I'm a little confused with the amount of formula I should be feeding my five month old. She sleeps through the night for 11 or 12 hours uninterupted. When she wakes I give her a 6 oz bottle. Three hours later (about 11 or 12) I give her 1tbs of cereal and a 4 oz bottle. I then feed her 4oz three hours later and and 4oz another 3 hours later with some mushy peas or beans and then finally 6oz before bed. This all adds up to 24 oz of formula. She sometimes wants her bottle a little early and I always oblige but basically she seems fine but after reading some other responses I'm worried I'm not feeding her enough. At her four month checkup she weighed 13lbs.
Thank you for the responses. They were helpful and made me a little more relaxed. I didn't have an issue with my older one but you forget so much between kids.
my baby went from 36 oz of formula to 20 oz at 5 months with the introduction to solids. This sounds normal to me. It seemed to me she was eating fewer calories at this transition to solids, but in time she picked up on her solid quantity. But yes, 20 oz is normal with the addition of solids.
She does seem smaall, but that just may be her genetics! Is she meeting all her developmental markers? I'd talk to your Dr as well as a ped nutritionist. Good luck.
Hi J..
My baby boy just turned 5 months on Saturday. I to worry a lot about the amount of food he is taking in. Reading your post was helpful to me. My little guy takes in about the same as your baby. Weighs about the same too, maybe a little less. He was 12lbs. at 4th month check up. ( only 4.10 when born).
I keep telling myself that babies eat what they need. And as long as baby is growing consistantly and maintaining their growth curve, all is well. :)
Take care. Heidi
At 5 months I started making 6 oz bottles every 3 hours or so. My DD would sometimes finish the whole thing...and sometimes only drink 3-4 oz. I think anywhere from 24-36 is totally normal. Depending on the day my baby will eat 24-32. Once she started solids, she drank a little less.
Hi J.:
As a rule, 5 month olds drink aprox. 5 to 6 ounces every 3 to 4 hours.If she is sleeping,I'd allow her to rest. It won't be long,before she begins waking a little more often. she won't stay satisfied as long. I know, that for her young age,stage one baby cerial(in a bowl) not in the bottle and some apple sauce is great.Be careful,She may have some tummy aches eventually with the beans,Those aren't generally introduced till a little latter.Sounds like your doin great to me.Baby sounds content.She should begin putting on pounds,as you've added food to her diet. I don't know what time you put her down,but if you wanted to, I suppose,if you give her an early bottle, you could always add another on if she stirs around a little after a few hours.I wish you and your darlin daughters the best.
Hi J...our pediatrician always said feed them what they want. If your baby girl seems contented then she probably is. I also have a 5 month old and he's a big guy so he eats a bit more. He generally eats every 3-4 hours and always a 6oz bottle. Twice a day he also has 1 1/2 tablespoons of Cereal. He also sleeps from about 10-12 hours at night also. So I'm thinking he gets about 30 oz a day. He is a big guy though as I said. He is almost 18 pounds and will be 6 months on the 6th of August. So it actually sounds about right to me. Boys are pretty different eaters than girls. My 2 year old ate in such a different manner. At 5 months she was only eating 4oz ever 4 hours also..though she began eating solids a lot sooner at 4 1/2 months she was eating cereals, apples, peas, and sweet potato. With my son he has just gotten the hang of eating cereal..only took him a month to get it down..LOL. My girl got it in a flash..within a couple days she was eating like a champ. So boys and girls are way different..but from the sound of it you are doing a great job and she seems right on. I'm thinking you will be surprised with her weight gain when you go in for that 6 month..cause they tend to jump between 4 and 6. Soo keep up the good work and if you really are concerned call your ped and ask. It wont hurt any. Good luck!
At my daughter's four month checkup, she was still 9 lb 11 oz. And they acted as though i was starving her, when I give her a bottle every time i find something is wrong with her, she's crying, she's fussing. When she seems tired i give her a 2 oz bottle just because the soothing and topping off her belly helps her sleep from about 8-9 to about 8 am. I have just begun baby food. She gets a container or two a day, and i put enough cereal in to make it not runny, but not thick. She's 5 months, and 11 lbs now. And seems perfectly content. Just remember, every baby is different. Good luck.
Hi J., all babies are different, 13 pounds at 4 months does not sound like a lot, what does her ped say. I know one of my sons weighted 9 pounds and 6 ounces that's just a 4 pund difference. But if her ped doesn't seem to see a problem. I have a 7 week old baby in my daycare care and she eats 4 oz and a time, every 2 1/2 3 hours. I would just check with her ped. J.
J., she sounds as if she is doing fine. If she is sleeping through the night then she is not hungry. My doctor told me to feed on demand, so if she is hungry she will let you know. I did daycare 9 years and one parent was told to give a certain amount every 4 hours, the baby cried constantly and they thought she had colic. When I started watching her I increased the formula when she cried and she was happy, no more tears. Each baby is different but they will let you know if they are hungry. Most doctors will say no solids before 6 months but some parents start sooner because their baby requires more nutrition. Just don't ever water down the formula because they need all the vitamins in the recommended dose and less could cause weight and brain related problems. Good luck, you are doing a great job!
What a blessing to have your baby sleep 12 hours without a peep! You must be in heaven... as for the feeding, it sounds normal to me. My son was 15 pounds at 6 months and ate much less than his bigger twin. If your baby was hungry you would know, Your baby would wake up through the night to eat.
at 5 mons the recommended ammount of of formula is between 20 and 32 ozs. So 24 sounds like a good daily amount.
Go on Amazon and buy the "Contented Baby Book" by Gina Ford. Gina Ford is a top British nanny. She structures feeding and sleeping schedules. If followed, you cannot go wrong! I have three children and have used her schedules from birth. The book's schedules and menus change according to the child's age. Check it out.
I also have a 5 month old daughter. At her 4month check-up, my pediatrician advised me that she should be having 32 oz of formula, and that was at her 4 months.
My son's doctor told me when he was 6 months old that he should be drinking somewhere between 24-32 ounces a day of formula in addition to the baby food. As long as she is gaining ok and she doesn't still seem hungry I am sure you are doing just fine. I know with so many people over feeding their babies these days, it's hard to know what is recommended.
Hi J.,
I think the best advice you can get on this would be from your pediatrician.
Take care
