Feeding Schedule

Hello B.! I have a 3 year old and a four month old. It is so hard to breastfeed because you never really know how much they are getting! It sounds like your little one is doing great, and believe me, he will let you know if you need to feed him more. I think every baby is different. My husband gives my 4 month old 5 ounces of my milk every three hours when I'm at work. We will start to stretch his feeds to every four hours in the next month or two and give him a little more in his bottle. Just let your little one decide how much he wants. It sounds like he is happy and thriving, and don't worry, you are doing a great job!

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OK, sit back and relax about it. Babies will take more from a bottle than they need because it's easier than the breast, so don't worry too much about how much he gets during the day unless he's crying and acting hungry. The only thing you need to be concerned about is if he's gaining weight (although that will start to taper off around this time) and consistantly having poopy and wet diapers. He'll let you know if he's more hungry and your body only take a day or two to catch up when he goes through a growth spurt!

I don't know where you live, but if you have time, you should come by the breastfeeding support groups at Commuity North Hospital. The LCs are great about answering questions on breastfeeding and solids and stuff like that. No need to have given birth there:)
PM me if you want time and location info.

Every baby is different but my 4 month old boy who weighs 15lbs 11oz drinks between 6oz every 4hrs plus rice cereal every morning and night. After he has gone to bed for the night and wakes up in the middle of the night 6 hours after his last feeding he usually takes 8oz then. The children I have cared for have started eat more the 4.5oz at 4months.

B.,
My 2 1/2 month old daughter weighs 13 lbs. She had been eating 4 oz of breast milk every 4 hours until this week. When I picked her up from daycare on Monday, they said they thought she had gas because she had been fussy all day. She hasn't been gassy nor fussy before so I increased her bottles to 5 oz and she is back to my sweet, happy baby. I think every baby is different. Good luck!

Take it from a mother of four kids, ages 17, 13, 10 and 9. The baby needs some food. Do you substitute formula when you are not breast feeding? This is my suggestion. At night, in the morning, and in the evening, add about a half tablespoon of rice cereral to his formula, and introduce him to some fruits, maybe at lunch time. At five months introduce vegetables, and and six months introduce meats. By the time he is six months he will eat all three. Introduce one kind of food at a time, in case he is allergic to one, it will be easier for you to determine which one it is. Breast milk is very fattening anyway but don't worry too much, when he gets about one and a half and start running all over the place, he will burn the extra fat off. Good luck.

If you feed him on demand, you don't have to worry about overfeeding or underfeeding him. Then he can regulate! All medical and breastfeeding sources (like La Leche League) say to feed on demand. You say that you like the schedule because then you know when you can go "live life" but if you are nursing, you can nurse anywhere and pretty much no matter whatever you're doing! Practice nursing wherever yu are and in a sling while standing/walking. (if this is uncomfortable at first, you may want to seek out a support group like La Leche league) Then you can nurse wherever and whenever your son wants and still be on the go. We are a completely busy on the go family and I have only nursed both my kids (completely on demand and no bottles), btu we do it by nursing everywhere no matter what we're doing. It gives us flexibility so that we can actually do what we want, rather than just the predictability that a schedule offers (then you're all tied to the schedule, not doing what you want to do). It worked great for us and is the most recommended form of feeding!

I was like you. Feed my children every three hours or so, breast or bottle. For my oldest, I timed how long it took him to drink a bottle. At the point I went back to work, he was eating for 10 minutes. I put 4oz in a bottle and saw how long it took him to eat it. That was my starting point. My daycare teacher would let me know when she noticed he was still hungry after the bottle was empty. They will act hungry when the bottle is taken away if it isn't enough. Whoever has him during the day should let you know if he needs more added.
I hope this helps.

If he seems to be happy then you are doing fine! Of course you'll have to always adjust your schedule and soon you'll be introducing solids, etc. Have fun!! :)

Hi B.,

I have a 5 month old and she is pretty much just on formula. We try some cereal from time to time but she is happy as can be on her formula. I have been told that she at 15 pounds needs between 30-35 ounces a day of milk. This amount is without food, just milk only.

J.

I think you should not worry so much about a schedule and feed him when he is hungry. This is especially true when he goes through growth spurts. I think that you are giving him too little food ( unless he refuses more.) I would not worry about overfeeding him. He will refuse food when he is full but I think that he might need more than 41/2 ounces every 3 hours, especially in the coming months

Good luck

If he's happy, gaining weight and dosen't seem hungry or fussy between meals then it sounds like his schedule is perfect for him. Good job with the breastfeeding, you're giving him the best start possible!

We keep my son on a 3 hour feeding schedule also and he was considered underweight according to the "charts" but his doctor told us that as long as he was growing consistantly for him not to worry about how he compared to other children his age. His weight was consistant with his height. He was just small. We loved the 3 hour feeding schedule b/c we always knew how many bottles needed to be taken with us if we were going to be out, when he was going to be hungry, ect. Your baby will let you know when 4 1/2 oz is not enough for him. Some babies eat more at younger ages, others less. As long as he's not getting hungry between feedings then I would say he's getting enough. Babies don't usually eat too much. They stop when they get full.

Hi B.,
I saw your message and wanted to share my breastfeeding experience with you. My daughter is now 6 and as bright and beautiful as can be!!! I breastfed her until she was two. By four months I gave her cereal with breast milk and she loved it. I am proud to say that she never was sick until I put her in daycare at 2 and a half. I slowly introduced veggies around 6 months. Also I am latina and we gave her root veggies like yucca, potatoes, plaintains (she loved the ripe ones called maduros the most) and sweet potatoes. All boiled and with little salt. I hope this helps you.

Babies are great at regulating themselves, if he wants more he'll let you know. If he's done, he will stop eating. As long as you're watching him for cues, and he's growing appropraitely, you should be fine.

I fed on demand and I would say at 4 months my son still nursed every 2-3 hours. but- he was 19 lb so he needed a lot to eat. If he's happy then you are great. If he's fussy or getting up too frequently in the night then add a feeding. there is no magic number plus you never know when they are going through a growth spurt. sounds like it's working for you.

You are doing fine.....your son's status sounds very healthy.