How much do you get/offer at cluster feeds and dreamfeed?

[teacher__lady]

Or should I say what fraction of their usual day amount at each intake. 

DS takes 4 oz. or a little over during the daytime feeds.

At the first cluster feed I gave/offered 2 oz., but I know I should have offered until he was full, right?

At the second cluster/right before bedtime feed he stopped at 3 oz.

At dreamfeed he stopped a little over 2 oz. 

His midnight waking at 4 am he took 4-5 oz.

His morning feed at 7 am he took 5 oz. 

So my question is how should feed him for cluster feeds?  Should I let him eat until he stops? And for daytime and night time to the same?

[fiona1274]

marking as I was wondering the same. I have started expressing and giving to him at night but he seems to take 2-3 ounces. I know he must eat more than that through the day at feeds, he takes an age to take a couple of ounces should I wait for him to drink more? Its about 30 mintues for this feed or should I up the teet size? I am sure he should take more than this. Although when he takes this he has been going through to between 5 and 6 so not complaining too much!!

[Lolly]

teacher_lady - How old is your LO and how long have you been cluster feeding for?

As a rule there should be enough milk in their bottles so they can take what they need and stop because they are full not because the bottle is empty so there should really be something left in the bottle when they have finished. So I would offer normal size feeds at the first cluster, dreamfeed and nightfeed. The second cluster will probably be a smaller feed, but if you have only just started it would be worth offering a normal size feed until you can see how much he takes and then offer a little less if he never takes a full feed. The purpose of the clusters is to tank them up for the night so the more calories they take the better!

fiona1274 - you could try a faster teat as they should take a feed in 10-15 mins ideally. However with a breastfed baby if they can get food quickly from a bottle and discover that this is the easier option you can start getting a bottle preferrence which you want to avoid. It doesn't always happen mind! Another option is a variflow teat which the baby controls by how hard they suck which can be a better option for a breastfed baby taking a bottle.

HTH!

Laura

[fiona1274]

Thanks Laura, was thinking that the only feed he gets from a bottle is the dreamfeed so in theroy he doesn't know its not from me? Will try a faster teet, thought it was taking too long!

[teacher__lady]

My LO is 6 weeks old today.  I started cluster feeding yesterday.  Thank you for the information about how much for clusters and dreamfed.  As for the other feedings, do the same? Let him eat until he stops?  I'm beginning to worry he is having almost 30 oz. a day total and he's only almost 8 lbs.  Everything I've seen says he should be have 19-21 oz. a day total.  I don't want to overfeed.

[Lolly]

I really wouldn't worry about overfeeding - the amount per lb of formula is a very rough guide. Babies are very good at self regulating and they will generally only take what they need - don't forget they are doing a huge amount of growing when they are tiny and there is a big growth spurt at 6 weeks.

I have always been told to feed to their appetite and when they start draining their bottles add another oz!

Laura