FF question

[OooohShiny]

Not sure whether to post here or in children's health as my question covers both areas.

My DS is 4 weeks old today and taking on average around 23 ounces of formula a day (some days a couple of ounces more some days a couple of ounces less)...I'm feeding on demand and his weight gain over the last week was 15 oz and was 8 ounces the week before (so has gone from 6lb 12 at birth to 8lb 8 now).

HV is happy with him and hasn't mentioned anything when I've said how much he feeds each day but both my mother and MIL are constantly questioning his weight gain and why I am still feeding him on demand...and I'm now starting to doubt myself.

Does his eating and weight gain seem high?

When a baby is newborn, as yours still is, the average (rule of thumb) amount of formula milk he'd be expected to take in 24 hours is 2.5 times his weight, so if we do the maths, that works out at a shade over 21 ounces...explains why your HV is unconcerned as this is deffo in the same ball park as what you're saying :)

Strikes me you don't have a prob with his health, his feeding or his behaviour....but you do have a problem with unsupportive grandmas who should stop commenting :( :(

Laying the law down time for you, maybe? :)

2.5 times his weight in lbs, I mean, sorry .

Thanks tiktok...that is reassuring, in my sleep deprived state I was struggling to stop myself doubting my own feelings.

I have consistently told them that all of the midwives I've seen and my HV have had no issues with how he is feeding and putting on weight and not to expect any sort of 'routine' to be established at this stage but they seem to consistently raise their eyebrows at me whenever I tell them this.

They are both in their 70's and I think really that they have no real concept of modern guidelines and both so set in their ways that they are refusing to acknowledge that maybe their ideas of no feeding on demand, having a strict routine and letting baby cry are perhaps utter rubbish a bit out of date.

Shiny, then these comments from your DM and MIL have got to stop....they have undermined you at a sensitive time so you are doubting yourself, and the word of the health visitor and midwife, and all your feelings about how babies need to be responded to.

I do understand how wobbly you can feel, and how difficult it can be to challenge other views, but it's absolutely not right for them to raise eyebrows or make comments...and they need to be told :) What's stopping you from doing the telling?? :)