Help!! Changing from BF to FF and clueless

[ethan david's mommy]

Hello!  Hopefully someone can help me with this situation.

I have recently had to switch from BF to FF due to lack of supply.  My lo is 4 months old this week and he usually eats every 3.5 - 4 hours.  In the evenings he has cluster fed but not always.

Here's my problem.  I have NO idea how much to feed him.  I have tried to just let him eat until he stops, but it seems like he never stops. :roll:   He will eat and eat and eat and then if he has had too much he will spit it up.  The most I have given him is 8oz per feed, but I'm not sure if that is too much.  Today he had 6oz at 7:00am, 6oz at 10:30am, 7oz at 3:30pm, 6oz at 6:30pm and another 5oz at 8:30pm.  He is a very fussy baby, so I never know if he is fussing because he is too full or not full enough. 

I feel completely clueless.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Isom'smom]

I believe the amount of formula is roughly figured by another formula.  I called the gerber hotline, and they said babies before six months should drink between 2 and 3 ounces per pound they weigh in 24 hour period.  I think it's closer to 2.  So lets say a baby weighs 10 pounds (for the sake of easy math).  10 pounds times 2 ounces equals 20 to 25 ounces.  Eating every four hours......6 bottles....3 to 5 oz. per bottle.


Your babe ate 30 oz. of formula today over five feedings....sounds like solids are right around the corner.......if he's between 10 and 15 pounds, and gaining weight, you got it right honey.

HTH
Crystal

[Deb_in_oz]

some days he might eat a lot and others a bit less (i made the switch at 3 months and was clueless too!)

my dd is now 4 1/2 + months and takes between 5-7 oz per feed still going every 3-3.5 hours.  occassionally takes 8 oz if gone 3.5 hrs or a hungry day.

unless he is taking more than 9oz at a feed i would npot worry - especially if he is eating 3.5 - 4 hrs (i figure if my dd takes 6-7 oz after 3 hrs you shoudl not be too worried about 7-8oz after 3.5 or more hrs)

[Mariek]

Hi

The standard formula is that they should have between 2.5 and 2.7 ounces of formula per pound they weigh. But like everything else with babies they're all individual and some will have more and some less.

How much does he weigh? I'd try working out how much he should be having (based on the 2.7 amount) and divide that by the number of bottles he has. Then I'd make up those sized bottles. You'll soon find out over a few days if he will eat all of that. If he regularly leaves more than 2 ounces in a bottle I'd reduce the amount per feed then.

Hope that makes sense.

love

[ethan david's mommy]

Thank you all for the replies. 

It seems as if he is falling into a routine lately.  He seems to be taking between 6 and 7 oz of formula regularly, with the odd 8 oz bottle.  He is still eating every 3.5 - 4 hours (sometimes 4.5, depending on his naps), and the total amount of formula is usually between 30 and 32 oz per day.

I guess I just needed to give it a little more time.  He needed to figure it out for himself I suppose    It's funny - when he was BF, I was always so concerned because  I didn't know the exact amounts that he was eating. (I'm a math teacher....need numbers!!!!!!!!)  Now that I can see what he is eating exactly, I worry about whether it's enough or too much.  Will the worry ever end? :roll:

[Deb_in_oz]

when he was BF, I was always so concerned because  I didn't know the exact amounts that he was eating. (I'm a math teacher....need numbers!!!!!!!!)  Now that I can see what he is eating exactly, I worry about whether it's enough or too much.  Will the worry ever end? :roll:

this is exactly what i went through.  i thought all the stress about feeding issues would vanish, but you still worry about the amount - the difference is at least now you can see it.  when i see her take a "full" feed i feel the food question is at least answered and i can focus on settling, etc.

[Tillymint]

Hi Debinoz,

hope you don't mind me butting in here but i'm after some advice! I hope to purposely wean my baby at about the 4 mth mark and i need some ideas as to how to go about it. Did you do it quickly or over a period of time? She is formula fed in the evenings to give me a bit of a break at the moment but i'm not ready to give b/f up completely yet. As and when i want to i just want to know what to expect!!

Thanks in advance
Clare

[SylvieA]

Hi
I'm so glad I came accross this link. It't feels good to know that there are other in the same situation. My DS is know 16 weeks and I too is in the process to give up bf. I started with letting 1 bf/week go, and replace with ff. I was at 2 bf/day 1 morning and 1 night. I just dropped the night feed Monday. It was done so gradually that I didn't really notice anything. It is so hard to let go completely, but I felt like I always had a baby latched on to me. I wish I could of gone longer with bf.
How old is your LO

[Tillymint]

Hi Sylvie!

Yeah it is an amazing site. I probably would have given up b/f weeks ago if it wasn't for this. So, are you not b/f at all now? I've been ff Hallie for about 3 weeks now, she's 9 weeks old and took to the bottle like a duck to water at 4 weeks. I love b/f but it is very demanding and i feel i've given her a good start doing a couple of months. I want to have my body back. Is it the same with you? I think i will do the same as you then...just drop a feed each week as and when i decide to do it. How many weeks until you gave up completely? Is it hard work with ff now - with the sterilising etc? Sorry - all these questions!!! Nice to meet a fellow mum who's in the same situation tho!

[SylvieA]

Hi
I'm still bf the first in the morning. I think I might have a hard time giving this one up though. I might hold on to this one for a bit, incase I change my mind again. But I feel the same as you, It's time to have my body to myself again. But I do like to bf. It's a nice quite time with LO. At first I gave up the last evening feed, so dh would feed him at about 2.5 months. It went on like that for a couple of weeks. Then I let an afternoon feed go, for a few days. Then I started again. It was a hard time because I was so undecided what to do. But the following week I made a finale descision that it was time. And the I've been droping one a week since.
And as for the bottle thing, it's not fun. I've been asking a lot of advice on this site on what and how to do formula ect...I had no clue at all. I steralize bottle/nipples etc...once a week, and just wash in them hot soapy water every feed. I've tried the dish water too. I'm still figuring out what formula works best for LO.But It is fine as I know how much LO is feeding.
One thing I can say is don't give up until your sure.