Baby drinking a lot of formula - can I feed him too much?

[Maisie2019]

DS is almost 5 months and at least 19-20lb, not had him weighed for a few weeks. He has reflux and could only manage 5oz bottles until now but he is draining them and wanting more. He currently has 5oz every 3 hours so including a dream feed and 1 night feed he’s having 7x5oz.
If I up him to 6oz he could potentially be having 42oz in 24 hours if he stayed on every 3 hours. Is this too much??? I will add we are early weaning on paediatrician advice so he is having some solids too although I know they are not as calorific as milk and milk is main source of nutrition etc. He is definitely having enough milk in the day but isn’t dropping his night feed yet which is fine. But do we think he might go a bit longer in between feeds if I increase to 6oz as I am slightly worried about over feeding??? I’m inclined to just go with what he needs and wants rather than worry about amounts of ounces.

I think it’s completely normal at 5 months that milk stops filling them up. Solids in the end aren’t less calorific once he starts on roast dinners etc. I assume you are just giving veg from what you said for now - in which case can you move into more roasted root veg type?

FWIW my two girls drank vastly different amounts of formula throughout their milk phase. Dd1 seemed to hardly drink any whereas dd2 would drink up to a litre in a day 😂. They are both completely normal sized (and slim) and in fact dd2 now at 11 is on the small side for her age. i wouldn’t take any notice of that ‘recommended’ guff on the can.

Just re read - 5oz is nothing. I’m sure the bottles are 8 aren’t they? By the time they were 5 months I made up full bottles for both of them. I’m sure dd2 drank 5oz by the time she was about 3 weeks old.

You might find if hes taking Larger bottles he wants them less often
You need to get him weighed too

He should be having 2.5 floz per pound in weight in 24 hours so it sounds as if you are underfeeding him. If he's draining 5 floz, up to 6 floz and if he drains those, up to 7 floz.

Agree 5oz is tiny for 5 months. Increase to 6 or 7oz and you should be able to go closer to 4hrs and maybe longer overnight,

And yes you need to weigh him!

I agree, make up bigger bottles! He won't eat every three hours if he's full up from the last one.

Agreed, make up bigger feeds. My LO is 3 months and is taking around 6oz at every feed (as recommended on the formula packet - although only a guide). Sometimes she’ll drink more, other times less. She typically takes 6-7 feeds in 24 hours and has breaks of 3.5 hrs to 6.5hrs between feeds (fed on demand). I always been told and read that if they’re draining the bottle at every feed it’s time to up the amount.

I think feeding on demand is the way to go. The problem is there is an urban myth that babies don’t self regulate on formula and so it needs to be limited. The vast majority absolutely do with no issues at all. I know mumsnet hates health visitors but when at at a month or so old tiny dd2 drank a litre in a day that’s what I was told. For some reason she needed more milk than her similarly sized sister 🤷🏻‍♀️, the health visitor was right. She stayed on the 25th centile till 6 months.

It may be more common that they overeat in comparison to breastfeeding, or babies that don’t self regulate well at all are more likely to end up on formula. But most babies take what they need.

Thanks ladies. He has only been having 5oz because of his reflux he struggles to keep down more than that in one go and gets a bad tummy. But now he is draining them I’m hoping that 6oz will satisfy him better and he will be able to go a bit longer. When he was tiny we had to do the little and often feeding because of the reflux and I think he has kind of got used to smaller more regular feeds. He is my first so it’s a bit of a minefield, and the formula packet confused me as well as it says 5oz until they are 5 months which he is in a week. See below pic. I’ll just ignore the guidance then I think and do what we feel is best!

The guidelines on the packet are just that, they're a guide, not the law

Which milk is he on OP? Have you tried him with a comfort type milk?

@PritiPatelsMaker he is on hipp organic. We really struggled to find one that suited him due to the reflux and silent reflux so when we found one that suited we always stuck with it! Do you mean like a hungry baby type one? My only worry with that is he is on gaviscon so he gets constipated anyway I think maybe the heavier milks might make that worse? I have no clue though ! 😂

@Teateaandmoretea he is having some baby porridge / rice and veg, so far he has had broccoli, spinach, peas, sweet potato, normal potato and courgette. All have made him rather windy lol! Do you think parsnip etc would help then?

@Blossom45 I have just googled cow and gate formula packet as an example (he is on hipp as per the picture) and it says he should be on 7oz for his age! Wonder why the hipp packet guidelines are so low? I feel terrible now I’ve been under feeding him!!!!!!

No not a hungry baby milk, that's the last thing he needs if he's not getting enough formula as it keeps them fuller for longer so can really mess up their feeding.

I meant a Comfort Formula like this HIPP Comfort Formula

I feel terrible now I’ve been under feeding him!!!!!
The guide is definitely 2.5 floz per pound in weight in 24 hours OP, no matter what it says in the various cartons.

This is why PPs have advised getting him weighed so that you can work out how much formula to give

@PritiPatelsMaker thank you I’ll take a look!!! I’ll get him weighed tomorrow we go to a class and they have scales there. I might try and weigh him at home today but it’s not as accurate on my scales. Last time he we weighed he was 18lb and that was about 3-4 weeks ago and he’s definitely bigger now.

The age thing doesn't correlate to the weight of your baby.
Your baby is heavier than the top weight of 5 months.

No baby is the same obviously, and I can understand that you've had to deal with the reflux hence smaller amounts.
Don't feel bad, you're right to up it. That's why you've asked x

Oh don’t feel bad at all! We’re all just winging it! I use Apatamil and it makes it clear it’s just a guide and may differ from baby to baby. I also use the NHS guide which says 150-200ml per kilo of their weight until 6 months of age (for us that does roughly correlate to the packet), but some days she has less and other days more.

@Batcountry8 tell me about it he’s in the phase of wanting to be held all the time my back is in bits 😂 just given him 6oz and he’s drained it! Will do 6oz for a couple of days and if it’s continues I will up to 7oz.

I think parsnip or potato may help a bit. And maybe some beef and Yorkshire pudding or something 🤣, maybe leave that till the 6 months.

In terms of you under feeding him, if he’s settled and putting on weight as expected then you aren’t. He’s just feeding more often, but that’s had to be the case for the reflux anyway.

I think there is a perception that bottle feeding is easy, you just poke the bottle in the baby’s direction and they take the amount directed and are happy. But it’s individual to the baby how they feed.

The problem is there is an urban myth that babies don’t self regulate on formula and so it needs to be limited.

Bingo! There is a lot of shit talked on this topic, unfortunately.

just given him 6oz and he’s drained it! Will do 6oz for a couple of days and if it’s continues I will up to 7oz.

How've you got on with the feeds today?

@PritiPatelsMaker i have been giving 6oz feeds and he has been finishing every single one to the end and I’m pretty sure he would take more! Do we think I should up it to 7oz???

Yes, try him with 7floz

Babies should never drain the bottle, there should always be a little left so that you know that they've had enough