2.5 week old baby drinking 3.5 - 4 ounces per feed

O

Obiwan

Registered User
every 3 - 4 hours. Does it sound like it's too much?

Doctor recommends a rough 600ml a day for a 1 month-old baby, mine is taking 700+ per day now ... am wondering if it's too much? He is about 8 lbs now....
 
Is it formula or breastmilk? if it's breastmilk, I wouldn't worry. But you DO need to be cautious not to overfeed a baby formula. Breastmilk, it should be fine though. My daughter was on pumped breastmilk and from 1-6 months old, was having around 750mL a day.
 
Mostly pumped breast milk during the day and formula at night. I am trying to keep to 90ml each feed but this week (3rd week) he has been asking for feed in less than 3 hours. Growth spurt I reckon ....
 
The average breastfed baby drinks about 750 mls a day (in 24 hours) but the range is between 550 mls and 1,050 mls. The amount they drink seems to be determined by their weight at one month. Big babies drink more than small babies. An interesting fact is that the amount of milk drunk in a day doesn't increase. So if drinking 750 mls a day at one month they will be drinking 750 mls at six months too.

Best wishes,
SARAH

Sarah Hung IBCLC
www.lotuslactation.com
 
Multiply your baby's weight by 2.5 oz. So if your baby weighs 8 pounds, you'll give him about 20 ounces of formula in a 24-hour period. If he weighs 10 pounds, he should drink about 25 ounces in a 24-hour period. This is only a general rule of thumb. Just as your appetite varies with each meal, your baby isn't going to take exactly the same amount at each feeding. Don't force your baby to finish the bottle, even if there's only a little bit left. And keep track of your newborn's wet diapers: At least six a day should be soaked through with clear to pale yellow urine.

And baby may be hungrier than usual during growth spurts — which typically occur ten to 14 days after birth and at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
 
Yes but doctors are not trained in the specifics of breastfeeding. They also use growth charts that are not in line with the WHO growth charts, so some parents of breastfed babies are being told their babies are underweight when in fact they are spot on as per WHO guidelines. As far as professionalism and qualifications, the WHO is at the top of the pyramid so I would rather take their advice..

If (formula) feeding amounts were on weight alone, then the situation could potentially arise where a baby is overfed (not possible with breast-feeding, but highly possible with formula-feeding), and becomes a little overweight, then is fed more as per their current weight, then becomes inappropriately overweight, and so on....

When the body creates fat cells, they are permanent. Fat cells do not ever disappear, they can only shrink and expand. So having an overweight baby is setting them up for a lifetime of potential weight problems. I BF on demand so my little one can regulate his own appetite..

Obiwan I am absolutely not suggesting you are overfeeding your baby! Sounds like you are trying to follow his cues. But its just something to be aware of... :)

Note: Here is the link to the WHO chart. This one is for boys but there is one for girls of course as well:

http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/chts_wfa_boys_p/en/index.html
 
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Yeah that's why I am watching the amount he takes closely as well. I am exclusively pumping so I know exactly how much he is taking. Now at 3.5 weeks he has been taking 800+ a day. We would give him 90ml and in 2 hours he is crying and rooting again.

Do your babies drink this amount at week 3, can you recall?
 
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