I'm obsessive, but please humor me

emiliemetcalf · January 2010

I don't even know where to start, so this might be confusing. I guess I will start with my question: how do you feed on demand and make sure they are getting enough to eat?

Tess used to eat 32 oz a day (6oz x 5 bottles). She is stretching her feedings out to 3.5-4 hours, but still taking less than 6oz at most feeds, and her evening feedings are getting closer together, so she takes even less. She has been eating roughly: 6:30a, 10a, 2p, 5p, 6:45p with bedtime being around 7/7:15.

I think the solution is to feed her more oz less times (so 4 bottles instead of 5). Will she eventually adjust to this and start taking more in a bottle?

Can you tell that I like to problem solve by talking it out? It drives my DH insane and he always just says, "i don't know" so I am turning to you ladies. Please help me figure this out! TIA

MelissaSue81 · January 2010

There is really no one answer to this.. I PERSONALLY think that 4 months is too young to be going down to 4 bottles per day.. BUT I also think that 32 oz is a very high amount of formula for a 4 month old.. Eve was EBF til she was 6 months, but when she was EBF, I'd say she never took more than 24 oz a day, and once she was on formula the most she ever took was 28-30 oz, until she was on 3 solid meals a day, now she is offered 24 oz, but usually leaves an oz or two in each bottles so I'd say she eats 20-22 oz a day..

So i guess I think that you should stay with the 6 bottles but let her only take what she wants from them.. at least for a while. We didn't go to 4 bottles a day until I think 8 months.

NikCole · January 2010

Like Melissa said, there isn't a right answer... all of our LO's are different. Here is what works for us...

Evan just went down to 4 feedings a day (nurses first thing in the morning, and 3 bottles of formula) He gets about 21 oz of formula a day, and if I had to guess about 6oz of BM in the morning. When he was EBF, and not eating any solids he was probably getting about 28-30 oz per day. I also let him "lead" on dropping down to the 4 feedings, he stopped the 4am feeding about a month ago on his own. But I never added more to his other feedings because of it.

It's all trial and error! Good luck

mrsoc · January 2010

E:: We are going through the same thing. Just in the past week or so, Evan has been taking 8 oz. bottles...by his lead. He was sucking down 6 oz., so we started making 8 oz. bottles and he is taking 7-8 oz. at most feedings. Because of that, for the first time yesterday, he ended up only taking 4 bottles. Again, I have let him lead. His hunger signs are very clear, and that is what he has "decided". It has not changed his reflux at all, as they say more frequent feedings are better, but he is spitting up the same, but happy spitting. We will see what he does today. We are going to start solids this weekend, as it appears that he is ready.

tab890 · January 2010

Lucie's younger than Tess, but my Pedi told us to let Lucie lead the way. She'll tell us when she's ready for more formula less frequently.

My cousin had her daughter on an every four hour schedule at this point (almost 3 months) Lucie on the other hand wants to eat every 3 hours on the dot during the day, but she sleeps from 12 to 6ish without waking, so I guess every baby is different.

I would continue to let Tess lead the way on this one, maybe when she starts eating foods she'll be ready to drop to less feedings?

I'm obsessive, but please humor me

Re: I'm obsessive, but please humor me

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