How many ounces of BM per feeding?

mcvgal · January 2015

So DS1 never took 8 ounces of BM in a feeding. the most he took at a time was 6 ounces, he just ate often. When he transitioned to formula at 10 months he started taking 7-8 ounces per feeding. I remember reading online that the caloric value of BM changes, as LO gets older, to coincide with his/her growing needs. I strictly nurse at home but send pumped milk to with DS2 to my mom's. She says he is taking 6-8 ounces now (at 6 months) and he's just growing. She also states that most babies will take more like 8-10 ounces as they get older. I tried explaining that BM can be different than formula. Either way I don't think he's necesarily overfed, he eats about 17 ounces during the day plus what ever I nurse in the evening and sleeps through the night. I was just wonder what other little ones may be taking in 1 sitting.

bullybutt · January 2015

My DCP said that she is eating around 6-7 oz during a feeding session, but her eating habits vary. She might eat that one day and then only eat 4 oz the next. I certainly don't pump 6-7oz each pump session (more like 4-5 oz and sometimes only 3 oz). I was always in total SHOCK when I saw that FF babies were putting down like 10oz of formula. Whhhuuutt? That seams like SO much for a tiny tummy.

BP607 · January 2015

I send 6oz to daycare with LO or whenever I leave him and he seems fine with that. I nurse in the morning and evening as well.

mcvgal · January 2015

yeah I know it has to be different when DS2 nurses, because I am the same way when I pump, about 4-6 ounces sometimes 3. I was off of work quite a bit over the holidays and nursed more. I totally noticed the difference when I came back to work and was pumping again. I got more ounces then usual but it is all balancing out now.

jnnfrrose6 · January 2015

I send bottles with 4-6 ounces in them. That's all I'm producing, so that's what she's getting. I have asked the DCP if she seems satisfied with that amount or still hungry lately since she's gettig older and she said she's content with that amount.
@mcvgal‌ how is your mother determining your LO needs the 6-8 ounces? Does she prepare the bottles or do you? If she's (over)filling them, you may want to just send the bottles with the amount you want your LO to eat and direct your mother to information on paced feedings.

mcvgal · January 2015

jnnfrrose6 said:

@mcvgal‌ how is your mother determining your LO needs the 6-8 ounces? Does she prepare the bottles or do you? If she's (over)filling them, you may want to just send the bottles with the amount you want your LO to eat and direct your mother to information on paced feedings.

I send bags with 3-4 ounces each. She serves 4 ounces and then goes off of his cues for more. She did clarify that she will give him more in 2 ounce increments.

ariel8200 · January 2015

I just started pumping today and have only pumped 3 oz each session and that's what we are giving dd. I'm nervous it won't be enough but we will see. So far so good.

ladytiffany24 · January 2015

mamalacy21 said:

This must really vary a lot because my son has never taken more than 4 ounces in a single bottle.

Same with my DD! She gets four 4 oz bottles at the sitter and that's exactly what I've pumped for a while now so I know my body is meeting her needs. I nurse her in the morning and evening/night and on the weekends. And I'm just fine with it because she just had her 6 month check up and she's growing and developing beautifully. Every baby is different!

argonne · January 2015

DD usually takes about 10-15 oz. while I'm at work. I nurse her in the morning, when I pick her up and before bed. She's still waking for one night time feed, too. I usually send about 12-15 oz. to daycare (I pump about 6 oz. max per session, usually 3-5oz.). My DCP has three bags of frozen for back-up, but DD doesn't usually get too angry when she runs out of fresh early.

I've noticed that my BM has a lot more fat on the top of it now than it did when she was little.

melissaquinn106 · January 2015

I believe I read on kellymom that a good estimate for a 6 month baby is 25-30 oz of breastmilk a day divided by how many feedings will give you a starting point of how much to leave for bottle.

We do 5 feedings a day. Weekdays I can nurse 2 feedings and leave 3 5 oz bottles. Weekends I nurse. She also eats 3 oz twice a day of fruit or veggie with cereal. I was thinking of increasing the solids in a month to include protein and 3 solid feedings. I have 10 5oz freezer bags and I pump exactly the amount I need. My mom watches DD and she has one extra bag at her place.

But she definitely is nursing differently. She's getting more and more distracted and I now nurse from both sides. I get about 8 min on each side if I'm lucky before she's too distracted to continue.

alohababy14 · January 2015

ladytiffany24 said:

mamalacy21 said:

This must really vary a lot because my son has never taken more than 4 ounces in a single bottle.

Same with my DD! She gets four 4 oz bottles at the sitter and that's exactly what I've pumped for a while now so I know my body is meeting her needs. I nurse her in the morning and evening/night and on the weekends. And I'm just fine with it because she just had her 6 month check up and she's growing and developing beautifully. Every baby is different!

Quote fail---
I was thinking the same! I give DS a 4 oz bottle before bed. I tried giving him 5 oz once and he projectile vomited everywhere.

BP607 · January 2015

argonne said:

DD usually takes about 10-15 oz. while I'm at work. I nurse her in the morning, when I pick her up and before bed. She's still waking for one night time feed, too. I usually send about 12-15 oz. to daycare (I pump about 6 oz. max per session, usually 3-5oz.). My DCP has three bags of frozen for back-up, but DD doesn't usually get too angry when she runs out of fresh early.

I've noticed that my BM has a lot more fat on the top of it now than it did when she was little.

This. It seems like what I pump looks really thick and creamy compared to sometimes watery like it had been in the past.

lowen83 · January 2015

DS2 is eating 2-3 5.5-6 oz bottles a day at 6 months old. I nurse am, pm and throughout the night (usually once but sometimes twice a night.) I pump around 16-18 oz a day at work.

DS 1 was on formula by about 8-9 months old and he never ate more then 6 oz of BM for formula at time.

honeybee434 · January 2015

DD eats around 9-13 oz of BM while I'm at work. I hate days when she is on the lower end because that means more nursing at night even though I've pumped enough during the day to cover what she should eat. She usually doesn't take more than 4 oz of a bottle at a time, usually closer to 3.

1982Babies · January 2015

bullybutt said:

My DCP said that she is eating around 6-7 oz during a feeding session, but her eating habits vary. She might eat that one day and then only eat 4 oz the next. I certainly don't pump 6-7oz each pump session (more like 4-5 oz and sometimes only 3 oz). I was always in total SHOCK when I saw that FF babies were putting down like 10oz of formula. Whhhuuutt? That seams like SO much for a tiny tummy.

Yeah, pretty much this.

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