Just How Much Is Enough for a Month Old Newborn?

Well my daughter Angela was 8 pounds 14 oz when she was born she was already on two ounces of formula when she left the hospital...she never had really any problems feeding until now and she is two now...i always told feed them when their hungry and as much as they want not to feed them on schedule...but my one friend just had a little girl a few months ago and she had the same problem but not only was she coliky she threw the formula back up....I believe as long as he is calmer and doesnt seem as fussy stick with the smaller amounts also if you feel that he should get more milk feed him more in one feeding and feed him less often and dont feed him too much before bedtime...

A.,

We had the same problem with my son, he is now 4 months old and every once and a while will still have that problem. With him it is gas and usually if I give him some mylacon drops and pat his bag he can get rid of it and will sleep pretty good. I definately think it is better to let him eat less more times a day if he is having a problem with gas. Also when he has gas he likes to be up on his fathers shoulder, it tends to make his belly feel better. Hope this helps.

A.

Not a hard and fast rule, but generally an infant will be taking 2.5 times their weight. Ex. if baby is 9 lbs. then they can consume more or less around 23- 24 oz. per day.

You were doing just fine. Most if not all babied get a 'fussy' time in the evening. You should be feeding him what he wants to take. If you were breastfeeding him directly, he'd be nursing until he was full and would stop.
I have worked with over 40 families with newborn twins triples in the last 8 years and not one baby Didn't have a fussy evening period.
this is the time where they are truely overtired and not quite able to 'settle' on their own. A light swaddle (just tuck blanket around him) and pat him on his bottom lightly, or just step away and watch. Most babies will be sleeping within a minute or two!
And sometimes just an extra ounce or two at this fussy time is what they need to settle them, so don't be afraid to offer some BM! Many babies take an extra feeding in the evenings.
All babies take different amounts. And don't worry about his growth, all babies grow at different rates too. I wish they'd get rid of growth charts because they make us feel we're not doing our best!
My grandson was on EBM (expressed breast milk) for the first three months, was taking an average of four ounces every 3/4 hours by 2 months and was almost 15 lbs at 3 months.
Also consult your local lactation consultant for advice. They do know much more than most pediatricians when it comes to breast feeding and are 100% supportive.

Oh, I just read the post about adding oatmeal to the breastmilk. DO NOT DO THIS!! Oatmeal, and any other cereal, will make a baby MORE GASSY from the digestive process, especially at this young age where their system is not mature enough to digest.

There's a book called bonappetitebaby (bonappetitebaby.com) it has a chart/schedule in it that will help you monitor the baby thru wet/poopy diapers. It really helps.

A., my son was also 6 lbs 8 oz and gained quickly. A friend's son took longer to gain. It has nothing to do with how much you feed them. Look at it as they were not able to get any bigger inside you, so they had to do it all on the outside! There is no right rate to weight gain. In fact, if you go print out a growth chart from the CDC, you will see that at 6 lbs 8 oz, they are in the 5th percentile and need to establish their growth potential. As long as they stay right around (or steadily increase) a curve they establish in the first 2-3 months, they are growing perfect!
Second, why aren't you putting him to the breast? The bottle flows much more quickly and it could be that he is overfeeding due to the bottle or that he is just getting too much air and gassy. The gas goes away. It is a developmental necessity that all kids go through the gassy stage. It affects some more than others as all things will. Remember that breastmilk breaks down more quickly in the baby's stomach and a doctor may be used to advising formula babies rather than breastmilk babies through this fussy period. At the breast, you have no idea how much the baby is getting, but the baby will tell you when they are through. Also, you are coming up on a major growth spurt at 8 weeks and regulating how much he gets and when could be harmful. Look at your baby's cues, not at the clock or the number of ounces!!!
Lastly, check out www.mobywrap.com and www.kangarookorner.com they both sell a different type of carrier. My son is 7.5 months and when he gets fussy at any time, I put him in it and he is instantly happy. They feel safe and loved when they are held so close. I do it in the house, outside, everywhere. It may be that he just wants to be close to you too! Babies who are carried are generally much happier than babies who are put in strollers or car seats everywhere!

