Back to work. How much should my LO be eating? Help!

[MamaBunny2]

I have been back to work for a few weeks now and there's been such confusion and stress over how much breast milk my baby is and should be taking from a bottle while I'm away. Numerous websites and Facebook support groups say 1-1.5 ounces for every hour away. I'm gone for a total of 8 hours, so I've been leaving 12 ounces (8 x 1.5 = 12) as a maximum. I've also been researching the amount at each feed baby should be taking for his age and have found that to be around 3-4 ounces. Well, OH's grandma had given our son a total of 6 ounces in one sitting when he was just six weeks old. His mom has been giving him quite a bit as well when feeding. We have instructed caregivers to start with a three ounce bottle and if baby is fussy afterwards to try soothing him for 5-10 minutes before giving another ounce of milk. This doesn't seem to be happening, as his mom gave our son a three ounce bottle... then another ounce... then the half ounce or so that I had quickly manually pumped this morning (my son woke up a few minutes in so I stopped). I try to nurse just before I have to leave for work but if the timing is off or he won't wake up I manually pump to prevent engorgement at work before my pump break. Anyways... is there a right or wrong way to this? I pump more than enough milk for him while away and have a stash in my freezer. Can he be fed as much as he wants while I'm away? I nurse on demand when I am home. Will him being possibly overfed while I'm away disrupt his need to breastfeed in the evenings? Thanks in advance!

My sweet baby boy

 

[gingmg]

Look up 'paced bottle feeding' and teach your caregivers to do the same. My son has never had more than 3-4 ounces in one sitting from a bottle. 6 sounds like a lot for a breastfed baby.

You should always use the slowest flow nipple, even as they get older. If they hold the bottle more horizontal (just making sure the nipple is full of milk and not air) it will encourage your baby to work a bit to get the milk out, just like they have to at your breast. It will take longer to finish the bottle and they will realize they are full without needing the extra ounces that happens when people give a breast fed baby a bottle too quickly- their brains haven't caught up with their stomachs.

 

[gingmg]

There is also a link on kellymom. com that has a formula to figure out how many ounces your breastfed baby needs in a bottle. It factors in how often your baby feeds and will give you a rough estimate of how many ounces your particular baby needs.

 

[tulip1975]

Mine is at day care 9 hours per day. He's always had 3 bottles (I used to pack 4, but a 4th feeding never happened). I started with 4 oz per bottle (sometimes he only drank 3) and then he worked his way up to 5 oz then 6. At 6 months, he has 6oz in his first two bottles, and 4oz with his third.