So boys are all out pheasant hunting by in-laws and MIL is watching my kids. My first evening alone since LO was born. I had a huge cider, it was excellent, so I had another. They aren't back until 10, and I forgot I haven't pumped much today. Maybe those spiked bottles will help LO sleep for more than 15 minutes. Hehe. JK. But how do I "forget" that I would have to pump, home = no pumping, except for that missing baby situation. I do keep hearing phantom cries.
After leaving working at a large academic hospital with pumping rooms supplied with hospital grade pumps and fridges and recliner chairs ((sighhh)) and entering the world of homecare I have become the queen of scetchy places to pump. Random patients driveway??? But of course!! Nursing home parking lot?? How superb!!! Not sure how I'll manage my descrite unrobing once the weather turns and I need a coat....
So I'm a formula mom but, all my friends are here :-h LO has been fighting me on every bottle. He won't take a med flow nipple and only like playtex bottles. He doesn't have an allergy or intolerance, that I know of and I can't figure out what's changed or needs to change. He eats 4oz. normally but starts to wiggle at 2 now??? It's almost like he's just full. Anyone else have this issue recently?
He's 17 weeks. I think.
LO is just more distracted now at 19 weeks... So she will stop eating but if I wait a few minutes and try again, she will eat more. I formula feed too
Any reflux issues? Because sometimes they slow down then too.
We still haven't moved to medium flow nipples, it makes LO spit up!
I would just like to thank the ladies that suggested the cold oatmeal - I'd call you out but that conversation is one page back and I'm too lazy to go look. And I think I remember who it was, but don't want to embarrass myself if I'm wrong. Anyway. That plus the supplements I bought seem to be doing the trick.
Sorry I made a separate post when I should have posted here instead:
Hi ladies!
Baby boy had his 4th month checkup this week. He is a healthy 14lbs 7.2oz baby measuring 26 inches. The doctor asked how much he is eating at each feeding. I explained that baby "snacks" every 1-2 hours mostly 2oz. I can get 3oz sometimes. She said I need to try harder to increase his volume to at a minimum 3oz to 4oz each feeding. Trust me ladies, I have tried and he just refuses to eat more than that. I just changed the bottle nipple from the newborn to 3+ months. So I'm thinking this would help him work less hard to get his milk. But nope, still wants to snack at every feeding.
Any ideas on how I can get baby to eat larger volumes at each feeding? Anyone having similar experience? Help!
Btw, I bottle feed strictly formula.
ETA: I like to add that even though he is at a healthy weight now, the doctor explained that he needs extra volume of food so he can grow.
We had a similar issue. Is LO possibly distracted? Can you feed him in a quiet and dark area and see if that helps? Does he possibly have reflux? In some cases babies will not eat at much as they should because they are trying to avoid spitting up.
@beemaya83 is your ped meaning 3-4 oz every 1-2 hours? That seems like a lot to me? Or maybe I'm trippin'... My LO eats roughly every 3 hours during the day. Its hard for me to tell tho because I both bf and use formula. I'm curious what other formula only moms do. Does he spit up a lot or anything to let you know he is overfull? I'm wondering if maybe you could take a break, maybe 10-15 minutes, and come back with another ounce for him? (Sorry if you've tried that already)
My first never took more than 2.5 ounces from a bottle. We tried everything. He ate frequently.but only took 1.5 to 2.5 ounces a feeding. He spit up a ton as a young baby and I wonder if this was his way to self regulate reflex. Anyway, he grew well and was very healthy. Not sure why 4-5 ounces every 4 hours is better than 2-2.5 ounces every 2 hours. I like to snack too! Shouldn't it only matter what total daily intake is? Just wanted to chime in that my first thrived on this sort of snacking. It was pumped BM but that shouldn't matter.
Thank you all for the input! Baby does not spit up at all or has reflux. I think it's possible he may be distracted so I'll try feeding him in a quiet room. I too thought that it didn't matter the intake per feeding just as long as he consumed a certain amount of ounces throughout the day (I need to check what that is when I find my little cheat sheet that was given to me back when baby was born). The doctor confused the hell out of me. I think my plan is to track how much he is eating and follow up with my doctor.
