Whether bf or ff. DS is 6.5mo and still has a bf every 1.5-2 hours during the day and every 2-3 at night. Despite all this milk he is still dropping through the percentiles (99.6th to under 50th at moment) so paediatrician has said he’s just not getting the calories he needs. He’s now taking 2-3 (very small) meals a day and has 1 bottle of formula before bed.
I’m wanting to introduce more formula, but not sure how much I should be giving and when - I know all babies are different but I’m just looking for a rough idea to start with until we find what works best.
Any tips or saying how often babies of similar age go between feeds would be very helpful 😊
Hi OP. Bf here. At 6.5 months we were still bf-ing every 2-3 hours during the day (and night often too). At 8 months he can go longer - 3 hours, sometimes 4 as he now has 3 meals a day. He is reducing night feeds, on average I'd say he feeds twice between 7pm-6am. I have a right chunk though - 98th centile and loves his food. If you are worried about weight gain I would maybe add in another bottle of formula?
My bf baby has one 3 hour gap between 10pm and 2am then feeds hourly at 3,4 & 5 and a gap until 7.30. There’s one 3 hour gap during the day the rest of the feeds are roughly every hour to 90 minutes. Baby is gaining weight but I’m struggling to keep up and we are having issues with solid foods.
Sorry meant to add - perhaps lunchtime would be good for formula? I am giving a bottle or sippy cup of milk then some days to start preparing for nursery and I've found lunchtime is the only time he will accept it / when he seems hungriest.
He's just 7 months, he feeds little and often. He was mixed fed from birth due to weight loss but we dropped the formula feeds apart from occasional ones by the time he was 6 weeks. I would like to re introduce formula but he's got CMPA ( or some other issue ) so I can't. I've been told he should be eating solids and there should be bigger gaps between feeds.
Hi baby is nearly seven months, and we have just started to combi feed. She breastfeeds every 3-4 hours at night and first thing in morning. 6-7oz of formula around 11 Breastfeed at 2-3ish 6-7oz of formula between 6-7 Then night time routine starts. Hope that's helped a little bit.
Thanks wilts, when she was fully bf how long was she going between feeds? I’d love to be able to stretch them out but even when I bf him at say 4pm, he’ll still take 6oz of formula at 5pm (he’s shattered as barely naps so struggle to keep him up past then!), then will usually wake for bf at 7-7.30pm. I think it’s just comfort feeds but as his weight gain is so poor I can’t be sure.
Is he def finishing a boob and you offer the other one too? dd generally went about three hours when fully breastfed. She's always been on 50th centile so a little petite but ok. Can you add one more bottle of formula in around lunch time ish- depending on how much solids he eats? Xx
Get advice from your local la leche League, a private lactation consultant or the breastfeeding advice service. I don't think health visitors know a lot about bf based on stories I've heard. Ask an expert.
No I don’t think he fully drains it, I offer the other side sometimes but mostly refuses it, when he does accept it he still wants fed 1.5-2 later. He’s always been that way.
He does have tt that the HV said said wouldn’t need fixed as he had a good latch - I’m now doubting that! Should really see a breastfedjnt consultant but he’s so easily distracted during a feed if he saw someone watching (which he would) he wouldn’t feed anyway.
I’m leaning more towards formula now tbh, I’m drained, he’s fussy and I need his weight to improve. And he has sharp teeth .
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