How many oz does an 8 week old take - new to bottle feeding!

[barbarab]

Hi there

I am trying to cut down on breastfeeding as I have to go back to work in a month or so and want to start planning ahead on how to get lo to take a bottle and start sleeping through the night as she doesn't seem to eat much on the breast and I never know how much she is taking.

I have started expressing and she struggles to take 3oz at the minute, although for the first time today she took 4oz of formula, although it took 1/2 an hour (not sure how long it is supposed to take!).

She is 8 weeks old, weighed 7lbs5oz and now weighs around 9lbs7oz and I was feeding her every 3 hours but she seems to wake that much in the night and always seems permanently hungry and on the breast a lot so going to feed her every 2.5 hours.

Can anyone tell me how many oz she should be having at this age - I read 27oz was correct and she could never drink that much in a day - is it about 4oz per feed at 5 feeds per day?

Thanks LOL x

[KathrynK]

Hi Barbara

at 8 weeks dd was feeding at 7am (6oz), 10-10.30am (6oz), 2pm(6oz), 5pm (4oz)and 6.30pm(4oz) and df (3oz) at 10.30pm (all these amounts are approx what I remember- I was in a sleep- deprived haze at that time!)
The 5 & 6.30pm bottles were either side of her bath to tank her up for the night- the df didn't really work well for us as she never wanted to feed. If this seems like a lot it possibly is as dd was 8lb9oz at birth and was 11.5lb by 8 weeks!
The "guidelines" say lo should have 2.7 - 2.9oz formula x current weight per day so 26-27 oz is the right calculation based on your dd's weight- but all babies are different, my dd has always eaten more and my friend has always struggled to get 20oz per day down her ds! Don't worry too much about "the norm", you have to follow your lo's cues just like you are at the moment.

You say it takes a long time to feed- what teats are you using? Although we started on the No 1. newborn flow teats by 8 weeks we were on the verge of changing from no. 2 slow flow to no. 3 medium flow! (we use Avent) If you are using a teat which is too slow she will get really frustrated and tired and it will take for ever and eventually she will just give up. It does sound from your post that this may be happening?
hth
kathryn x

[barbarab]

Thanks Kathryn, will try no.2 - luckily my son is on no.2 so can use some of his - you could be right, will let you know.  Thanks, LOL x

[barbarab]

PS Just tried no.2 teat and she didnt take as long, although didnt seem that interested but finished her 4oz in 15 mins instead of 1/2 an hour and took the lot.  WOW, Thanks!

[KathrynK]

that's fab! 15 minutes is pretty good going so she must have wanted it, even though you said she didn't seem interested!
the general advice seems to be that if she consistently finishes her bottles then up it by 1oz to 5oz- she should be leaving about 0.5 oz in the bottom to be completely satisfied
hope this helps
kathryn x

[LŠuren]

Thanks Kathryn   

[KathrynK]

Hi Lauren
hope you & Paula don't mind me prattling on!

[LŠuren]

Don't mind AT ALL!!!