How much expressed milk in a bottle for 5week ol

[AnMum]

DS is ebf but am trying to give him a bottle of expressed milk every couple of days to make sure he remembers how to take a bottle. I am lucky in that I can express about 150ml (from one side) in 5/10mins (and then can't express any more). This doesn't seem to satisfy him, even though he only ever takes one side per feed. Does 150ml sound like enough or should I be adding in a bit of formula? He's a big baby...5weeks and 13lb.

That sounds about right - a baby's tummy is tiny and doesn't hold a huge amount. There are some great images online showing the size of a baby's tummy over the first few weeks and how little milk they actually need. Don't make the mistake I did of trying to express the same quantity as a formula tub said to make up - breast milk is more concentrated, so feeds tend to be smaller.

Babies often find drinking from bottles easier, so it's a good idea to always go for a slow flow teat.

Here www.deeprootsathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/14483_597206420322888_1231782810_n.jpg

Expressing is usually inefficient compared with feeding directly from the breast so he can probably get more from your boobs than you can express.

It sounds like breastfeeding is going really well for you and your DS, so I'd be reluctant to do formula top ups as it might reduce your supply at this stage.

this page on bottle feeding the BF baby may be interesting.

As it's early days and you're still establishing your supply, be sure to pump at the time your baby is taking the expressed feed. It's really important at its early stage not to miss any feeds, as your body needs to learn to produce the right amount to keep up with your baby's demands.

Nancerama, am expressing literally 5 mins before feeding him the milk I've just expressed so that I don't miss a feed. We're in a pretty good routine of 7 feeds every 24 hours, so very conscious of not missing one!

Will look at those links, thanks all.

There's also a great lazy option if you're only feeding off one side. If you suffer from let down and leaking on the other side from the one you're feeding, pop a breast shell in your bra while feeding. Catch all the drips and then put them in a bottle. You can keep topping up a bottle over 24 hours and keep it in the back of the fridge for up to 5 days. It's a great way of getting a tiny bit more into a bottle without any more expressing sessions.