My son just turned three months on May 12th. I am a first time mom and need some advice on feeding/scheduling him. He is currently taking 5 ounces of formula every three to four hours. However, there are times when he does not seem full because he is crying for more and sucking on his hands. I feel that 6 ounces is too much for a 3 month old. Am I wrong? At three months, what is the average amount of formula a baby should be taking...I know all babies are different, but I just don't want to be overfeeding him.
There are times when he goes four hours or more in between feedings, however some times he can only make it 3 hours and is crying to be fed. He really isn't on a feeding schedule...it's really like feeding on demand. Should he be more on a schedule for eating?
Any suggestions would be great!!!
Thanks, C.:)
Hi! My son is almost 4 mos old. He takes 4 bottles/day. I make 8 oz bottles. Most of them time he finishes at least 6 ounces each feeding. other times, he finishes all bottles. What's really important is that your baby gets proper nutrition within 24 hours. If your baby is hungry, then of course, give him a bottle. i don't every let my baby go more than 4 hours without a bottle from wake-up time till bed time (6:30 - 6:30ish) Good luck!
Hi C. - my son turned 3 mos on May 12th also! He is currently taking 6 ounces every 3 to 4 hours. I tried a schedule at first but now I feed on demand and he is a much happier baby!
Hi C.,
So I am a little Type A about things and I keep notebooks for both my children that document when and what they ate, when they slept, and when they had diapers changed...and I've been doing it for both of them since they were born (I know, a little crazy). I checked my daughter's (she's 19 months now), and at your son's age she was getting 5 oz per bottle, 5x a day. She would have a bottle when she woke up (about 6 am), and then a bottle every 3 - 4 hours after that, with the target being that she would have her last bottle at around 8 or 9 pm. Then she'd go to bed around 9 or 9:30. My son is now almost 4 months and he eats more than she did - he weighs more than she did and is longer. He gets 6 oz, 5x a day, same schedule as my daughter. I go by the 3-4 hour rule but I'm flexible with it- if he cries for food earlier, I feed him. If he can go longer, I let him, but never longer than 4.5 hours, b/c then he gets over-hungry and it's a nightmare calming him down (he once threw up a whole bottle b/c he was so over-hungry and gulped it down too quick). What size nipple are you using? Make sure it's not too fast or slow; this can actually make a big difference (I learned the hard way!). Every baby is different but I like schedules; they make the day better for everyone! Hopefully this will help! Oh - the rule of thumb I was told is that the amount of ounces you give per day is roughly 2.5 times your baby's weight, but err on the side of too little and then increase it if you have to. So my son is 13.5 lbs, and 30 oz is a little less that 2.5 times his weight.
Hi C.
My daughter turned 4 months last week.... She has been getting 6-7 oz as a rough estimate (sometimes more, depending on what she wants) for at least the past month (probably longer)... WHen I asked the pediatrician at her 2 month visit "How much should she be eating?" he responded, "as much as she wants, when she wants." At that time, she was eating about 4 oz at a time.
My husband is home with her during the day now, so I personally dont feed her as much as I used to, but we have always used the 4 hour mark as more of an estimate. If she started "acting up" after about 3 hours, I attributed it to hunger and I dont think I was ever wrong!
Hi C.,
I have a 7 month old. When she was 3 months old she was taking about 6oz every 3/4 hours. Which eventually turned in to 8 oz every 4/5 hours. When she turned 4 months I was able to get her on a schedule which she seems to be happy with. I make 4 8oz bottles a day but she may only take between 6-7 each time. She has a bottle with fruit and oatmeal when she wakes, between 6:30-7:30 at around 11-11:30 she has an other bottle, 2:30 she has an other bottle with veggies for lunch. At 6 she has dinner an other bottle with oatmeal and fruit.
Scheduled may not work for everyone, but it helped me to get her on a sleeping schedule to. 6oz though is not too much for a 3 month old, bear in mind her may be having a growth spurt.
Melissa G. gave some pretty good advice. Just remember that your baby will be going through growth spurts and whether you think he is getting enough he may not. My kids nursed around the clock at 3 months. Infants do not allow themselves to overeat - so please, if he seems hungry than feed him.
A.
Don't be so consumed by the amount of food that he eats. Only worry about if he's full or not. He will let you know when he's full, by turning his head or keeping his mouth closed. He could be coming up on a growth spurt and needs the calories. I could never honestly tell my doc's office how much my kids got at a feeding cuz I never knew for sure. As long as he gains weight he's fine. Stop counting oz and just follow his cues.