I don't think he is gaining too much weight. My son was 6lbs 9oz at birth and at 6 weeks he was 10lbs. My doctor thought that was great and never said that I was feeding him too much. I do breast feed him about every 2 hours during the day and can't really give the exact amount that he does eat, but your son will let you know if he's still hungry after reducing the amount. At this age, I don't think you really need to worry about him gaining too much. As for the colick, most babies do get fussy during the evenings. Just keep in mind that it won't last forever and you will survive. It can be hard, but you're doing a good job.

I have 2 children one of which was breast fed. your baby sounds a lot like how my daughter was. She would scream and cry for hours a day and I had no idea what to do, after 3 months I figured she was allergic to milk protein. None of the doctors would listen to me and were confused as to what her problem was. Finally I just realized what it was. I had too much dairy in my diet therefor so didn't she. As of right now she is almost 16 months and still cannot have cow's milk, so maybe you can ask her pedi if that might be an issue with yur child.

Hi A.

I breastfed both of mine but didn't really use a bottle very often so I honestly don't know how much they were eating. I only offer that babies are supposed to be born with the ability to know how much they need and basically stop feeding when they are full. That said, my flow has always been very fast and overwelms my babies when they are very little so they both went through a period where they would frequently end up overeating and immediately spit it up. I'm not talking a little spit up here - both the baby and I would need a COMPLETE clothes change (like down to the underwear). They wouldn't really get fussy or anything - just give back the excess. I know they can definitely have reactions to foods you are eating so you might want to monitor that. Did you doctor express concern about the weight gain and amount of milk? Both of mine were born weighing about the same as yours and gained quickly - my pediatrician always commented about that being a breastfed baby trend...to gain quickly early on and then balance out after a few months. Like another writer said - trust yourself and listen to your babies signals. If he seems happy with the reduced quanity, then it's probably good. If he's seeming to want to eat more frequently, then maybe he's needing more. It's best to let little ones eat as much as they are interested in and not try to push to get them to finish just a little bit more. Let him be the judge of how hungry he is.

Maybe he's just wanting to nurse for comfort before he falls asleep and doesn't really need a long feeding. Try a pacifier maybe? That worked with mine that wanted to suckle longer, but didn't want (or need) that extra milk in their tummies. I have nursed 4 babies which were all different, but similar. They all liked to stay on the breast longer at bedtime, but sometimes got fussy just like you describe with your son. Good luck, I hope things get better for you. :)

Hi A.:

Well,Iam not a doctor but I am a mom. My daughter is now 15 yrs old and when she was a baby she had those moments of crying at night. However, in her case it was because she will still hungry. I was feeding her 3-4 oz. every 4 hours or so. So after talking to her doctor and the old timers in my life (grandparents) and asked them the same as you are now. They all said that children tell us everything we need to know. You picked up on his crying moments at night a pretty much knew what was happening, you just needed the doctor to back you up. We all do!! My daughter was 3 weeks old and she was getting 2 teaspoons of cereal in her bottle at night. She would eat at 7-7:30 and sleep through the night because she was getting enough food. So pay attention to your childs moods. Such as he is happy, crying, how does he sleep, and bowel movements are key to determine what your child needs. I think you are doing a fine job he will let you know when he is hungry and he my vary from time to time...so keep an eye out.

D.

A., we had somewhat of the same problem. Only on Sat. nights. (weird huh?) the mylecon drops work but I used to lay him on his back and push his knees into his chest. Slowly and gentley. I also used to just cradle hold him and bounce him alittle and of course sing like an idiot. Mountain climbers who would get gas in high elevations and would try to get their abdomen and backside higher then any other part of their body so they could relieve the pressure build up. I know that sounds silly but I know I tried everything. Try holding him so his tush is up in the air. I hope this helps. It is a very frustrating thing to deal with and I wish you luck. If he is feeling better and not cranky any other time then he is getting enough nutrition. I think when you are nursing they can not over eat.

