5 months - how many ounces?

[alicecooper]

I'm exclusively breastfeeding my DS3. The thing is that DH and I are planning a night out Friday next week for my 30th birthday. MIL is going to be staying over at our house to babysit the kids.

Now we have tried DS3 on expressed breastmilk before, and he's absolutely fine with it, no worries there. But the problem is I don't know how much he drinks when he breastfeeds from me.

He feeds on and off through the night as he usually co-sleeps with me, and I can't really measure his consumption even in the daytime.

So he'll be nearly 5 and a half months old. We'll be gone from about 9pm Friday night until around 1pm Saturday lunchtime.

How much do you think I should express? I've got about 52 oz already in the freezer.

 

[TMonster]

If you have a baby scale, one of the suggestions the lactation consultant gave to me was to weigh just before and just after a feeding to know how much Zoe ate during a feed since they want me to measure.

Zoe is 7 weeks and taking about 4oz/feed about every 3 hours. At 5 months maybe it would be 6 or 7oz/feed?

Each baby is different so it's a bit hard to say.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

I think 6 ounces is a good assumption. If he feeds right before you leave, then every 3 hours afterwards, you will need 30 ounces. I think you have plenty!

As a test during the day you can feed one side and express the other to see how much you get from one breast. Then just feed him what you express so he gets his full feed.

How much do you usually get when you express?

 

[alicecooper]

I think 6 ounces is a good assumption. If he feeds right before you leave, then every 3 hours afterwards, you will need 30 ounces. I think you have plenty!

As a test during the day you can feed one side and express the other to see how much you get from one breast. Then just feed him what you express so he gets his full feed.

How much do you usually get when you express?

I only ever manage to get 4oz when I express. ONCE I managed 6oz but that really was a one off.
He's a pretty big baby though. 10lbs 8oz at birth and he's starting to look a bit big for his 6-9 months clothes (and he wears 9-12 month shoes), and he's only 5 months old. So I'd have thought he probably eats more than that when he's on breast. But I've never really been very good at pumping, even with my other kids when they were babies. So I'm not sure how good an indication it is of how much he eats, just going on how much I can pump. It's as though my boobs know that it's not a baby and they just stop working!

 

[TMonster]

If you really want to be safe just assume 10-12oz/feed which is huge.
how many times a day does he feed?

 

[alicecooper]

If you really want to be safe just assume 10-12oz/feed which is huge.
how many times a day does he feed?

Honestly it varies. Sorry that's rubbish information lol.

Today he fed on and off through the night until I got up at 7.30am, then he fed again at about 11.30am, then he fed again at 2.30pm, then he fed again at around 4.30pm, then he fed again at about 6.30pm, and then he fed again at 9pm ish but he fell asleep in my arms and I just sat with him and he pretty much just dream fed on and off until 11.30pm and then I put him in his bed, which is where he is now.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

I think 6 ounces is a good assumption. If he feeds right before you leave, then every 3 hours afterwards, you will need 30 ounces. I think you have plenty!

As a test during the day you can feed one side and express the other to see how much you get from one breast. Then just feed him what you express so he gets his full feed.

How much do you usually get when you express?

I only ever manage to get 4oz when I express. ONCE I managed 6oz but that really was a one off.
He's a pretty big baby though. 10lbs 8oz at birth and he's starting to look a bit big for his 6-9 months clothes (and he wears 9-12 month shoes), and he's only 5 months old. So I'd have thought he probably eats more than that when he's on breast. But I've never really been very good at pumping, even with my other kids when they were babies. So I'm not sure how good an indication it is of how much he eats, just going on how much I can pump. It's as though my boobs know that it's not a baby and they just stop working!

I know the feeling! I definitely get an ounce or two more from one breast when I pump simultaneous to him eating at the other.

Even if you have a massive 10 ounces per feed available in the fridge (in say 2-4 ounce portions so very little is wasted) then you're good to go.

 

[luna_19]

Bf babies eat 1 to 1.25 oz per hour no matter their age. They don't increase the amount they eat like with formula because bm changes as baby grows