Newborn Feedings - San Diego,CA

Why haven't you had his frenulum snipped so he can nurse normally? Get a different lactation consultant - the actual amount of breastmilk consumed during nursing varies with each session because they only eat until full. Bottles give an ENORMOUS amount of food in a short time which does not allow the baby to self regulate when he's full, because of the bottle flow is so much faster than suckling the breast.

Get his tongue fixed, get a better IBCLC and start nursing Momma!!

2 moms found this helpful

What is the Doc doing about his tongue-tie situation?

Newborns/babies, feed on-demand. Not a schedule.
So, your baby and another baby, may differ in intake.

My kids as newborns/babies, had GINORMOUS appetites.
They fed often. I nursed.
Also 'cluster feeding' will occur to. Which means, baby will feed even every single hour. Especially at growth-spurts.

If his overall intake, is sufficient per the Doctor, then fine.
Ultimately, ask your Pediatrician.
Because, only he/she would know, per your baby, what is needed.

1 mom found this helpful

If he's gaining weight and satisfied, he's fine. If you were nursing him this wouldn't even be an issue because the only info you would have is that he IS gaining weight. So, I'd just let him go at his own pace unless he would start losing weight!

1 mom found this helpful

My DD was big too... 9lbs 12oz... and wouldn't eat much at a time. She was the type to fall asleep nursing after about 3 sucks, so I started pumping exclusively. She didn't eat more than 3oz at a time until she was around 3 months, then she started CHUGGING down 5-6oz at a time for about 2 weeks, then dropped back down to 4. I always worried she wasn't getting enough. When she had a checkup around 9 months, she had gone frome being in the 95% to 50%... and her doctor wasn't worried in the least. She turned one a couple weeks ago, and weighs in at 28lbs 10oz... Now she eats well and is perfectly healthy!

~BTW... there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding him from a bottle if it works for you! My DD NEVER had an issue with it, and when she was about 4-5 months old she went back to the breast without an issue. (I found that putting her to breast was a lot more convenient...)

I would keep feeding him on-demand, and ask the pediatrician about it at your next well-visit, just for your peace of mind. :)

He's gaining weight, so he's clearly getting enough. Don't obsess over it. Just feed him until he won't eat any more, burp him, and call it a day!

Your son is putting on weight and that is the most important thing. Don't get so caught up with a certain amount of ozs per day. He is thriving and eating so don't worry.

That's the thing about exclusively breastfeeding a baby - you have no idea how much they are consuming, you only see that the baby is putting on weight. If you were only breastfeeding would you be concerned? I don't think you would be. You would only see that he is putting on weight.

His weight sounds great for a 5 week old. I wouldn't worry about it :)

Take care of yourself and enjoy that beautiful little bundle of joy!

My daughter is breastfed and she only nurses for maybe 10 minutes every 2 hours during the day. We give her a bottle of breastmilk at night before we go to bed and she only drinks 3 to 4 oz instead of the 6 oz the "experts" say she should have at one feeding. And she sleeps through the night. And she's gaining more than an ounce a day!

Honestly, all kids are different and if your son is gaining the ounce a day he should, then he's fine. Try not to worry (easier said than done, I know! I still take my daughter in to the pedi once a week to weigh her because I still have a hard time believing she's eating enough); you are doing a good job and your son is thriving!

I would think that as long as he isnt acting hungry and obviously he is gaining weight then you dont have anything to worry about. Guidelines arent true for every baby, thats why they are guidelines and not musts : )

My daughter was small when she was born 6lbs and is still small. @ her last check up 2 months ago(her 6 month check up) she was only 15lbs 9oz & the doctor was not concerned @ all. I worry sometimes because she doesnt seem to eat the same amount that my son ate. He is a beast tho :) always been a big kid for his age since the day he was born.

I wouldnt worry about it. If it is something that is bothering you tho consult your ped.

Congratulations on your little man!

If the tongue-tie issue is not extremely severe, it shouldn't interfere much with nursing OR bottle feeding.

Ask your doc for a "total ounces" guideline of what is normal. I remember my son taking 2 oz at a time for quite a while...

If your son is gaining that much weight a day I think you have nothing to worry about. My son had a tongue tie issue also and we ended up getting his frenulum snipped a tad. It made a huge difference and I was able to successfully breast feed for a year. Something to think about. It was a piece of cake for both mom and baby!

How long does he sleep in between feedings?
My son at that age woke up every 3 hour on the clock and ate about that amount.
The pediatrician never seemed concern by his weight gain being slow.
I think he has my husband's metabolism: very fast so I think he burns a lot but he was not a HUGE eater and still isn't to this day. He now is 2 1/2, eats moderately, is active, is tall and lean like his dad.
I checked w/pediatrician and he was never concerned w/his weight.
I DO make sure what he eats is full of protein. He'll eat meat and quite a few veggies, select fruits. You get the idea.
So again....check with your pediatrician.