so above what they recommened.

I'm thinking that doing that might have been what he needed at the time but his recent developments might mean that he does need that fifth bottle bringing back. 

I'm was just about to prepare the 12:30pm bottle now but he's sleeping so he might not take much of it. I've given myself a half hour lea-way though so if he isn't awake by 1pm I will wake him and feed him.

I don't really want to wean early, I've already been posting about arguments with my mum about when and how, so I am hoping bringing back the fifth bottle solves all the issues for now.


----------



## Fern.x

Wean when you and him are ready hun, they do stop putting on as much weight at this age and will stop taking as much my LO was the same but hes a hungry boy and i was advised to wean him at 3 months 3 weeks by the HV. Until you think hes ready to be weaned wait till then hun x


----------



## annie1

rafaella has 6oz every 2 and a half hours she a greedy little girl lol


----------



## Arcanegirl

I agreee the tin is only a guide, my tin says Alex should be having 5 feeds of 6ozs (going by the weight as hes quite small for his age!) but he has 5/6 feeds of 7ozs a day.


----------



## x-Rainbow-x

if you go by the babys weight i think the baby is suppost to have 2.5 times their weight

so Alex is 15 weeks and is suppost to have 27.5 oz a day (he is 11lb) and he NEVER has that much but still puts on weight!

he has between 3-5 1/2 oz about 6 times a day and now goes from about 11pm - 6am only sturs occasionally at 4am but i just put his dummy in.


----------



## Jody R

Well the first day with five bottles went well although it felt like a never-ending day of washing and sterilising and warming up bottles.

I thought he might sleep a lot but he's been very active and he even rolled onto his tummy today for the very first time!

He went down at 8:10pm and is fast asleep and he seems contented. I hope this has worked.


----------



## Gatzgirl

Hi first time on here. My little well big girl was on 4 bottles day 7.30ish 11.00 ish 2.30ish and a split feed 5pm then 6.45. she has between 6 and 8 oz each feed. For last couple days she has been wanting a bottle at 4.30pm then another before bed. She is 17 weeks on Thursday. She weighs 16lb 14oz and sleeps all night 7- 7!!! I was worrying 4 bottles werent enough but she seems to have let me know she wants more! She is putting on weight and happy.


----------

