New to formula feeding, a few questions

[gorgeousmumof]

My baby is 21 weeks old today. He is taking 5-6oz feeds of Aptimil. Yesterday I was able to make him go 5 hours between a feed by offering watered down baby juice.
I am confused as to how long he should be going between feeds and how much he should be having? At night he wakes.. I feed him.. he has about 2oz.. then goes back to sleep. Then wakes an hour or 2 later.. and repeats. So I either have to offer the same bottle over an hour or 2.. or waste it all and make another one.
Should I offer water or juice in the night? When he was breastfed he was going 3 hours between feeds even at night. And breast milk doesnt stay in the stomach for as long as formula.
I am getting confused aswell to how much water I should offer as when breastfed you don't need to offer juice, but now he's on formula I do?
Should I try and make him go 4-5 hours inbetween and offer juice when he crys before that? As I cannot keep wasting all the milk I am wasting lol.
He is a good weight etc. And is active. We have just had a rocky few months and he has been very unsettled.

Also I just wondered. How do you know if a baby needs to be put onto hungry baby milk?

 

[bathbabe]

just because your FF now doesnt mean you have to offer water. Theres no need unless its very hot or your weaning etc. FF babies usually go between 2 and 4hours for food, i wouldnt try and make them wait between feeds, i would feed on demand. Quite often if a baby wakes during the night has a few oz then back to sleep it means they are getting ready to drop those feeds. x

 

[gorgeousmumof]

Oh. I was told they need water. It's all so confusing. With the night feeds then what would you do? Just make up 3oz feeds but do more of them? Atm I am taking up the water in the bottles and measuring the powder into the powder pots. As he doesnt seem to mind his bottles at room temp.

How long can I use the milk once I have mixed it with the water and powder before I need to throw it away?

 

[OmarsMum]

Agree with bathbabe. 4 hours is the max between feeds & FF LOs dont need water. The average he needs at his age is 24-28 oz but it's ok if he needs more. There is sleep regression between 4-5 months & it's normal for your LO to start waking at night & cluster feed. At night, you can offer him few sips of water to encourage him to sleep through (without the juice). HtH xx

 

[OmarsMum]

& you can keep a used bottle for 1 hour only.