How Much Should My 7Week Old Be Eating?

My pediatrician told me that a breastfed baby should have twice his weight in ounces of breastmilk so if he's almost 12 and a half pounds then he should have 25 oz of breastmilk per day.

My sister is a pediatrician and she says to give the baby as much as he will drink and feed him until he refuses to eat anymore.

Personally, I think to just let him decide how much milk he wants. I pumped and bottle fed both my sons. I'm still pumping and bottle feeding my 9 month old. The odd thing is both my sons were 9 1/2 pounds at birth but my older son who drank much more milk, was much smaller. My younger son drinks much less mommy milk so I worried that he would be underweight but he actually is taller and weighs more than my older son so you never really know. I think the babies know how much milk they need. It's a mystery to us mommies:)

T.,
I think the norm is anywhere between 24-32 ounces a day. As long as he is having several wet diapers in a day, that shows no signs of dehydration and he is getting plenty to eat.

My kids on average went anywhere from 2-3 hourse between feedings when they were infants. When they started getting hungry sooner than 2 hours that is when I upped the amount I gave them to eat at each feeding by 1 oz. So, if he's going 2-3 hours between feedings, I'm sure he's getting enough, and if not, maybe give him a little more and see what happens. Good luck!!

My son weighed 21 pounds at 7 months. I was feeding him 6 oz bottles about every 5 hours plus baby food. I most definatley think your son should be eating much more. I would talk to his pediatrician though just to be sure.

Here's a good website to help you answer your question: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

It depends on how much he's likely getting straight from you, and also if he's eating any solid foods. Watch his cues to see if he seems hungry at all, even after being given a bottle. Perhaps you can always offer to nurse him when you get him from the nursery, as well as whenever you make a stop when you're traveling.

With breastfeeding and breastmilk a general rule is to feed on demand (whenever the baby is hungry or needs comfort). This is because the baby knows whether or not he is hungry and if he is truly full or doesn't need any more nutrients at the time, he will stop drinking. Newborns and infants can drink milk anywhere from every 1-2 hours around the clock and can nurse upwards of 45 minutes at a time, and there is nothing wrong with this. You will find babies go through growth spurts and will require more milk one week than the last so if your baby is drinking more, you should follow his cues. Check out your local La Leche League for support and answers from experts and other moms: http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html
And congratulations on choosing to breastfeed!

Babies dont really over eat. Give him as much as he will take, if you find he is spitting up after a bottle, maybe back off the amount a little. They are able to feed much faster with a bottle, so it is easier for them to take a little too much.

If he is taking the 5 ozs no problems, make 6 and see if he finishes it, or if it is convenient, top him off with breast milk.

Enjoy your new little bundle!

P. : )

Is he 7 weeks or 7 months? The title said one and the request said the other.

Babies will determine how much they need, and as with us, it's different amounts at different times. If he's eating it all and getting hungry quicker than before, he needs more. As they age, their feeding times should get further apart up to 4-6 hrs between feedings during the day.

Hope this helps!

That sounds about right you can always try to give 6 oz and see if he eats it.

I totally understand your dilemma about how much breast milk to give in a bottle since we don't technically know how much those little guys take in when they nurse. I believe that for a 7 week old, 4 oz is good. You might want to start increasing that to maybe 5-6 oz and see if how he does. If he is hungry he might eat it all, and if he's not then he might not finish it all. I know that breastmilk is like liquid gold, so every drop is precious. Remember the rules with pumping, keeping the milk cold/room temperature and how warm to serve it. You could always consult with a lactation consultant to see what they say. Good Luck.

A. B

T.,
I know you asked about eating but I have to say when I read this the first thing I thought about was leaving a 7 week in a nursery with all these illnesses out there!! He's still so small and has not been fully immunized so please for his sake try to eliminate him being exposed to so much. i am a mother of four and can tell you from experience that an illness in a newborn is ALOT more serious. I know this wasn't your question but PLEASE consider this for his sake.

Good luck!
N.

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A baby will ALWAYS take more from a bottle than from a breast because he cannot control the flow of milk like he can while nursing. If he is finishing the bottle you can up the ounces one by one and let him be the judge. I would also recommend using a slow flowing nipple so he doesn't hinder your milk production or become frustrated at the breast. All babies are different and it just depends how often he eats. Does he get 4oz every 2 hours? That might be all he needs. If its 4oz every three hours, then he most likely will be looking for more.

My son was 14lbs at 6 months and 19 at a year. He is 2 1/2 now and 25 lbs. Don't get freaked out on his weight. Lots of babies were 20lbs by then and eating whole jars of baby food. I exclusively bf for 7 months and did NO JAR baby food. We gave him tastes of things off our plates until he was 9 months. He has no allergies, only 1 mild earache, and eats the largest variety of food now. He tries and eats things most adults would crinkle their noses at. I get lots of praise from his pediatrition and other parents on his health which I believe stems from his eating habits the initial first year. (We did nurse for 18 months). Hope this helps.

Hi T.,

Congratulations on that little bundle! It sounds like he is thriving. The only additional information I can offer is that when we brought our adopted son home from the hospital, the nurse told me he was taking 2 oz of formula every 3 hours. WELL, that night in the hotel he took a 4 oz bottle which totally blew my mind. So, from then on I played it by ear and gave him more formula if he acted hungry. They are growing at such a fast rate that their little brains and other organs need the fuel.

What does your doctor say?

God Bless

Cindi D.

I would say 5 oz is a good amount - that's about what my daughter was eating at that age and she would eat every 3 hours also. My experience is that they will let you know if they are still hungry!

All babies are their own unique little person. If you are eating healthy, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting enough rest your body will produce the exact amount of breastmilk that your baby needs. When you need to supplement with bottles make more milk than the baby took at the last feeding and then give the baby as much as he seems to want. Babies have a cool way of knowing exactly what they need. Offer a little more than you think he will take and then he will always be satisfied. If he takes the whole bottle at a feeding you know that you need to be offering him a little more. Don't let it bother you if he drinks 6 ounces today and 5 ounces per bottle tomorrow. We all have days when we are hungrier than other days and babies are the same way.

T.,

Your post is a bit confusing as you state one place that your son is 7 weeks and in another statement you say he is 7 months. If he is 7 weeks old - 5 oz should be sufficient. If he is 7 months - 5 oz isn't enough. It also depends on how often he is eating. You say you exclusively breast feed and breastfed babies, in my experience, tend to eat more often because it breast milk digests easier. If he's eating 4-5 oz every 2-3 hours then he's fine (at 7 weeks old). You'll know when he needs to increase his intake of milk, If he starts eating more often like every 1-2 hours increase his milk to 6 oz and that should keep him satisfied. You will know - babies are good at telling us when they are hungry.