question for bfing mommies

jjilly7

I have only ff my LO...by friend who has a 6 month old has bf'd and has gone back to work. How much BM are you leaving for your LO for the full day? She has only left 6 ounces for the full day, and today only 4.5 ounces.

I know that is not enough, especially since my LO eats 5-6 ounces every 3 hours, but wasn't sure if it was different for a BF baby?

kaylakaylakayla

I very rarely give Liam a bottle, but when he has had one in the past - he can eat 5-6 ounces at one feeding. If I were working (say an 8 hour shift), I would probably be leaving 12 ounces at least for the day to make sure he got what he needed. But I know it differs from baby to baby..

Is she not producing enough to leave more? Maybe she should look into leaving some formula with the care provider, it does not sound like enough to me.. 

mcp

My ds eats 6 oz every 3 hours while at daycare.  It's mostly breastmilk, with a little bit of formula mixed in.  Even though every baby is different, that sounds like way too little milk.  Are you watching the baby for her, or is the baby in daycare?

tyke29

My LO eats 3 - 6.5oz bottles a day at daycare.  He eats about every 3 hours. 

jrolls79

That's not near enough for the entire day. I don't always work 8 hrs so I leave a 6oz bottle for every 4 hours plus a bottle of baby food. I usually leave an extra bottle in case I am running late or if she is hungrier than usual.

ashnoelle

I can't imagine that being enough milk. I only leave 3-6 oz for a whole day at work, but that's because the rest she gets is formula. I can't pump enough milk. Maybe that is what she's doing as well?

Aloe0l

BM is completely different in composition than formula.  It changes over time in order to fit the baby's needs.  You do not need to keep increasing the # of ounces you send because of these changes.  A woman's body adapts to the baby.  Usually whatever they take around 3 months is what it will stay at for the rest of the time they are EBF.

I only send 2 bottles, one 3oz and the other 4oz.  I nurse DD over lunch.  I always send an extra 2-3oz in case she is having a "hungry" day that was unanticipated.

Some breastfed babies only need 3oz per feeding until they are weened.  Some do take 5-6oz bottles.  It varies totaly by baby and by mom.  Everyone's milk is different. 

jjilly7

Her sister is watching him today, but she has someone different 3 times a week..so her sister asked me what my son ate.

bancbev

The average breastfed baby takes in 25 oz of milk a day.  21oz is on the low end and 30oz on the high end.  My DD rarely takes more than 4 ounces in a bottle.  For the most part she takes 4 ounces every 2.5-3 hours at daycare.  She is usually there for 6-7 hours and I send 2 bottles.  I nurse her right before I take her and as soon as we get home (live 5 minutes from daycare).

Sometimes if I am running late, she will take a 3rd bottle.  I leave milk in the freezer at daycare incase that happens.

Summadaze

Khari has never taken more than 5 ozs a feeding. I've left more and she won't take it all. At the moment I leave a 4 oz and a 5 oz bottle for her. I nurse her at 630 then feed her solids at 730. She has the 5oz bottle at 1030 and has 3-4 ozs at 230 after eating solids. Lately she hasn't been taking the whole 4 ozs. I then nurse her at 630 and feed her solids right after. Then I nurse her again at 9 before I put her to bed.

Rachelilly23

That doesn't sound to me that it can possibly be enough. When I first started working, I would have to leave at least 15-20oz of breastmilk during a 7 hour period for DS, and he still had only a 3 oz weight gain between his 4 and 6 month appointments... My supply eventually tanked and I couldn't keep up with pumpking enough for him. This may be what's happening to your friend.

Is the baby average height/weight? Does the baby have 4-5 sopping wet diapers each day? Does the baby get a lot of solid food? If not, that might indicate the baby isn't being fed enough. All babies do require a certain amount of calories a day though. Babies from 3-12 months need 100 calories for every kilogram that they weigh (or 2.2 lbs.) That's over 700 calories for a 16 lb baby. Breastmilk and formula only have about 20 calories per ounce.

JJ1973

Every baby is different and like pp said, 25 is the running "average" figure per day (so divide that by number of feedings). I work full time and leave 3 5 oz bottles for my LO. Used to be 4 oz bottles when he was 3-4 months, then we gradually increased given he still seemed hungry. I've seen other babies drink much more than this at daycare (breastfed babies), but my LO seems satisfied. I encourage more nursing at home (so he nurses every other hour after getting home) to maintain my supply and to make up for his increasing nutritional needs.  

jjilly7

Thanks ladies!

The baby is definitely not getting enough, I just found out he hasn't gained since his 4 month appt. He was a very healthy weight then...........and her supply is very low, and she doesn't want to give formula. There's more to the story than just this --drama, but I am definitely telling her as I type that she needs to give him more food.

