how much EBM would you offer a 6-week old?

[valbona]

hello - about to start trying DD with the odd bottle of expressed milk to see if she takes it, but just realised I have no idea how much she might drink in one go. any tips? thanks

also - should I sterilise my hand-pump after every go or just once a day? had different advice ...

thanks in advance!

I'd offer a couple of ounces and see how she goes. I sterilise my pump after every time I use it - but am not expressing every day, and certainly never more than once a day

At 6 weeks mine would drink about 4 or 5 oz at a feed. I always sterilised my pump after each use.

i have to express for my 6 week old when i am at college 1 day a week.
he is offered 3 oz at a time when i am not there and i store it in that amount to avoid wastage.
i don't sterlize my pump between uses because there is not the facilities at college so just put the funnel bit in a sandwich bag and it goes in the fridge along with the expressed milk. i do use a new sandwich bag after every use which throuhout the day could be 3/4 times.

HTH.

My DS was on just over 5onz of EBM at 6 weeks.
If I was you, I would express off about 4 onz and see how much she takes. If she finishes 4 off then offer 5 next time.
I probably sterlise my pump once a day max. But always wash with hot soapy water, that should be enough(theres a post around here somewhere that says you dont need to sterilise at all)

My tips for expressing would be:
*Be relaxed (I get loads more off if Im chilling infront of TV and not watching the milk dripping into the bottle)
*Use pump when still warm from sterlising (helps with the milk flow)

thanks very much everyone! much appreciated ... will try first bottle tomorrow morning (eek!)

Mine will take 5-6 fl oz for a full feed no problem at all(she is also 6 weeks). She is a right little guts !

At 3w DS was on 30oz EBM per day - which I think was 6x5oz.

It depends how much you get each time you express - I could express a whole feed each time so it was no hardship if he left some. If it had taken two or three "goes" to get a whole bottle I would have begrudged it more.

Are you going to offer bottle and then finish off on the breast? If so offer just a couple of ounces to start.

Good luck x