How much EBM per feed? The same as formula or less?

[Grumpla]

Just wondering if anyone else out there is a full time milkmaid and how much / how often they feed?

Due to endless problems and failures with latching, bleeding, weeping and generally feeling inadequate I now use a pump full time and feed EBM in a bottle.

I just noticed when I started introducing formula (in order to be able to leave the house for more than three hours at a time) that they recommend what seems like a HUGE quantity. My son will drink between 100 and 140 ml but then spits bottle out and pulls very definite "no more milk pliz" face. He wants to eat about every three / four hours hours -more often in the evening. Formula pack says he should be having FFs of between 170 and 230ml, but only 5 feeds in 24 hours.

So should I be feeding him bigger bottles of EBM? And does anyone have any tips for encouraging him to eat more at a time?

Don't take too much notice of the formula packet. You can formula feed "on demand" just the same as you can with breast milk. Your son will let you know how much he needs. I'm guessing it will say somewhere on the formula packet that all babies are different and some will need more or less than it says on the pack.

Ignore the instructions and expect the unexpected where your baby's feeding habits are concerned. You will end up throwing away lots of milk of both kinds, but don't even think about that either. You may also find yourself having to rush to prepare another bottle because the first one has been finished and baby is still hungry. As long as baby has enough weight gain and pees and poos enough, all is well, and there's no such thing as normal, really.

Well, he's certainly a big lad so I guess I will just let him get on with it then. I just HATE throwing away breastmilk. For obvious reasons. Hopefully he will start eating more at a sitting soon. It would be nice to have the rages of hunger a little bit further apart

I can understand why you would hate throwing away breastmilk. Is there some way you could offer smaller amounts of EBM at once, and top up the bottle if baby wants more?