Michicuse

Wow, no way that is enough!!! I only BF and I leave 21 oz plus 2 oz of baby food for my 6 month old and she eats it all. Aren't the people at daycare or her baby's nanny questioning her?

Michicuse

Why don't you tell her to take Fenugreek and drink lots of water to increase her supply. Sounds like she really needs to supplement with formula. I don't understand how she could think starving her baby is better than giving him formula?? Poor baby.

InLovewSB

I'm a working mom that pumps during the day. I leave ~4 oz per feeding. Typically, E is fed mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon, so I leave about 12 oz.

Aloe0l

jjilly7:

Thanks ladies!

The baby is definitely not getting enough, I just found out he hasn't gained since his 4 month appt. He was a very healthy weight then...........and her supply is very low, and she doesn't want to give formula. There's more to the story than just this --drama, but I am definitely telling her as I type that she needs to give him more food.

If she doesn't want to suppliment, it could be worthwhile to suggest starting solids??  And ditto to the PP that also suggested ideas she could use to boost her supply. 

I can empathize about not wanting to suppliment when she's made it this far.  Maybe she is just having pumping issues vs. supply issues (where baby eats enough from the breast but mom has trouble getting enough via the pump).

And you mentioned the baby hasn't gained since 4 months - alot of times BF babies weight gain will taper off around 3 months (whereas a lot of times FF babies keep growing steadily), which is normal for BF babies.  But, not gaining at all??? Seems like there are issues which would be a good cause for concern.

Whatever is going on, hopefully it gets worked out!!

JJ1973

No weight gain in two months is a problem.

jlthompson19

Michicuse:

Wow, no way that is enough!!! I only BF and I leave 21 oz plus 2 oz of baby food for my 6 month old and she eats it all. Aren't the people at daycare or her baby's nanny questioning her?

Since the OP stated the baby hasn't gained, it's probably not enough, but like someone else pointed out, every baby is different and every mother's milk is different.  I EBF and leave DD from 6am to 5pm everyday and she only drinks 10oz total.  She's been in the 100th percentile for weight since 2 months, so I'm pretty sure she's getting enough.

AnneUCSB

Does the baby take the bottle?  I ask because my DS#2 and now DS#3 refuse the bottle.  I tried every trick in the book to get my baby to take a bottle, but he isn't going to do it.  So, I work 2 days a week and leave him from 8am-6pm on those 2 days.  During that time, he will typically only take 1 or 2 ounces ALL DAY.  I send two 4 oz. bottles (and my mom has extra BM in her freezer) but it is such a waste of milk because he has never taken both bottles.  He will eat yogurt, finger foods and purees while I am gone and is happy as a clam- never cries.  He wants to nurse immediately when I get home.  His weight gain has been fine (he is almost 19 lbs. at 8 months) and the pediatrician is not concerned about him skipping those feeds for 2 days a week.  I wish he would drink more (lord knows I have 100's of frozen BM since he won't take it in a bottle) but he is doing just fine.  SO, I wondered if this may be the case for this baby too?  

jjilly7

thanks again to all of you..

 today her dr told her she needs to supplement with formula, cause he isn't getting anything. Her supply is near gone, and her  main reason for not wanting formula is basically cause she doesn't want to give up her time w/ him, cause then his father (they aren't together) would want him more. So, ya, not really the most logical reason.  The baby takes the bottle fine, when he gets it, it is basically her supply, and she is trying to stretch out what she has, cause she doesn't want to give up control. She does pump but, like i said, her supply is going. I suggested fenugreek, and well, she thinks drinking more water is the answer. So, hopefully she listens to the dr. Oh and yes, the baby is taking some solids, but the dr said she isn't supposed to replace his liquids w/ those, and he needs more milk. 

 again, i appreciate all of your replies, i passed them along.

 

rodiesmum

i leave 15 oz for the 11 hours that im gone

BriannaRN*

This

Aloe0l:

BM is completely different in composition than formula.  It changes over time in order to fit the baby's needs.  You do not need to keep increasing the # of ounces you send because of these changes.  A woman's body adapts to the baby.  Usually whatever they take around 3 months is what it will stay at for the rest of the time they are EBF.

I only send 2 bottles, one 3oz and the other 4oz.  I nurse DD over lunch.  I always send an extra 2-3oz in case she is having a "hungry" day that was unanticipated.

Some breastfed babies only need 3oz per feeding until they are weened.  Some do take 5-6oz bottles.  It varies totaly by baby and by mom.  Everyone's milk is different.