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Parenting

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Original poster

Formula feeding confusion

16 replies

Angeliki159 · 22/10/2018 01:16

I'm FF my 12 week old.
He's currently 10.3lbs so we have upped his formula to 5oz.
The box says 5oz 5 times a day. The doctor also said 5oz 5 times (his weight x 2.5 ÷ 5(oz) = 5 times a day)

Thing I'm confused about is, does that include night feeds?? I figured it did but that means LO will go 5/6hrs between feeds. Is that right?
On 4oz we were doing 6 feeds:
8am
12pm
4pm
8pm
11.30pm
4.30am

So do I increase the amount of formula AND the time between the feeds? Or keep it the same times?

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VanillaBeans · 22/10/2018 01:32

All my HVs and GPs have advised to ignore guidance on boxes and feed on demand, whenever your baby is hungry, this is what you should do :)

All babies are different weights and sizes with different requirements so if your LO needs more formula per feed or to be fed small feedstock more regularly you should absolutely do that. Don’t worry about what the box says!

blackcat86 · 22/10/2018 01:35

I would only use the box as a guide OP. My DD couldn't survive on 6 bottles a day as sometimes she prefers little and often. We make the bottles up 30ml more than the most she has ever taken in a feed. It was the recommendation from special care and also the gina Ford baby books. Have you tried feeding on demand and just seeing what happens? As a general rule 3-4hourly feeds are recommended but some babies can do a longer block overnight (sadly for me my DD isn't one of them).

bumblebee39 · 22/10/2018 02:00

My son was on 6x 8oz bottles of hungry baby milk by 12 weeks...
Although he is a giant 😂

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LondonLassInTheCountry · 22/10/2018 02:07

Every baby is different...

But they are going on 5 bottles so...

8am.. 11am.. 2pm.. 5pm.. 8pm...

Then baby going all night without a bottle.

I personally would add atleast one more bottle throughout the night...
Say a dream feed about 1am

JosellaPlayton · 22/10/2018 02:09

Feed at least every 4 hours throughout the day, more regularly if he needs it. If he’s trying to drain the bottle then you make an extra ounce going forward (so basically ignore the box as it’s just a guide). So what you’re doing sounds perfect. The box is probably presuming 4 hourly feeds of 5oz through the day with an 8 hour gap overnight. Again, it’s just a guide though! But the ultimate hope is that your LO will eventually take enough during the day not to need the 4.30am feed so don’t space out the daytime feeds any more than 4 hours.

bumblebee39 · 22/10/2018 02:26

I will add by 4 months my son had no night feeds at all and slept 12 hours through the night, but did have 6 bottles through the day X

GinIsIn · 22/10/2018 02:52

If they are hungry, feed them. The box is just a minimum requirements guideline.

Original poster

Angeliki159 · 22/10/2018 06:00

I was feeding on demand and increased when he drained the bottle and cried for more but was told I was "massivly overfeeding him"
Of course if he is hungry before his next bottle is due, we feed him and adjust the times. Just using the times and the box instructions as a guide

OP posts:

Original poster

Angeliki159 · 22/10/2018 06:09

He would sleep from 11.30 to about 6 without a feed but when he woke up he would be desperate for a bottle.
Doctor said to wake him up for a bottle every 4 hours.
He's a really deep sleeper, he doesn't wake when hungry. But when he does wake up he screams the house down cos he is hungry.

OP posts:

mindutopia · 22/10/2018 07:06

Just feed him on demand as much as he wants when he wants it. You cannot possibly overfeed a baby unless you are forcing him to eat to the point he is sick after.

cushioncuddle · 22/10/2018 07:24

Just feed him when he's hungry. You're over thinking it.

blackcat86 · 22/10/2018 07:28

You've been given terrible advice OP. Feed on demand. You cannot over feed a baby as they'll just be sick. Some days baby will be more hungry than others like all of us so as long as they're gaining weight and not screaming the house down then I wouldn't worry about it.

FartnissEverbeans · 22/10/2018 09:19

We just fed on demand at first and didn’t bother about guidelines.

However, when my son was about eight weeks old (maybe younger? Can’t remember) we started offering bottles every three hours. It was brilliant. He stayed on that schedule until we started weaning. Four hours is quite a long time I think.

Sleeplikeasloth · 22/10/2018 12:59

Just feed baby when they are hungry. Don't even look at the box!

At 12 weeks, feeds were every 3-4 hours during the day, going 6-7 hours overnight.. Don't wake your baby for a feed though, that's very silly advice.

jomaIone · 22/10/2018 13:17

Surely you only need to wake baby for a feed if they're very small or having problems gaining weight?

By 12 weeks you should just be feeding on demand unless health visitor or paediatrition has said otherwise. Was it your GP who told you that?

Your baby will wake if hungry. Deep sleeper or not. If he's asleep, he's comfortable, and happy! Leave him be!!

JosellaPlayton · 22/10/2018 14:32

I don’t know who told you that but that’s terrible advice. You usually only need to wake to feed overnight with very tiny newborns or if your baby has weight gain issues. And of course you increase the feeds if baby is asking for more, they’re very good at regulating their own appetites!

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