Feeding routine, increasing oz.

[LynAnne]

DS is 15.5 weeks, weighs 14lbs 5oz as off today and so is pretty much following (just under) the 50th percentile line. He's been formula fed since birth and has always been healthy/gained weight. For the last 6 weeks or so he's been eating six 5oz bottles a day every 3 hours but we've only recently moved him up to 6oz. I'm not worried about weight gain.

I was speaking with the health visitor today and whilst she wasn't concerned as he's gaining weight steadily she was "surprised" that he was eating 5oz six times a day. Apparently it's normal for babies to eat up to 8oz at this stage. I have no idea if he would eat more than 5/6oz at a time as he doesn't seem particularly unsatisfied when he finishes a bottle.

As I say, I'm not worried about weight gain and if you go by the 2.5oz x weight then he's eating approximately the right amount. What I'm wondering is how to structure feelings if he was to eat 7/8oz a day instead of the 5/6oz? He's fallen into a pretty good routine of eating every three hours (we feed on demand, this is just when he is hungry) but I would like some sort of structure with feeding if I were to change.

Current routine is a bottle at: 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm then he sleeps through the night. If I was to give more at each feeding what is the best timing routine? Currently feeding every three hours works but it does make going out anywhere a bit of a nightmare sometimes.

 

[DeuceMom]

deleted

 

[MindUtopia]

I would just keep doing what you're doing. The timings of the feeds likely wouldn't really change because you increase the amount. He'll still feed on demand and likely around similar times (until those eventually change too, which they will). At that age, mine was probably having around 5oz per feed as well, though more like every 4 hours. Does he finish every or most bottles? The advice that was given to me was to make an amount every time that he finishes about half the time and leaves some the other half of the time. If he's finishing all or nearly all bottles, it's time to offer more per feed. But sounds like he's doing great so I don't think you need to think about it all too much. If he's still wanting more after a feed, start offering more at the same times he's always hungry and you'll see the pattern shift a bit if it needs too.

As for going out, I wouldn't plan it around feeds too much as you can easily take a bottle with you. I used to either make it up in advance if I knew she'd want to eat within 2 hours. Formula is fine at room temperature for 2 hours. So if I knew she'd want to eat about an hour, hour and a half after we left, I'd make the bottle at home and then just put it in my bag. It would cool to drinking temp by the time she wanted it. Or if we were out for the whole day, I'd sterilise bottles and close them up ready to go and then just use the ready made cartons. They're 200ml, so at this point you'll still waste a bit maybe, but never mind, it makes life much easier.

 

[LoveCakes]

I upped my daughters feeds when she started getting hungry sooner. Plus it's only every 3 hours during the day but that is a fantastic long stretch at night so he has to get the milk in during the day. If he's gaining and content relax.

 

[Mrs. MB]

My daughter is a bit older now but we have been on the same feeding schedule since she got on a schedule. She's on 4-hour feedings and eats at 7am, 11am, 3pm and 7pm. She still doesn't sleep through the night so we feed once or twice depending on her.

She's eating 7oz bottles and doesn't always finish them. We set on that amount by trial and error but learned she never eats more than 7oz. Her night bottles are 5oz and she rarely finishes them.

She's eating a lot of solids now but the 7oz every four hours schedule has been in place since she was two and a half months old.