my 5 week old only eats 1-2oz at a time...

[superbabybobs]

My 5 week old boy only eats 1-2oz a time at his feeds, usually just 1oz before he stops and falls asleep for anything up to an hour or more! He also possets alot of milk and sometimes seems to projectile huge amounts of milk if he's taken a bigger feed.

He's put on a good amount weight since birth and gone from 7lbs 12 to 11lbs so the doctor doesn't seem concerned that he is not getting enough.

Has anyone had a similar experience or got any advice? I thought he should be taking more milk each feed, up to 4-5oz and I'm worried in case there is an underlying issue stopping him taking more of if that's just the way he is.

He can go 3-4 hours between feeds and still only want 1oz at the next feed!

I'm formula feeding Aptamil first milk.

Any advice?

have you tried a faster teat?

or a different milk?

I had this with my ds. However he was feeding more regularly. I upped to a number 2 teat and when he was used to it (need to be careful not too fast for your lo) he took more milk.
He is now 10 weeks and still taking 5 oz and he weighs over 13 lb. In retrospect I was worried unnecessarily. He takes how much he wants when he wants and now I just go with the flow(pardon the pun!) Hes a big healthy boy so I must be doing something right.
With your lo's weight gain I really wouldn't worry too much. Easy to say I know! It will come with time.
Good luck.

You could try both of the above but feeding little and often is exactly what babies are designed to do. FF babies 'usually' go longer between feeds, but bf babies at this age are considered perfectly normal if they feed little and often. His little stomach is only the size of his fist so 1/2oz is more than going to fill it really. Perhaps he's just a grazer.

FWIW, my ds (11wo) is still only taking between 3-5oz per feed and feeds very regularly. He is 14lb so can't be too bad! He was 9lb6born so I was expecting him to be big though!

I think perhaps your worry isn't the amount as much as the frequency combined with the amount?! But with the substantial weight gain he's obviously getting what he needs.

thanks all, he does eat often so probably right that he prefers little and often, was rather hoping he'd go for longer and eat more but I guess that's not his style.

thanks all, he does eat often so probably right that he prefers little and often, was rather hoping he'd go for longer and eat more but I guess that's not his style.

Yeah...sounds like my ds. Got myself in a right tizzy trying to stretch his feeds etc but it never worked to any great effect. Now he goes 3-4 hours between feeds...a little longer through the night if I'm lucky?!?! I'm just going with the flow for now as he's got reflux so uses milk as a way to sooth himself also I think.
Hope all is well other than that....if so you're onto a winner for now.

His weight gain shows he's taking in plenty. I agree - look at the size of his lovely little fist. How much milk could you fit in there

Ime (three dcs) you will always know somebody whose child gets through 50oz a day and still has room for a Roast Oxen or two and you will always feel like shit about it but LOOK AT THE BABY IN FRONT OF YOU. Is he ok? Job done then

My DS used to take 1-2 oz max a feed and it transpires he had terrible silent reflux. Does your LO arch and fuss around the bottle? If yes, it may be worth looking into this further.

If not, it sounds like you may be misreading his signals where he needs to suck, rather than to feed. Perhaps try giving him a dummy?

In response to above posts, I disagree that 1-2oz at 5 weeks old is 'normal' and feeding little and often not only must be all consuming but you must be washing and sterilising bottles all day! If you feed your LO little and often, he will want to be fed like that. Alternatively, you could try stretching the feed time - with my DC, I found a dummy worked really well. At 5 weeks, a baby should be able to go 3 hours between feeds (give or take).

Same here as addictedtofrazzles - DS took 1-2oz max and it turned out he has silent reflux. I would have a look at the symptoms and see if you recognise them. Projectile vomiting and posseting can be normal (ish) or it could be reflux.

Hi my 5 week old baby seems to be struggling with her wind. The docs put her on infocol 3 days ago and said give it up to a week to work.
The thing I’m most worried about is that she is only taking 2-3oz every 4 hours and even then I am having to wake her for feeds otherwise she will sleep longer, She is just so sleepy and sleeps after having 1oz and then I am having to wake her to have more of her feed and to bring wind up.
Has anyone else had any similar problems?

I'm having the same issue and I have no clue what to do...