How Much Should a Three Week Old Eat?

follow this link to www.kellymom.com - it has great info and even a calculator to help you figure out how much your baby is eating. i fed on demand and my son is now almost 4 years old and very healthy.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

(imo - babies eat when they are hungry, sleep when they are tired and cry when they need something whether it is a diaper change, a hug, they're cold/hot or just want to be close to their mommy) :-)

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Babies know how much they should be eating! They eat when they are hungry and stop when they aren't. Honestly I wouldn't worry about comparing how much your baby is eating to anyone else's baby - they all march to their own drummers, and depending on how big your baby is his nutritional demands will be very different from another baby who is a pound or two different at the same age. If your doctor says its fine, it probably is. You'll probably notice that at one feeding he'll take only a few, then be satisfied for hours, then take a large feeding and want to eat an hour later. As long as he is gaining weight, having adequate wet and poopy diapers, and you aren't forcing him to finish a bottle (try pulling it away if you see him slowing down or just mouthing the nipple without swallowing) - if he's not finished he'll let you know! -He'll get just the right amount for him.
congratulations!!!

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My son was on a oatmeal suppliment w/ formula by the time he was a few weeks old. I had a cousin that had to have his formula supplimented w/ rice cereal at 6 weeks!!! I think each child is different and you will see that if he gets hungry quicker after a feeding then you may need to suppliment w/ rice or cereal in the formula.

Best of luck and Im sure you will do fine!

I think you are doing ok..6 Might be a little much BUT I only say that because my 3 boys all had tummy/gas issues..so the more they ate that small the more it affected him IF he seems to handle it quite well go ahead. I fed all 3 of my boys on demand also. I never made them wait, I just fed as they wanted it and they have turned out great! You are doing a great job!

I know your bottle feeding, and that's okay. I'm breast feeding mine, and when I nurse, there isn't any way to know exactlt how much he's getting. So I just follow his cues. When he acts hungry I feed him, and I let him stop when he want to stop. But I also watch his diapers. If he's having plenty of wet and dirty diapers I know he's getting enough.

I think the same rules can apply to bottle feeding. Don't worry so much about amounts... just follow your son's cues. If he's acting like he's hungry, feed him. And when he stops eating stop feeding him. Your baby knows what his feeding needs are better than any book or doctor out there. Just follow your baby's needs on this one. And watch his diapers. If he's peeing frequently, that means he's well hydrated, and if he's having dirty diapers, that means his digestive system is getting nutrients. Just relax and trust your baby and your mama instincts.

P.S. There was an earlier recommendation for the Babywise book. Be very careful about this as the AAP has recommended against their techniques and has found that they are linked with dehydration and failure to thrive.
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/1...

D.,

I have always read that babies know internally how much they need to eat when they are hungry. I would feed him and not worry about it, unless you think it is seriously excessive and ongoing. In that case, take him to his doctor. My kids went through many growth spurts and ate much more during those times than normally. I fed my children at will when they were babies and it worked well for all three. None have weight problems and all continue to eat tons at some times and little to none at others.

Good luck!
K.
mother of 4-yr-old twins and a 23 mth old!

Hey, my delicate little flower took 8 ounces every two hours straight out of the womb, I was breastfeeding and was a mess. If you're breastfeeding its not important how much they get, but if you're giving them a formula, there could be more fats involved. Just monitor his height and weight on the growth scale, if he's somewhere in-between you're doin just fine...

Having a boy and a girl, they are completely different. My girl was a slow eater taking her time. Then my son was born. He weighed only 7 lbs. but couldn't seem to get full. I started him with a little rice cereal in his bottle and that seemed to satisfy him to sleep better at night. When he gets up to 8 oz. and still acts hungry, just feed him a little cereal. You can gradually add fruit like applesauce to the cereal too.
Denise