How did you work out how much to give your baby?

[ericacaca]

Sorry... this is all so new to me and I'm just a bit nervous about it all as everyone else seems to make it look so easy.

For the past 6 months LO has been EBF but as from a previous post I'm trying to FF gradually... But I have no idea how much to give him in a bottle?

We gave him 7oz in a bottle yesterday as his 5pm ish feed but he cried I think wanting more, but we gave him a rusk and he was fine (he's teething).... that came from a carton (I can't get my head around making formula up at the moment - will do soon but for now its just one less stress).

But then when we gave him his nightime bottle of expressed milk he took 8 oz as opposed to the usual 9oz (I have no idea how much he takes through the day because of BF).

I keep on seeing schedules of Mums giving babies 7oz here and 5oz there.... do any of you do that? And how did you come to that conclusion?

How do I start working out how much to give in his bottle? Should he want more than 7oz at a time?

It would be so lovely and helpful if any of you could give me an example of your feeding schedule. Oscar is on solids now too so that makes it even more confusing! Argh!

Thanks ladies.... xxx

 

[mommy0629]

I make all my lo's bottles 5 ounces. Usually she'll drink all of it except of like 1/4-1/2 ounce left in the bottle. Sometimes she'll only take 4 ounces of it, other times she'll drain it and I'll have to whip up another ounce or 2. There's no schedule to it as far as when she'll drink how much.

The way to do it is make the bottles with the amount lo will most often drink at most, so for your lo that's probably 8 oz. If he drinks most of it and is full with just a little bit left in the bottom of the bottle, that's what you're sort of aiming for. If he's draining every bottle and sucking it dry, that's when you know you need to up the bottles by an ounce. If he's frequently leaving an ounce or more, then make them 1 ounce less.

Sometimes you can figure out over time that your lo will often take less or more at a certain feeding time and you can adjust so there's less waste, but that's not something to worry about figuring out, only if it's a pattern that you notice.

 

[ericacaca]

Hi there, thank you so much for that advice. Last feed I gave him 7oz but he left 1oz, I'm sure he could have had it but he wasnt crying for anymore so I didnt force him with it. I'm sure its just a case of trial and error and for now I'm going to use the premade bottles so if he does want more I can just give it to him there and then instead of faffing about preparing it all. We'll be making it up soon - just when I'm a bit more confident with it all! Goodness I'm such a worrywart! xxx

 

[mommy0629]

Hi there, thank you so much for that advice. Last feed I gave him 7oz but he left 1oz, I'm sure he could have had it but he wasnt crying for anymore so I didnt force him with it. I'm sure its just a case of trial and error and for now I'm going to use the premade bottles so if he does want more I can just give it to him there and then instead of faffing about preparing it all. We'll be making it up soon - just when I'm a bit more confident with it all! Goodness I'm such a worrywart! xxx

You're not a worrywart ..ALL the time there are moms on here who switched from bm to formula and have the same sort of questions. Makes sense because you really have no idea how many ounces a baby is eating when they bf.

 

[ericacaca]

Hi there, thank you so much for that advice. Last feed I gave him 7oz but he left 1oz, I'm sure he could have had it but he wasnt crying for anymore so I didnt force him with it. I'm sure its just a case of trial and error and for now I'm going to use the premade bottles so if he does want more I can just give it to him there and then instead of faffing about preparing it all. We'll be making it up soon - just when I'm a bit more confident with it all! Goodness I'm such a worrywart! xxx

You're not a worrywart ..ALL the time there are moms on here who switched from bm to formula and have the same sort of questions. Makes sense because you really have no idea how many ounces a baby is eating when they bf.

Haha, thanks. The only real reason I stalled FF was because I couldn't get my head around it all and it was just easier not thinking about it! The only time we know how much he is taking is when he has a bottle of EBM before he goes to bed. xxx

 

[Nessicle]

I feed on demand and did with my daughter too. Soon as they started finishing whatever they were given I'd move them up an ounce x

 

[Nessicle]

Also formula is heavier than breastmilk so if he's feeling fuller from formula he would take less ebm x

 

[Laeyla]

I just recently switched my son from BM to formula. He drains 9 oz bottles...has four 9oz bottles at 8am/12/4/8pm. He never really turns away from it like people say he'll do when he's full...but I've heard some babies just don't do that (shrug). Sometimes he'll leave an ounce or two but he'll usually drink it all. I haven't increased it though...I think that's more than enough for him and there's no room in the bottle for more, heh.

 

[izzlesnizzle]

It says on the side of the tin how much is recommended for a certain age, so i just make up 7ozs. Sometimes she drains it but is satisfied not asking for more, sometimes she leaves a tiny bit but the last couple of days shes only been finishing half the bottle. She only had 2ozs on the first morning feed this morning then an hour later had a huge breakfast then only 3.5oz milk at 11am then lunch at 12.30. I think shes deciding to drop her milk feeds on her own and up her solids (we had issues with solids last week in that she didnt want them but she seems to have come through it now). Im going to drop the 11am feed coz a pattern is emerging.

I was panicking about how to make up formula too but ive got a system going now. I boil the kettle in the morning, wait 30 mins to cool, make up 3 210ml sterilized bottles with the water for the 11am, 3pm and 6.30pm feeds. Add formula when shes ready for a bottle. Then in the evening boil kettle, wait 30 mins, fill 2 bottles to 210ml (one for the night, if she needs it, and one for the first morning feed). I was worried about the bacteria not going into a 70 degree bottle and i stressed about it for quite a while then decided everyone else is doing it this way (ie putting the formula into cooled boiled water) and their babies have been fine so thats what im doing.