How much breast milk?

How much breast milk do you feed your 5 month old per bottle?

DS will be 5 months at the end of November. When we are together he is exclusively nursed so it's impossible to know how much he is eating. When I went back to work 7 weeks ago he started with 3-3.5 oz per bottle. He would eat 4 bottles of that size (sometimes 5) while I am at work (about 9.5 hours). He always finishes an entire bottle in a sitting. Recently he has been fussing at the end of the bottles and wanting more so I started sending 4 ounce bottles. He still finishes them no problem and wants to eat every 2 hours. My pediatrician said with breast milk he should never need more than 4 oz per bottle but I would feel so bad if he is always hungry. On the other hand a part of me thinks he's the type of kid who will never stop eating if it keeps being presented to him. I am wondering how much other breast milk mommas are feeding their kids around this age? Thanks!

How much breast milk?

At 5 months, my ds was having five 6 oz bottles of bm a day.

Re: How much breast milk?

Uh, yea at 5 months my EBF DD was drinking up to 5 8-oz bottles per day.

Re: How much breast milk?

How much breast milk?

Four 6 ounce bottles at that age.

Babies that age won't overeat. And there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to ANY baby, so your Ped shouldn't say that. However I've found that Peds have a very limited knowledge of BF, unless they are also a LC.

How much breast milk?

DS has been in daycare since 4.5 months. I give them 16 ounces of BM for 9 hours. I give 3 4 ounce bottles and 2 2 ounce bottles. They feed him between 2-6 ounces per serving.

Re: How much breast milk?

at that age I think DS was getting 6 ounces per bottle and I had him on a schedule - he would eat at 8:00, 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00.

How much breast milk?

I'm not sure why your ped would say that. Maybe because your DS eats more frequently (every 2 hours)? You can definitely increase the amount per bottle. Your son will be fuller for longer and may go longer periods between bottles.

DS is 6 months old and drinks 7 oz per bottle. He has spaced them out a bit and drinks every 4 hours or so.

Re: How much breast milk?

I don't think there is a "set" amount. My DS topped off at 5 oz of pumped milk per feeding every 3 hours or so. It was a bit tough towards the end because my supply really tanked after 10months (esp. pumping).

Re: How much breast milk?

my son takes 5 bottles a day

he starts his day with an 8oz around 6am; followed by 3 6-oz bottles and before bed he takes another 8oz

Re: How much breast milk?

Re: How much breast milk?

Neither of my boys ever drank more than 6 oz bottles every 3-4 hours at daycare. At 5 months, they were drinking around 5 oz bottles.

How much breast milk?

5oz

How much breast milk?

Our daughter is just 6 months and has 7-8 oz. when she has a bottle.

How much breast milk?

very surprised that your ped said your LO wouldn't need more than 4 oz per bottle-- Both my DD-s would take about 5 oz of BM per bottle 4-5 times a day at that age.

Re: How much breast milk?

I am shocked by the number of responses saying their babies got 6 or 8 oz bottles throughout the day! How do you moms pump enough to keep up with that?!

The general rule is 1-1.5oz of breastmilk per hour. And copied 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).

At 12 weeks my LO was getting 3oz bottles about every 2.5-3 hours during the workday and by 5 months was getting 4.5oz every 3 hours (no more than 5 feedings total in a 12 hour day, STTN). I've had the opportunity to do a weighed feeding with a LC's baby scale a few times and at 7mo LO took in just under 3oz from the breast, 2ish hours after last feeding. I did this to prove to his nanny that if he was going to eat every 2 hours he didn't need 4.5oz bottles every 2 hours. I would have failed months ago as a working, BFing mom if I had to keep up with that type of pumping output demand.

If you have the opportunity to do a weighed feed, like at your ped's office or a breastfeeding support group (I did mine at a breastfeeding store in Manhattan), I would highly recommend it to put your mind at ease that you are not underfeeding your baby.

Message edited 11/11/2014 2:34:43 PM.

Re: How much breast milk?

My DS is 4.5 months and drinks about 3-3.5 oz a bottle. The most he's ever drank from a bottle is 4 oz. and those are rare occasions. I send him with 10oz of breast milk while I'm at work and sometimes he has a little left over when I go to pick him up (I work 7.5 hrs).

Re: How much breast milk?

I think he was having 6-7 ounces five times a day.

Re: How much breast milk?

He's 3 months, and when I do give him a bottle, it's usually 5oz that he drinks. Guessing by 5 months - he'll be in the 6-7oz range.