4 oz vs 6/8 oz bottles of milk

honeydew01

DD is almost 7 months old and breastfed. Since she nurses, I have no idea how much milk she gets but she goes 2-3 hours without showing hunger cues. She refuses the bottle 98% of the time.The few times she has taken a bottle and was very hungry she drank 4 oz. I've never been seen her take more than 4 OZ.. I see and hear other kids taking 6 or 8 OZ bottles (of breast milk, not comparing formula here as I know formula fed babies increase their intake) and it makes me worried that DD is not getting enough milk.
Do any of you have any experience with this?

maritimeme

My DD is very small (13lbs at 6 months) and has a tiny appetite. The few times she's had a bottle she's only taken 2 oz. She nurses only 5 mins every 2.5-3 hrs so I guess that's all she wants. The one time someone else put her to bed she only took 4 oz which is usually her best feed of the day.

Nodoubtvw

Each baby has a different amount of intake. My good friend has two little girls tbat never took more then 4 oz of breast milk, even when they were closer to one yr old. I don't think I'd worry about it, but if you are worried you could always ask you pedi.

flummadiddle85

I believe the composition of breast milk changes with baby. So the 2oz she's drinking most of the time could have a lot of calories too. DS hardly ever takes a bottle too, and I'm pretty sure when he does, it's not as much as when he nurses.

BabyMayinMarch

my 7 month old takes 5-6 ounces of formula every 2.5-3 hours during the day, plus solids.  He sleeps 7pm-8am with no Feedings.

honeydew01

AmyG* said:

The oz of breastmilk doesn't have to increase drastically to provide enough nutrition, because as baby ages, your breastmilk changes to meet baby's needs.  Often the huge bottles of breastmilk that are given, is more due to baby being overfed with bottles being given too fast, too high of flow of bottle nipple, than due to baby actually needing that many oz. Most bfed babies never take more than 4 oz at a feeding, at least until their number of feedings a day drops below 6, when they begin taking in a lot of solids, usually way past 6 mos of age.  bfed babies take in on average 25 oz a day, so if taking in a 6-8 oz in a feeding they only need to eat 3 or 4 times a day, which is unnatural.

Formula goes up in oz exponentially due to the calories and nutrition in formula not changing with baby's age or needs, it's stuck at the same amt per oz the whole time.  so baby takes in larger and larger bottles to get enough nutrition.

Wow this sounds very interesting and you sound very knowledgeable! I didn't know that breastmilk changes over time to give the LO the right amount of nutrients. that's very interesting!!! I haven't really changed my diet since she was born so I am surprised that the milk changes. I just see my friends and family's kids taking 8 oz bottles and was worried that LO is not getting nearly enough..

wittyschaffy

My DD has always been a big eater at daycare and 4 oz of pumped milk has never been enough to satiate her.  She's been on 5-6 oz of expressed milk from 10 weeks on.  DH has given her leftover bottles when I've been home and I've seen first hand that she is NOT happy if you give her less than that.  For what it is worth, we've always kept DD on the slow flow nipple just so that she doesn't get to thinking that I'm going too slow for her when she's being nursed.  We have other sizes and haven't opened them.  

poppyc8

I breast feed on weekends and during the week do 4 oz pumped bottles (he usually takes 4 of those from 8-530 while I am at work). He's a chubby baby and he won't drink a 6 oz bottle of bm.

TexasGirl81

honeydew01 said:

AmyG* said:

The oz of breastmilk doesn't have to increase drastically to provide enough nutrition, because as baby ages, your breastmilk changes to meet baby's needs.  Often the huge bottles of breastmilk that are given, is more due to baby being overfed with bottles being given too fast, too high of flow of bottle nipple, than due to baby actually needing that many oz. Most bfed babies never take more than 4 oz at a feeding, at least until their number of feedings a day drops below 6, when they begin taking in a lot of solids, usually way past 6 mos of age.  bfed babies take in on average 25 oz a day, so if taking in a 6-8 oz in a feeding they only need to eat 3 or 4 times a day, which is unnatural.

Formula goes up in oz exponentially due to the calories and nutrition in formula not changing with baby's age or needs, it's stuck at the same amt per oz the whole time.  so baby takes in larger and larger bottles to get enough nutrition.

Wow this sounds very interesting and you sound very knowledgeable! I didn't know that breastmilk changes over time to give the LO the right amount of nutrients. that's very interesting!!! I haven't really changed my diet since she was born so I am surprised that the milk changes. I just see my friends and family's kids taking 8 oz bottles and was worried that LO is not getting nearly enough..


@honeydew01
@amyG* is the bomb! She always had excellent advise and help. Always!!

Angela814

DD1 and DD2 took a max of 6 oz in their bottles. At 6 months they had 5-6 oz bottles, basically whatever I pumped the day before. Both were 18-18.5 lbs then and just started solids.

DD3 is only 14 lbs 6oz at 6 months. She takes about 4-5oz in a bottle.

swelniak

Angela814 said:

DD1 and DD2 took a max of 6 oz in their bottles. At 6 months they had 5-6 oz bottles, basically whatever I pumped the day before.

This. DS is 6.5 months, weighs about 17 lbs and takes 1 6 oz bottle and 2 5 oz bottles at day care. I pump 16-18 oz in a workday, so it seems right. I second guessed myself when the daycare wanted me to up my bottle size, but be confident in what you know about YOUR baby. I think my daycare is used to formula fed babies and thus the big bottles, so it seems like they aren't getting enough, but they are! GL!