@hooddoll82@mellymar@henryviii
Thank you all for the input! Baby does not spit up at all or has reflux. I think it's possible he may be distracted so I'll try feeding him in a quiet room. I too thought that it didn't matter the intake per feeding just as long as he consumed a certain amount of ounces throughout the day (I need to check what that is when I find my little cheat sheet that was given to me back when baby was born). The doctor confused the hell out of me. I think my plan is to track how much he is eating and follow up with my doctor.
I wonder if the doc is not giving that advice from a medical perspective, but a life-balance one. Perhaps she's trying to help the baby move away from constant feeding to "meal times" - in which case I'd say it's obviously a nicer schedule and will probably be better if you have LO in daycare, where they can't feed him/her constantly, but do what works for you and LO!
Ok so I found my cheat sheet that was given to me when I came home from hospital. So according to this, my baby needs at least 38.5 oz in a 24 hour period.
@hoodoll82 I think you may be on to something. I'll be with baby for s full year so I don't care if I need to feed him on demand. A schedule would be nice though. I can't force him to eat if he just doesn't want to.
Thank you all for the input! Baby does not spit up at all or has reflux. I think it's possible he may be distracted so I'll try feeding him in a quiet room. I too thought that it didn't matter the intake per feeding just as long as he consumed a certain amount of ounces throughout the day (I need to check what that is when I find my little cheat sheet that was given to me back when baby was born). The doctor confused the hell out of me. I think my plan is to track how much he is eating and follow up with my doctor.
I wonder if the doc is not giving that advice from a medical perspective, but a life-balance one. Perhaps she's trying to help the baby move away from constant feeding to "meal times" - in which case I'd say it's obviously a nicer schedule and will probably be better if you have LO in daycare, where they can't feed him/her constantly, but do what works for you and LO!
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I'm thinking this, too. Cause honestly I also wouldn't think it mattered too much as long as he is eating enough per day. But yes, not having to always be feeding baby or on the verge of feeding baby I think you might appreciate. But then again, like @henrytviii says, I like to snack, and if that's what yours likes to do and it is something that you're able to constantly do...
38.5 oz! That sounds like so much to me! We are getting LO to about 32 a day right now. It does feel like force feeding sometimes! The doc asked us to try to up the amount because she was eating "only" 28 a day. Her weight wasn't decreasing, just slowing down I guess. But I still feel like babies mostly know what they need!
38.5 oz! That sounds like so much to me! We are getting LO to about 32 a day right now. It does feel like force feeding sometimes! The doc asked us to try to up the amount because she was eating "only" 28 a day. Her weight wasn't decreasing, just slowing down I guess. But I still feel like babies mostly know what they need!
Holy! :-O Even 32 sounds like a lot to me! My LO will only eat 4oz formula each feeding, and he eats every 3 hours, so that's 16oz of formula each day. He does get boob juice, too, but I sincerely doubt he's getting a whole other 4oz each serving. And sometimes he might be hungry a little earlier, but most of the time he is still able to randomly spit up around the two hour mark. At this point their stomachs still don't stretch, right?
Holey crap that is a lot of formula. Admittedly I know very little about formula feeding but I have no idea how I could get one of my kids to ear that much. And i do have the biggest June15 baby!!! I get the idea of life balance but I seem to find that when I try to alter my kids to something people think will work better, be it food or sleep related, the stress and hassle of trying to change them just makes things worse. Its easier to go with the flow and let them eat and sleep the way they want to. If he's 14lbs it doesn't sound like there's any reason to force more on him.
How has my kid put on over 13lbs since birth eating 20-24 ounces a day. Maybe he does have a gland problem? WTH?
