How Much Breastmilk Does a 5.5 Mo Need?

S.,

Below is a link of an organization that will help answer any questions regarding breast feeding.

http://www.llli.org/

I think five ounces sounds on track. But go to Kellymom.com to double check. They have acurate info on breastfeeding, they really know their stuff. (and they are free).

I just read a couple of the other responses, and wanted to respond agian. Please don't use the formula numbers as a base. Breast milk is different, it changes to meet the needs of a growing baby. Also, don't compare yourself to other moms amount. Don't expect yourself to pump 10 ounces, or think you have low milk supply because you don't. That is not the norm.

I just don't want misinformation to sway your decision:)

Ask the daycare workers if he is finishing all the milk & if seems hungry after the feedings. If he doesn't finish it all or act hungry, then he's fine. Each baby is different, so it's hard to say how much a baby needs. They also have growth spurts, when they require more food for a few days & then it levels off. Just keep an open dialog with the daycare providers. It sounds like he is doing just fine.

I haven't read the other responses, so I apologize if I'm repeating information. I have a 4.5 month old boy who's EBF, & I also work FT, so I know how it is. First off, stress will most definitely play a part in your milk supply, so you have to relax. It may help to fit in 4 shorter sessions vs 2 or 3 longer ones during the work day. Also, your sessions will be more productive if you're getting a good letdown, so try putting some headphones on, breathing deeply, massaging your breasts first, thinking about your baby, & drinking lots of water. Also, visualizing lots of milk coming out really helps--I know that sounds strange, but it works. Taking fenugreek can also help--you may want to call a lactation consultant, or find a leader for free advice through La Leche League (llli.org). You can also try pumping more in the morning--that's when your supply is highest. When I'm at work, I have to pump within an hour of arriving, & I'll get 10-12 oz. I'll pump again at lunch, & get 6 oz. Then again @ 3:00, and get 4-5 oz. This is b/c I kept pumping during those morning sessions until there was no more, & I'd keep the pump on for a few minutes afterward. This stimulated my milk supply & I haven't had problems since. I also made sure to spend as much time cuddling & resting with my baby once I got home--that really helped. And make sure to drink lots of fluids. Finally, when your son is 6 months old, you can start solids (once he's sitting up & seems interested), so that will really help as far as your supply. You're almost there--don't give up yet! Once your son's eating a few solid meals a day, you won't need to pump so much at work. I remember with my daughter, who's now 3, I'd gotten to the point where I could nurse her in the morning & at night & not have to pump at ALL during the day, which was FANTASTIC! Good luck--I hope this was somewhat helpful.

If your son seems hungry and isn't satisfied with 5oz, the daycare will let you know. You should also keep a can of formula on hand for them. My second son is also 5.5mos, and I am working FT. My first son had a poor latch, so I pumped until he was 5mos old and also gave formula. He was primarily formula w/supplemental breastmilk because I wasn't producing enough milk by that time. It was soooo hard for me the first time I gave him formula; I felt guilty and, of course, he was fine. I was able to breastfeed this baby, but pumping was very stressful to me, so I made the decision that I was going to wean him before returning to work. You want to do what's best for your baby, but you also have to take care of yourself. Stress will also affect your supply, so do what's also best for you to achieve some balance as a working mom. Good luck!

A formula feeding chart I have says 4-7 months, 4-5 feedings in 24 hours, 7-8 oz per feeding. Total amount/day 28-40 oz. I would look at the total number of ounces and see if it fits.

Most of all, does he act hungry? Try feeding him more and see what happens. My son will try to eat more (5 months, breastfed), but will spit it back up, so once he releases, I rarely let him back on (took a while to figure it out).

Good luck.

Don't worry too much about it. If he seems content at daycare after 5 oz, then that's all he needs right now. Next week he could hit a growth spurt and want 6. It's hard to manage breast feeding and work. Pumping 3 times a day is a pain and even though pumps work really well, no matter how good your pump is, it'll never get as much as your baby. The big thing is don't worry, when you worry, production goes down (or it did for me). Give the daycare center some formula and let them supplement if he wants more. He'll still be getting a vast majority of breast milk and you wont have to worry about him being hungry. So you'll probably relax a little and find your production increasing.

