3rd Trimester
melaniedel
member
Do you need 8oz bottles while nursing?
melaniedel
member
I plan on BFing (if it works out of course, maybe for a year minimum). I want to include H in some feedings. Maybe 20-30% of the time. We will try this right away and if he refuses the breast or there is a problem, I will EBF for month and try again I guess. Anyway, I am so in the dark about how much to feed LO. I know I am suppsed to time it when I BF and mark which breast, etc but how much do I put in the bottle? Does this amount increase or decrease in the months to come? When I start rice cereal at 3-4 months, will he BF less? Any other info would be awesome! TIA ladies!
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Re: Do you need 8oz bottles while nursing?
I always heard that if you wanted to buy fewer bottles, you should skip the 4 oz ones and only get the 8 oz ones. If you plan to BF for an entire year, I don't think you will want to skip the 8 oz bottles.
Also, is there a reason you plan to start rice cereal so early? They usually don't recommend you add this until 6 months. I know their are a few exceptions, like acid reflux, so I'm curious.
It probably wouldn't hurt for you to do a little reading on the subject (try kellymom.com) - BFing is more along the lines of baby's schedule not a timed thing.
DD was EBF for over a year and never took more than a 4-5oz bottle of pumped milk. Breastmilk changes its constitution according to baby's needs at their current age. It's pretty common for BF babies to not ever take more than 4-6 oz of pumped milk per feeding, although some babies will guzzle down much larger amounts simply because the flow is faster from a bottle.
I ask about the 8 oz because I can't imagine pumping 8 ounces! :O
This. We EBF for 9 months and never used anything larger than a 6oz bottle. I stayed at home with DS so he rarely took a bottle, but when he needed to he usually only took 4-5 oz at a time.
I nursed until 18 mos but began supplementing at 6 months due to pumping at work & supply decrease as result .... anyway, we never got anything bigger than the 4oz bottles. and always kept each feeding to 4 oz with more frequent feedings - he also started solids at 6 months so at least one afternoon feeding was also accompanied with a snack (applesauce, bananas, etc.) This worked well for us and was recommended by our Lactation Consultant and supported by our peditrician.
I would go ahead and buy the 8 oz bottles either way. You never know. You're LO may end up being a big eater. Plus, you may have noticed that in most brands of bottles a 3 pack of 4oz and 3 pack of 8oz is the same price. Why not go ahead and get the larger ones?
The only thing I used 4 oz bottles for a lot were my breast pump. The basic gerber brand ones (and similar brands) will screw right on to most pumps. You don't need their special brand of bottles that come with the pump. But in all honesty, you can hook the 8 oz ones on there as well. If you have a great milk supply, you might even need to.
my kids never went above 5-6 oz, which can fit in the smaller bottles fine. I preferred the smaller ones myself as they were easier to carry in the cooler I had for daycare.
BF babies will rarely take as many ounces as a similar aged formula fed baby so you do increase, but not as fast.
The literature I have read states that babies don't absorb as much iron from fortified formula or fortified cereals as they do from breastmilk. It is possible that your instructor is basing the iron decifiency concept on bottle-fed babies rather than breastfed. Introducing solids that early is based on the notion that you will begin weaning by 6 months so, if that is your plan than this will work. If not, read more to find out ways to delay solids and the benefits of doing so.