Bottlefeeding: How Much to Feed
One of the best things about breastfeeding is that your body can adjust to how much your baby needs to eat. As your baby grows and their appetite increases, they suck more from your breasts. This triggers your mammary glands to produce more milk, supplying your baby with what s/he needs. Bottlefeeding, on the other hand is not as easy.
When bottlefeeding, you have to make sure you are feeding your baby enough for them to stay healthy and grow strong. Remember that the first six months of your baby's life are vital, and their brains and bodies are developing rapidly. Making sure they are getting the right amounts of nutrition is incredibly important.
You will have to make sure you baby is eating enough times during the day. Space your feeding sessions every three hours, computing from the time you begin a feeding session to the time you begin a new one. For example, if you feed your baby at 8:00 in the morning, their next feeding session should be at 11:00 in the morning. There are 3 hours between 8 and 11. No matter how long it took you to feed (usually it takes about an hour so let's say you ended at 8:45), try to feed your baby again at 11.
How Much to Feed
- A 0-2 week old baby will weigh around 7 ¾ lbs. and should have about 6 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 3 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 90mL of water.
- A 2-4 week old baby will weigh around 8 ½ lbs. and should have about 5 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 4 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 120mL of water.
- A 4-8 week old baby will weigh around 10 ½ lbs. and should have about 5 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 5 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 150mL of water.
- A 8-12 week old baby will weigh around 12 lbs. and should have about 5 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 6 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 180mL of water.
- A 3-4 month old baby will weigh around 13 ¾ lbs. and should have about 5 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 6 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 180mL of water.
- A 4-5 month old baby will weigh around 15 ¼ lbs. and should have about 5 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 7 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 210mL of water.
- A 5-6 month old baby will weigh around 16 ¾ lbs. and should have about 5 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 7 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 210mL of water.
- A 7-12 month old baby should have about 3 feeding sessions a day. Each of those feeding sessions should consist of 7 level scoops of formula (with each scoop of formula approximately 4.6g) and 210mL of water. They should also start eating solids.
Different babies have different appetites. Some eat more than most. When you breastfeed, this comes naturally. When you bottlefeed, this is different. Try to follow the proportions described above. If your baby is hungrier, however, comply to their needs. Just make sure you aren't overfeeding your baby. You can tell that you are overfeeding if they have a tendency to spit up or if they are putting on too much weight.
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