My guys been eating on the slim side too 20-24 oz a day. He's been pushing the bottle away when I try to give him extra milk. I was excited because he was still gaining well and then he pooped 3 times today, now he's back to Monday's weight... I need to get rid of that scale
My LO eats about 5, 6 oz (formula)bottles a day and I still till try to nurse(my supply couldn't keep up with her). At night I do add cereal to her bottle, because she would start SCREAMING after the first 6 ozs were finished. I hit my limit when she took 9 ozs down and was still hungry(thats when I started adding cereal).
ETA she is 16 pounds and will be 4 months on the 17th. ETA again because the sleep regression is kicking my butt and words/grammar are difficult.
@beemaya83 I'm in the same boat! My little guy is a chunk, he's a thick boy, happy and healthy but eating every two hours day and night. He has only taken a bottle a few times, so I'm not sure what he usually eats, but when he's taken a bottle it's never been more than 2oz. I've tried looking online for information about why he's eating so often, everything has pointed to that babies are just all different and not to worry. I'm glad you shared the information about what your doctor said though, we'll see what ours says in two weeks. Try not to worry! If he's happy and healthy I'm sure he's right on track!
Its 11:49pm and I find myself stalking this comment thread lol. Thank you all for all the comments and input. So, the 24 hour period hasn't ended yet and so far baby has had 32oz and I think that's pretty darn good. I counted the feedings and he has had 8 all together. The formula amounts range from 2oz to 4oz a feeding. So guess my kiddo is all over the place eating wise. I attempted to have him eat more per feeding but he just wouldn't. He let me know he was finished by refusing to open his mouth or push bottle away. So those signs were enough for me to just STOP and take my son's cues.
Each baby is different. My sister has a two month old and that little guy can chug 4oz per feeding. He does take a different formula so who knows if that is the reason.
Anyway, I'll keep recording his intake and see how he does.
LO started stirring at 4a today...so I got up to feed her. After she finished she snuggled onto my chest and fell asleep. She hasn't done that since she was a cuddly newborn. I think she knew I needed this after only seeing her an hour a day (if that) for the past week and feeling like an absentee mother. I don't care that I can't go back to bed...I want to freeze this rare moment forever.
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
LO started stirring at 4a today...so I got up to feed her. After she finished she snuggled onto my chest and fell asleep. She hasn't done that since she was a cuddly newborn. I think she knew I needed this after only seeing her an hour a day (if that) for the past week and feeling like an absentee mother. I don't care that I can't go back to bed...I want to freeze this rare moment forever.
I just skipped my morning workout in favor of 30 minutes of snuggling with LO sleeping against my chest. She was just so cute I hated that I actually had to transfer her so I could get in the shower.
Seems like a few of us are getting some extra cuddles recently. LO has been especially Leap-y the past two days. Yesterday in particular. But he would always quiet if I held him. Just sitting and chilling with mom. Snuggles are awesome
So, I think I'm drying up. I can't seem to pump much anymore (about an ounce after two pumps this morning, omg) and LO doesn't seem satisfied after nursing. It's like she wants more and can't get it. I wonder if it's from feeding her on one side per feed. I've gotten careless about which side we use. Only my left lets down when she nurses so I tend to use that one more. I really don't want to switch to formula, but she can't be hungry either.
@Sjeff0816 I have to supplement with formula anyway, so I was never able to ebf, and I don't respond to a pump for nothing. But I am able to nurse some. I thought I was drying up a while back due to using allergy medications (even tho they are not 'supposed' to effect supply, but whatever). Anyway, I started some supplements and started to eat the cold oatmeal some ladies here recommended. I probably have that for breakfast 4 days out of the week now. It did seem to help. I also let him nurse both sides each time. I try to start him out on my 'bad' side, too, so he is definitely hungry enough to spend more time there.
@Sjeff0816, I second the recommendations for doing some weighted feedings and to let LO nurse on both sides each time. You can rent a baby scale from a LC so at home, you'd weigh baby before eating, then weigh after. That way, even if it turns out LO didn't eat very much, at least you know for sure. And letting LO nurse from both sides each time can help tell your body to start producing more. I always offer the other side when LO pulls away from the first side and she usually takes at least a bit more. I think it helps to offer the other side in case for some reason they just weren't preferring that first side for some reason or got distracted.
