Breast Milk Volume

[pebblejones]

I was reading on the back of a formula packet that my DS should drink 210ml per formula feed for his age... He isn't formula fed, he's breast fed, so my question is should he be drinking 210ml of breast milk too, I can't imagine my small boobs can produce so much. When I express I only manage about 40ml, but I think that's because my breast pump is rubbish. He's gaining weight well, following in between the 75th and 50th percentile so I am not concerned, more curious than anything.
Pebble

Breast milk is infinitely superior to cows milk based formula and thus you need less. But you probably do produce that much. I know I can express probably 100ml but DS can probably get at least 200ml out.

who knows??? it's a how long is a piece of string question
not all formula fed babies will drink that amount, lots will drink more, lots will drink less

the beauty of breastfeeding is that your baby will take however much he needs.

expressing is no sign of what you are actually producing tho, a baby is much more efficient at removing milk from the breast

Pebbles Remember breast size doesn't impact on the quantity or quality of BM. Also bear in mind that you might not get out as much expressing as your DC might, especially if your breast pump isn't great.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge will have posted by the time I finish this!

YY re expressing sucking (ha!). Your baby's mouth is the result of millions of years of evolution. A pump is something some blokes made up. It doesn't compare!

Oh, and as Flisspaps says, breast size is all about the amount of fat stored there, not about your milk production capabilities.

Just out of interest - I have to leave ebm for my Ds when I am at work and he seems to drink any old amount, but is happy with much less than formula fed babies seem to need to drink.

He has generally had 4-5 oz (120-150ml I think) for a feed. He guzzled 6oz one day, then the next day wasn't bothered and had about 3oz.

Of course, who knows how much he has when he is bf the rest of the time!

I have to express in two goes sometimes to get the 4-5 oz so he must be way more efficient.

That's interesting, I have heard that breast size makes no difference but for some reason I can't quite get my head around it, all those ml's have to come from somewhere lol. I will have to google the anatomy and physiology of breastfeeding.
At least I know he's gaining weight well, he must be getting plenty.

your breasts are nearly always producing milk
and the less milk they have in them, the quicker they produce it

so, even if your son has fed for a while there will still be milk there

pebble I am lead to believe (by kellymom) that the amount of BM that babies drink after 6 weeks does not change, but rather that the milk itself does change. Formula doesn't change hence they need to drink more with age to continue getting more calories, but there's also more waste. A typical bf baby will have 25oz a day (19-30oz), so its normal for them to only have 3oz bottles up to 6 months.

My LO varies between 1 and 5oz per sitting during the day and there's no rhyme or reason to it.