4oz for a 1 week old

[Christinedonna]

Basically what it says in the title. My daughter is one week old today and has been on 3oz for the past few days but today has been guzzling down her bottle no problem and wanting her next bottle a lot sooner than we normally give it to her (every 3 hours). It seems she's spent the day with a bottle in her mouth. Is it too soon for her to be on 4oz? I don't want to over feed her and create a little ball baby or to upset her tummy but it seems like a bigger bottle is what she's asking for

She was only 7lb 2oz when she was born and had gained half an ounce a few days ago when weighed. I'd probably understand her wanting more if she was a bigger baby but she's tiny. Is she due a growth spurt maybe and that's why she needs more? Or do I just have a little piggy on my hands?

They (my health visitor anyway) say to feed on demand and that you can't over feed a baby, even if it is formula fed. That said, my DS wasn't having 4oz at a time until he was about a month old I think. He wasn't a 'hungry' baby though.

My second was like this, he was having way more in a bottle than dc1 did at the same age. Try her on the 4oz, if it's too much she'll just throw it back up. Make sure to burp really well half way through or she could get very crampy.

My 10lb had 4 oz from the off. We were told once they consistently drain the bottle add another oz. Principle worked for us. We also feed on demand.

I was told by my HV to feed on demand. Babies have more hungrier days than others. My son (now 5) was always an extremely hungry baby from a newborn but my daughter not so much. They are all different and just feed when hungry. You cannot over feed a newborn!

Actually you can totally over feed a newborn. If they throw it back up, it's overfeeding. 4oz at 7 days is a lot. I would feed little and often and on demand rather than bigger, spaced out feeds.

We tried 4oz for a day and she just threw every bottle up. Definitely too big for her little tummy, so now we just have to get used to the fact that she doesn't go long without a bottle. I heard it was an ounce per hour..so if she has three ounces she should go three hours in between. She certainly does not. Really unpredictable when she'll want a bottle. She had one this morning and an hour later was screaming for more. Had an ounce and then went back to being content. Which would make breastfeeding the easier option as we wouldn't have to waste formula and she could have as much or as little as she wanted but she just won't take to breastfeeding after I gave up a day in in hospital, I had only colostrum and the amount she was sucking was too much and became agonising. Now my milks in I've tried to get her back on it but nothing, she'll drink expressed milk but just wants it from a bottle. Think I may have to look into nipple shields. Thank you for your responses everyone

Christine, if you are still keen to breastfeed it is by no means too late.

At 10 days, that ship has not yet sailed :)

Can you get one to one help with this?

She really was perfect with it and I've asked my midwife who suggests persevering and nipple shields..nothing really hands on has been offered

3 hours is quite a long time between feeds. I bet you don't have something at 9am and not a drink or something to eat between then and midday. I'd go for more frequent feeding.

I would absolutely keep trying to latch her on if you wanted to give breastfeeding another go.

Lots of skin to skin and relaxed opportunities for her to latch rather than waiting for the time to feed which can become a bit fraught. Biological nurturing is s good way to start feeding.