Questions for you formula feeding moms!!

[wifey2013]

Hi ladies, I'm now formula feeding my little dude. He's 19 days old. He's eating and finishing a 3oz bottle every 3 - 3.5 hours (but more often only 3 hours apart). He gulps down the bottle within 15 - 20 minutes and I feel like if there were more in the bottle he'd drink it. My dr did say I can feed up to 3.5oz at each feed but I notice when I give him more than 3 he spits up a bit - but last time I tried was a week ago.

My questions are:

1. Does 3oz sound like enough for the amount of times I'm feeding him?
2. Should I start introducing a bit more at each feed - I'm concerned about over/under feeding him?
3. At night he's feeding about every 2.5 hours - if I gave him a bit more food at night, would he sleep longer stretches between feedings?

Thanks!!

 

[sbl]

I think if he's draining the bottle at every feed then yes try him with an extra oz.
Sure the extra oz may help him sleep longer but it's not a cert
He's still only very small.
Best of luck

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I agree, maybe try bumping it up a little and see how he does. If spitting up is an issue, trying feeding him more upright. Also stop and burp him about halfway through the feed before giving the rest.

Hard to say with sleep, since each baby is different. I didn't change feedings with DD, but one night at 5 weeks she started sleeping through completely. Before that she was up every 3 hours at night.

Good luck, momma

 

[BabyHopes1974]

I would agree with the pps. I will add that my twins are still not sleeping through the night but they are getting there. Last night they slept for six hours without waking and that was really nice! I keep hearing every child is different and it must be true.

(They are three months old)

 

[mel28nicole]

I think by two weeks old DD was taking 4oz. There's no issue upping the feed at all. Agree on the night feeding, it may or may not help. Your baby is still young. Sleeping through the night could be months away.

 

[MindUtopia]

I was told that the right amount is the amount that means you get some left about half the time and the bottle is drained the other half of the time. So if he's finishing every bottle and never leaving any, yes, I'd increase the amount until you find an amount that means he sometimes doesn't finish it.

 

[laura109]

My sister said if there not falling asleep or still sucking when its empty or looking as though there not finished eating , may bee there looking irritated or sucking there hands then put it up an oz. Xx

 

[StranjeGirl]

Mine started spitting up at this time too and I thought it was because I increased her oz, but it turns out she still spits up even if she has had less, so maybe babies just start to spit up more around 3 weeks? I had to up to 3-4 oz at 3 weeks. Not sure about the sleep,but it's worth a try! Mine was waking every 2.5-4 hours at that time, and then all of a sudden at 6 weeks she started sleeping longer. Now she has gone up to 10 hours of sleep (I finally woke her) and slept though 8-10 hours the last 6 out of 7 nights. She does eat a lot in the evening, but she always had since the say she was born - so I'm not sure if it is the big feed before bed that counts, or that i tried to get her on a eating schedule by waking her to eat during the day so I didn't let her go more than 4 hours between feeds, and usually only let her go 3 hours. If she was hungry before 3 hours (like at night) I fed her when she got hungry. Or maybe it was just coincidence but whatever the case I'm not complaining! I did notice that with my first dd, I needed to make sure she got a certain amount of oz during the day, otherwise she would wake for it at night. I think I started realizing that at about 2-3 months. I think 3 weeks is a bit early to do that, but my pediatrician said that once they hit 6 weeks it is ok to let them go at night. Before that he wanted me feeding her at least every 4 hours, with an occasional 5 hours if she wanted to sleep.