You all are so helpful! I'm going to call my LC Monday. In the meantime, I'll nurse on both sides starting with the bad boob. I'll try to pump more too. I might not be drinking enough water. I just realized I didn't drink much besides my morning coffee yesterday.
@rrcameron21 where do you get it & aren't you pumping at work? I've had less supply bc my schedule is off. She eats at 6am, & then I pump at work around 11 & 2 then start feeding her again around 430. What about when you're home feeding LO is there an over supply?
Sorry so many questions. I've had to send some formula bottles to daycare & her teacher informed me today I needed to send 5oz instead of 4oz now, but just in formula. BFing bottles she acts full at 4oz. Weird.
I don't know why I'm just now seeing this I'm sorry!!
I got the lactation plus at target! They have this awesome section in the tampon/pad aisle with tons of good stuff for nursing.
I got it because my supply dropped significantly when I went back to work. As much as I love going home on my lunch break to see LO it's not always because I want to... It's because I have to so he has enough to eat for the rest of the day. Also, my work schedule is not consistent at all so my pump routine is a little different every day. I always pump 2 hours into my shift, on my lunch (or i go home and nurse), and 2 hours before I go home. But, some days I start at 8am and some days at 2pm.
He seems a little annoyed by the oversupply when nursing so I've been bottle feeding him when I know I'm really "full". He doesn't mind.
When I've supplement formula I do 3oz breast milk and 1oz formula. LO loves it!
@Sjeff0816 Looks like you've gotten a ton of awesome advice here. I'd just add not to panic, drink lots of water, check your diet and it might come back quickly. I've had some scary days when I've pumped almost nothing or seemed completely empty all day. I've had 5-6 of these since returning to work in early July. It always bounces back. The two main culprits seem to be my period and poor diet. Had on of these yesterday, plan to nurse a lot today and eat more thoughtfully and frequently.
So I hate oatmeal unless its in cookies but I made granola today. Delicious and easy. 3 cups oats, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt, mix. 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup maple syrup (honey was what recipe called for), 1 teaspoon vanilla, mix. Combine together, add 1/2 cup nuts (sliced almonds, whole almonds, peanuts) and 1/2 cup dried fruit. Mix, bake at 300 for 30 minutes stirring halfway through.
It's so funny watching LO with a bottle. She goes nuts as soon as she sees it. I think she's just happy she doesn't have to work at the boob.
My LO starts panting when she sees one. Then if she doesn't get it into her mouth within about 15 seconds she has a meltdown. God forbid someone would get comfy before they feed her!
My LO will lean his head towards the bottle and start making mouthing motions. He will also hold the bottle on his own and if I try to pull it away to burp him will try to hold it in place. And if you do take it away to burp him... Total fit. "OMG! THE BOTTLE IS GONE!! NEVER GOING TO EAT AGAIN!!! GOING TO STARVE TO DEATH BECAUSE I AM NEVER GOING TO GET TO EAT AGAIN!!!!"
Opinions please. So my guy is ready to sleep through the night at least sometimes but my LC says I can't since my supply is already on the lower end. Would you:
A. Pump at 1 and hope he doesnt wake up early or
B. Wait as long as possible to pump knowing you'll probably have to bottle feed if he does sleep longer. Sub part:
If you do the 1 am feed and he wakes up right after you pump do you try to get him to go to sleep without eating?
Again LC is good with whatever I just can't decide. Help!!
Re: Feeding lo - October
Any reflux issues? Because sometimes they slow down then too.
We still haven't moved to medium flow nipples, it makes LO spit up!
Hi ladies!
