Milk Quantity for a 6 1/2 month old

[dhirsh]

My baby is eating three meals of solids a day- vegetables, fruits and cereal. After his meal I give him his milk. Even though I burp him and keep him upright he still spits up a lot. I am thinking of reducing the amount of milk he takes with his meal, but am concerned as to how much he should be getting at this point.

Thanks for your help.

 

[MLBW]

Are you feeding him your own breastmilk, formula or cow's milk? If you have already switched him over to cow's milk at 6 1/2 months that may be the culprit. If it's breastmilk or formula that he has been drinking since he was born--it may be the interaction with the other foods he's eating (for example if you give him something citrus it may curdle the milk in his stomach and make him have reflux). Have you tried switching to a different formula if it is formula?

About the amount he should be getting? You should ask your doctor about this, but generally you follow the guidelines on the back of the formula if you're feeding him formula. Anywhere between 24-36 ounces a day is the average. It is not recommended to give babies cow's milk much before they are 1-year-old--especially at 6 1/2 months old--even my son is not quite 1-year-old and he drinks goat's milk and our doctor told us that he shouldn't drink more than 24 ounces a day because drinking too much cow's or goat's milk is the leading cause of anemia in babies and toddlers--the milk binds up iron.