Too much formula?

[FirstTimeMummy20]

Hello everyone!

My LG was 6 weeks old yesterday, born at 5lbs 9oz and is now 9lbs 4oz, she is draining a 5oz bottle every 2.5/3 hours which the health visitor said is too much and we should 'try and distract her when she's hungry'.

My question is, should I up her feeds to 6oz bottles or does that seem a lot for a 6 week old?? I have got my appointment at the doctors for her 6 week check on Tuesday so I will ask there aswell but can't deal with her screaming every couple of hours so looking for advice

Thanks!

For her weight she should be having about 24oz milk a day (weight in lbs x2.5 = oz in 24 hours).

How much is she having in total? What centile line is she on?

Are you giving her a dummy and doing paced bottle feeding to ensure she isn't gulping milk quickly?

Is she having that much just during the day or round the clock?

She is having over 30ozs i would say.. she is just above the 25th centile.

We have tried giving her a dummy but she just spits it out, also we have tried pace feeding but she just cries until we put the bottle back in her mouth and it's just awful.

All throughout the day, she doesn't sleep through the night yet

I mean all around the clock!

Have you got a very slow flow teat? We have a Minbie extra slow teat and it takes a lot of work for DD to drink a full bottle, like feeding from breast. I use it with expressed milk and it prevents gulping.

Also could she just be wanting to comfort suck? Have you tried a dummy after a feed if she's still upset? Sometimes my DD just wants to suck but she'll keep getting milk that way which she swallows and then often brings back up cos she's too full.

Sorry just saw you said about dummy. It's worth trying different types - my DD only took to the Soothies dummies.

@Celebelly The health visitor said we should use a size 2 teat as she tends to fall asleep midway her bottle so it takes her a while to drink the bottle.

We have tried a dummy but she spits it out, we are trying to persevere with this though and give it her when she starts to cry but it's not working.

Go back to the slower teat, let her drink more slowly and take breaks - that's fine. She doesn't have to down the whole thing quickly as that will lead her to drinking more than she needs.

I wouldn’t worry about it. If she isn’t spitting it back up then she is obviously hungry. Could be a growth spurt!

Like a PP said, I wouldn't worry if shes not spitting any back up but would keep the slower teat. Are you or your DP small? Only ask as my daughter was born at 7lb when DH and I were both over 9 and 10lbs and are 5ft 10 and 6ft though slim. By the end of the first month she was 9lb14 and I was panicking that I was over feeding her. Shes now 18 months and still in the 80th-90th percentile now which I think is where she is naturally meant to be and that actually I just make smallish babies in the womb who then grow rapidly!

@Thecaravan We were both 6/7 pounds when born, im 5'2 and a slim build but my DP is 6'1 and more of a broad build so she seems to be taking after him at this rate!

My first dc was formula fed and was weaning before going more than 3hrs between. Mines was taking around 28-34oz per day at a young age, he's now two and just fine.
Was always under 50th centile til around 9/10 months and has hovered just above since.

Take babies lead.

If however baby doesn't seem happy with that volume. Spitting up or seem uncomfortable think about seeing your gp baby might have reflux

Go back to a slower test it sounds like babe in gulping the milk. Also 6 weeks sleeping through the night doesn't happen 😂. Remember to burp babe mid way through the fed. If you feel like you need to increase the forumla increase it