Baby boy had his 4th month checkup this week. He is a healthy 14lbs 7.2oz baby measuring 26 inches. The doctor asked how much he is eating at each feeding. I explained that baby "snacks" every 1-2 hours mostly 2oz. I can get 3oz sometimes. She said I need to try harder to increase his volume to at a minimum 3oz to 4oz each feeding. Trust me ladies, I have tried and he just refuses to eat more than that. I just changed the bottle nipple from the newborn to 3+ months. So I'm thinking this would help him work less hard to get his milk. But nope, still wants to snack at every feeding.
Any ideas on how I can get baby to eat larger volumes at each feeding? Anyone having similar experience? Help!
Btw, I bottle feed strictly formula.
ETA: I like to add that even though he is at a healthy weight now, the doctor explained that he needs extra volume of food so he can grow.
BFP #1 12/23/13 MMC 01/24/14 @ 9w5days
Does he spit up a lot or anything to let you know he is overfull? I'm wondering if maybe you could take a break, maybe 10-15 minutes, and come back with another ounce for him? (Sorry if you've tried that already)
Thank you all for the input! Baby does not spit up at all or has reflux. I think it's possible he may be distracted so I'll try feeding him in a quiet room. I too thought that it didn't matter the intake per feeding just as long as he consumed a certain amount of ounces throughout the day (I need to check what that is when I find my little cheat sheet that was given to me back when baby was born). The doctor confused the hell out of me. I think my plan is to track how much he is eating and follow up with my doctor.
BFP #1 12/23/13 MMC 01/24/14 @ 9w5days
@hoodoll82 I think you may be on to something. I'll be with baby for s full year so I don't care if I need to feed him on demand. A schedule would be nice though. I can't force him to eat if he just doesn't want to.
@klkonwi same thing I said! So confused.
BFP #1 12/23/13 MMC 01/24/14 @ 9w5days
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I'm thinking this, too. Cause honestly I also wouldn't think it mattered too much as long as he is eating enough per day. But yes, not having to always be feeding baby or on the verge of feeding baby I think you might appreciate. But then again, like @henrytviii says, I like to snack, and if that's what yours likes to do and it is something that you're able to constantly do...
Edit quote box fail
Even 32 sounds like a lot to me! My LO will only eat 4oz formula each feeding, and he eats every 3 hours, so that's 16oz of formula each day. He does get boob juice, too, but I sincerely doubt he's getting a whole other 4oz each serving. And sometimes he might be hungry a little earlier, but most of the time he is still able to randomly spit up around the two hour mark. At this point their stomachs still don't stretch, right?
How has my kid put on over 13lbs since birth eating 20-24 ounces a day. Maybe he does have a gland problem? WTH?
ETA she is 16 pounds and will be 4 months on the 17th.
ETA again because the sleep regression is kicking my butt and words/grammar are difficult.
Each baby is different. My sister has a two month old and that little guy can chug 4oz per feeding. He does take a different formula so who knows if that is the reason.
Anyway, I'll keep recording his intake and see how he does.
.....I'm hungry now
BFP #1 12/23/13 MMC 01/24/14 @ 9w5days
Hope it works out for you!
I got the lactation plus at target! They have this awesome section in the tampon/pad aisle with tons of good stuff for nursing.
I got it because my supply dropped significantly when I went back to work. As much as I love going home on my lunch break to see LO it's not always because I want to... It's because I have to so he has enough to eat for the rest of the day. Also, my work schedule is not consistent at all so my pump routine is a little different every day. I always pump 2 hours into my shift, on my lunch (or i go home and nurse), and 2 hours before I go home. But, some days I start at 8am and some days at 2pm.
He seems a little annoyed by the oversupply when nursing so I've been bottle feeding him when I know I'm really "full". He doesn't mind.
When I've supplement formula I do 3oz breast milk and 1oz formula. LO loves it!
Feeding is seriously a science sometimes!
Now that's oatmeal I can eat!
A. Pump at 1 and hope he doesnt wake up early or
B. Wait as long as possible to pump knowing you'll probably have to bottle feed if he does sleep longer. Sub part:
If you do the 1 am feed and he wakes up right after you pump do you try to get him to go to sleep without eating?
Again LC is good with whatever I just can't decide. Help!!