How do you know how much BM baby is getting if you BF vs. formula feed?

Richardsmom_817 · March 2014

Some kids come home from hospital & do 2-3 oz of formula per feeding..my last child did 5-6 oz per feeding of formula when she came home, big eater

But when you are BF'ing, there is no way to know how much they are getting during each feeding....I don't think they take in that much BM do they?

linzeek44 · March 2014

One big difference is that with BFing your baby might take 6 ounces during the morning nursing session and only two ounces in the afternoon. You don't "know" unless you do weighted feeds by weighing on a very sensitive scale before and after a session.

Generally when we think of BFing amounts, we're basing it on an average from research. I've been BFing for 18 months and never know how much he is taking in, just that he has dirty diapers and is gaining.

From Kellymom:

The research tells us that exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. Different babies take in different amounts of milk; a typical range of milk intakes is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day).

mommatotwo2 · March 2014

Well, first of all, 5-6 ounces of formula is a LOT of formula for a newborn!

There is no way to "know" how much breastmilk your baby is getting. The average mom produces about an ounce per hour. The way to know they are getting enough is if they are having plenty of wet diapers and are gaining weight well. It can be concerning for a mom who has formula fed older children (I know firsthand, my first was formula fed, this one EBF).