I used formula to supplement my breastfeeding because I returned to work while still having a nursing baby - three different times. I still nursed my baby early in the morning and at night but my kids received formula while at daycare. (There was not a nursing mothers room at my work for pumping milk...it was implemented after...).
If your baby is having a good number of wet diapers every day and growing steadily, then I expect your pediatrician is happy with things. When your baby hits a growth spurt, he may be asking for more.

Hey S. - first, good for you for working FT and still pumping. I am on baby #2 and am pummping myself as I did for my first. I agree with those who are saying that stress will play a big part. I belive it's better for baby to have a relaxed and stress free mama (as much as is possible for a FT working mom) than to have breast milk. So if pumping at work just isn't working for you, don't feel guilty for giving just formula during the day. You can still nurse in the mornings and after work, before bed. Your body will adjust to the different schedule. Ultimately, advise is good but you need to make the best decision for you and your baby. Good luck and remember, the first YEAR of being a FT working mom is HARD and a big adjustment - give yourself a little slack - it's a lot to juggle and figure out but you will!

I think it sounds like you're doing great! My son never took more than 4 ounces at a time, and usually only 3! He's 18 months now and partially weaned (I stopped pumping at 13-14 months, but he nurses when I'm there). He was taking around 12-14 ounces while I was at work from ~4 months to 6 or 7 months, and dropped down to maybe 8 ounces or so as his solid food intake increased. I am out of the house ~9-10 hours/day. As long as he's still nursing while you're home too, he's probably taking in more at the breast than at the bottle. The 4 8 ounce bottles a day kind of rules are for formula, not breast milk. Here's a good site for figuring out how much milk your baby needs:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

My son is 9.5 months old now and he is still BF. He never got beyond 5oz per feeding. It satisfied him and he was growing so the Doc was fine with it. we did start my son on one meal per day of solid food at 4 months. He was ready and took to it great. That actually helped out a lot because I went back to work full time when he was 4.5 months old. As for pumping at work, it is really hard. I had two pictures of my little guy with me and I also took the time to read while I was pumping. For some strange reason if I was reading a parenting book or breastfeeding book, things seemed to go better. Also sometimes I would take that time to call and check up my son. That helped get things going right away too. Good Luck! If you feel really frustrated about the situation, please continue to seek out support. Breastfeeding is so very important to you and your baby.

WOW! 5 ounces! I have rarely ever heard of a baby taking more than 4 ounces at a feeding! Remember breast milk is nutrient dense and changes as your baby grows. It isnt like formula where they steadily increase their consumption to 6 to 8 ounces. My daughter is 15 months and I have never left her a bottle with more than 3 ounces and that has always been enough. BUT look at your baby. Is he happy after 5 ounces? Hell let you know if he needs more! Also kids tend to overeat with the bottle so if he finishes and initially fusses it could just be he likes sucking on the bottle. I would distract him and if hes fine then hes not hungry . ALso GREAT JOB working and nursing!!! You Moms that do it deserve a ton of credit!

S.,

My doctor recommends between 26-32 ounces 4-7 times a day for a 4-6 month old. My son will drink anywhere from 2 ounces to 6 ounces a feeding.

I hear you. I have a 7 month old, breastfeed, and work full time. I have not been able to be exclusive bf from the start and had always introduced minimal formula. It has worked for me. It is even getting hard since my son is under weight and for the last month I have been measuring everything he puts in his mouth so I have been only pumping. There are many days I question why am I doing this. I pump a total of 3 hours and probably get about 15 ounces. I see appointments for my job so the only time I can pump is on my lunch, which at times I work through so I have my handsfree bra and my bag on my shoulder.

I try to take it day by day, telling myself this will not last forever. I really wanted to make it to a year but have decided that I have to do what is best for my sanity. So far I have been able to do it but when I am not producing enough I may stop. I feel we put pressures on ourselves that are not necessary. I hope that you find what works best for you but it is comforting to me that I am not alone.

V.

