Newborn Feeding - Fortville,IN

I guess I'm not sure since I have never used formula, but I was under the impression that for both breastfed and bottle fed, babies that young should eat on demand whenever they give hunger cues.
If you don't want to worry about how much and how often, go back to the breast, it's so much easier not worrying about it!

MY san was nursed, but also had bottles. He would eat 3-4 ounces every 3 hours until he was on table food. However, every baby is different. My neice was the same, but then took larger bottles as she got older, my son was happy with just 4 oz, anything more would bother his reflux and he would barf.

If you are worried your son is not eatng enough I would definitely contact his dr. and take him in for a weight check. But with him being only a week old, it may take him a few weeks to get down any schedule. I would feed on demand.

S.,

Here is a feeding guide I found online. I have a 4 month old and he has been eating like a piggie ever since he was born, he is now on 8 oz. bottles every 4-5 hours! Just watch your son, he will let you know when he wants more food...good luck, it does get better with time!

On average, a newborn consumes about 1.5-3 ounces (45-90 milliliters) every 2-3 hours. This amount increases as your baby grows and is able to take more at each feeding.
At about 2 months, your baby may be taking 4-5 ounces (120-150 milliliters) at each feeding and the feedings may be every 3-4 hours.
At 4 months, your baby may be taking 4-6 ounces (120-180 milliliters), depending on the frequency of feedings and his or her size.
By 6 months, your baby's formula intake can be between 24-32 ounces (720-950 milliliters). This also depends on whether you've introduced any baby food.

My son is also on formula. In the beginning, all he did was sleep. The doctors told us to wake him up to feed him every 3 hours. So I would say that is probably the longest you should go between feedings. We would just feed him until he stopped drinking. He would take between 1 and 3 ounces at a time for the first few weeks, then gradually it was more. Good luck!

When my kids were newborns, I fed them 2 oz. every two hours. You have to adjust according to their changes, for instance, when you notice he's gulping it down after a couple of weeks or whatever and acting like he wants more, increase 1 oz. You will quickly learn what his needs are just from his actions. I think 2 oz, every 2 hours is a good place to start though. DOn't wake him up to feed him though. If he sleeps for 3 or 4 hours after you've given him a bottle, then let him, and just give him a bottle once he's woken up.

Hi S.,

NB's eat 8-12 times a day. Formula fed babies will probably eat closer to 8 times because it is more filling than breastmilk. At 1 week, the amount is going to be about 2-3 oz.. Does that sound like what you've been doing? You can allow about 4 hours between a feed with formula. If weight is fine, I wouldn't obsess about a schedule at this point, NB's sleep a lot and the times are very irregular.

When my daughter was a week old, she was eating 4 oz. of similac every 3-4 hours, burping at 2 oz and wanting the rest again. She weighed 7 Lbs. 10 oz. at birth. Her pediatrician says the normal is 2-3 oz. However, when a baby is hungy, it's hungry. My child is very healthy. She is 6 weeks old, still on 4 oz. and weighs approx. 10 Lbs. now. All in all, a baby should eat as much as she wants until it feels full. Try 3 Oz for now. If your baby still wants more... add another oz. If he wants less, add an oz less. :) Congrats on the baby!

Newborns eat 2-4 oz of formula every 2-4 hours. It's better to feed on demand though, especially in the first month. That may mean the newborn wanting to take a bottle every hour for a few hours, but maybe only every 4 hours the rest of the time.

My daughter breastfed ever 2 hours, I would feed her until she moved away/fell asleep then I changed her and fed her on the other side until she fell asleep again then I put her down in her bed and the routine would start over again in 2 hours. I would think it would be the same for a bottle. Feed him until he falls asleep or pulls away from the bottle then put him to bed and repeat when he wakes up again.