how do you know how much to feed?

[tikaani]

Hi pretty much says it in the title. My LO is 5 weeks old, im breastfeeding but curious to know how much formula you know to feed your LO xx

 

[cat lover]

I go by the guide on the tin / carton as a kick off point then you can do less / more depending on your LO's personal needs xx

 

[bigbetty]

Rule of thumb is to make an oz more than LO drinks, so when they start finishing a bottle it's time to start making extra xx

 

[whoops]

I gave as much as she'd take. I always aimed to have half an ounce to an ounce left over after she was finished with each bottle.

Another rule I used was to try and make sure she took 2.5 oz per lb of body weight per day, but as she got older and her intake evened out, that rule fell by the wayside.

 

[summer rain]

I always used trial and error and managed to give exactly the amount my sons needed, wasting food isn't allowed in my religion and formula production is quite resource heavy, so leaving an oz in the bottom wasn't acceptable to me, think about how many extra bottles worth of formula are being thrown away or washed down the sink each year. If my sons drained a bottle but were not hungry again before 2-3 hours I was satisfied that this was the perfect amount, it is wasn't enough they would have been hungry again almost immediately xx

 

[daddiesgift]

I started with 2 ozs each feed about every two hours, then baby was still acting hungry, so I added one more oz. and he seemed fine. Now at four weeks he has 3 ozs during the day and four ozs at night since he still acts hungry at night feedings. My son wont keep eating when hes done hes done. Thats how I figured out how much to give him, watching for full or still hungry signs

 

[Eala]

I did the same as Betty - would put an oz more in the bottle than she had been taking. It worked well for us as she liked having half ounces, so she would have say 2.5oz out of a 3oz bottle. For me, knowing that she had taken exactly as much as she wanted per feed was the most important thing.

 

[Loui1001]

When my LO starts draining bottles and still 'looks' hungry after I make an extra ounce. He's on 7oz bottles at the minute and sometimes drinks it all and sometimes leaves an ounce or 2, he's taking what he needs and regulating his own appetite

 

[Supermaiden]

MY LO had been taking mostly 5oz and one feed 6oz. If he finishes the bottle I always offer him another oz incase he wants more, sometimes he wants it sometimes he wants more or he doesnt want it at all. Its always offered though. He now takes 6 or 7oz depending on the feed so I just make them all up 6oz and then some extra put by incase he wasnt extra. The night bottles I always put extra since he seems to take more after he has had a long sleep

 

[shortie58]

We started off on 2 oz but Katie was draining them constantly so went to three four then five oz within a week, basically as soon as they start draining every bottle then you up by an oz.. Now at 19 weeks she's on 8oz bottles and solids lol