Good for you for continuing to breastfeed while working. I was able to do it for a year (and counting, but I stopped pumping at a year), but was blessed with an ample supply and a son who reverse cycle fed so he still took a lot of nutrition from me at night. My son NEVER took more than 4oz at a time in a bottle, no matter how patient my care giver was, so I also stressed about whether he was eating enough. Just remember that breastmilk is not the same as formula and a lot of the calculations doctors give you are based on formula. (Babies take more formula to get a similar amount of nutirtion as a lesser amount of breastmilk). I found this chart at Kellymom very helpful.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

It is hard to balance working and pumping. I was fortunate enough to have a private office that locked. I also tried to make my pumping times a sacrosanct, although I often emailed, read or talked on the phone while pumping. I also found drinking A LOT of water during the day helped my supply, pictures of my son, and (when I remembered) bringing some item of clothing he wore the previous day helped too!) Your son should be eating solids soon, which means that his demand for breastmilk should stabilize or decrease. Don't fret if you have to do some supplementing, the best thing for baby is a happy and less stressed mommy. If you are still pumping some and nursing him while you are around, he is still getting the benefit of lots of your good mommy milk! Good luck!

Hi S.

I have a daughter the same age and am also working and breastfeeding. My daughter is closer to 95th percentile and has always been an amazing eater, and she takes about 5 oz per feeding every 3 hours. So I think 5 oz is about right.
But I worry about the same thing. You can ask your caregivers to look out for signs that he might be hungry. If he seems content after the bottle don't worry. Is he always finishing the whole bottle? My daughter often leaves a bit, which I find comforting.

As far as pumping goes, I also notice that after a full week of work my daytime supply declines. I try to make up for it on the weekends by only breastfeeding plus pumping once or twice each day to increase my supply. Feeding seems to increase it much faster than pumping. I have also tried pumping more often at work. I am religious about pumping and have literally walked out of meetings that I am chairing because it is time (as my colleagues look at each other puzzled as to why we are taking a break only 40 min into the meeting!). The important people (my boss for example) know why. As far as I am concerned, making my baby's food is a number one priority. I am not going to be militant about it or advertise to everyone that I am going off to pump (it makes some people uncomfortable) but I am not going to be embarrassed about it or hide it either if I am asked. People are remarkably understanding.
I am lucky to be at a place in my career when I can call the shots this way--I was much more insecure about it 5 years ago when i had my first. But in hindsight, I had alot more control over the situation than I thought I did. It is much better this time!

I don't know if that helps, but it sounds like you are doing fine!
Take care
J.

Try pumping in the mornings- that is when your supply is highest. Pump before the morning feeding b/c the baby will always be able to cause you to letdown again, the pump doesn't always. I would pump for my dd in mornings, on lunch break and then again before I drove home for a few minutes. Every drop counts! I would also pump on days off to store up some extra.
The good news is that he'll probably be eating a little bit soon as well to help you supplement (my dd1 starting eating some at 5 months, but dd2 only started at 14 months, so it can vary too, of course.)
You can also try some things that up your supply-
eating oatmeal generally helps, whether it be a bowl of it or in cookies, etc.
drink, drink, drink water! keep some with you at all times!
avoid mint, parsley, etc (you can google for things that increase and reduce your supply)
Try tricks when you pump- look at a picture of your baby, journal about him, smell an article of his worn clothes, etc. You can also try different pumps- I would have to use my electric Medela pump-in-style at work, but at home when I could take a bit more time, I would use my Avent Isis (the manual one) and get a lot more that way.

As far as the amt he is eating- does he seem satisfied w/the amount or is he fussy for more? Is he still nursing quite a bit when you are together? Babies will quite often "reverse cycle" their eating schedules to nurse a lot when mom is with them and not eat much when she is away. If you find him nursing a lot at night or waking to nurse, definitely do use those times to nurse! You can also make sure you're nursing on one side per session so he is getting lots of fatty hindmilk that you don't always get when you pump.

Good luck! If you have questions, feel free to msg me too.
I pumped for 18 months and worked FT with dd1.

:)
M.