Hi A., maybe if you try to feed him every 3-4 hours it would help he might be eating too much then his stomach hurts at the end of the night,cause he is full of gas.good luck.

Hi A.,
I am also pumping breastmilk for my 5 week old. We are actually nursing once a day, and I'm giving her 4oz bottles for the other 6 feedings she takes. I thought that if it was too much, she wouldn't drink it all, but she does drink it all, and we have very little spitting up. I talked to my lactation conusultant, because I was also wondering about the amount. She said it's fine. I've been having my baby weighed every week so far (she initially had lots of trouble gaining back her birthweight). She's been gaining 10-11oz per week. I was at a breastfeeding support group, and a lot of the new moms were having issues with their babies being fussy in the early evening and just wanting to nurse all night. The lactation specialist said that lots of babies hit a real fussy phase in the evenings around 6 weeks, and they naturally mellow out around 2 months. I don't know if that helps - I'm not an expert, but I thought maybe it would help to gauge what you are doing with what other babies the same age are doing. In the meantime, I'm going to be reading all the responses you get for my own curiosity!

Hi A.,
I can remember feeding my baby at that age 3 to 4 ounces every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. But, since you are breastfeeding usually they eat more frequantly. My friend was having the same issue you are and she was breast feeding, and come to find out, the baby was fussy because of what she was eating and passing through the breast milk. You could change your diet for a couple of days, or try suplimenting with formula to see if that is the issue. Wish I could help more. Hang in!!

You already got a lot of great advice from the other moms but I just wanted to encourage you to try to get the baby back to the breast again. My first baby did not latch until he was 8 weeks old. I exclusively pumped and gave him breastmilk from the bottle and we had nearly given up.I think it was because at 8 weeks my milk supply finally evened off so it wasn't coming out as fast plus he was a little bigger and able to latch on to the nipple. Once we starting nursing at 8 weeks, I gave up the pump and breastfed him until 14 months old without any more problems. Good luck to you!

Is there a reason he's not eating from the breast? It could be the type of nipple you are using on the bottle is giving him gas, or that he's eating too fast, or that he needs to be burbed more frequently. I wouldn't cut back on his feeding, when he's full he'll stop eating.

With breastfed babies you really can't say X amount is how much they should eat at X age. Each woman's milk is unique, and produces differently. If he is having plenty of wet dipes each day, & gaining weight, he is getting what he needs.
Perhaps try laying him on his side for a short period after he eats. NOT TO GO TO SLEEP- the recommendation for sleep is on the back. But just resting on his side for a few minutes while he digests his meal. Or keeping him in a more upright position, again just for a little while, after he eats.
Best of luck & good job breastfeeding :)
D.

obviously it is omportant to consult with your doctor, - i had a huge amount of milk production and my son gained a lot of weight quickly but it doesnt really matter, they say you cant overfeed a breast fed baby. not sure how true that is, but thats what is said. my second child i pumped a bit before putting him on the breast since he had bad reflux and doctor told me to limit his feeding. initially they told me to bottle feed him, but between pumping and feeding i never slept and that was pointless. also, he stopped gaining weight as well since the regimine they put him on was not enough food. maybe he is still hungry, maybe he is eating too fast and needs to slow down (pump for a few minutes first so the flow is slower).
good luck
E.

It may seem that he is gaining weight very quickly, but most baby's double their birth weight by the time their 6 mos old. It will slow down. Have you tried anti-gas drops. We use to add it directly to the bottle. I wouldn't cut back on the amount that your feeding to much. Breast milk does go right through them, much faster then formula. Because it's easier for them to digest. The size of their stomach is the size of their fist. And you really don't need to put a 7 week old on a "diet". It sounds like your doing all right.

A.,
Your 7wk old baby seems to be eating just fine for a baby his age. Newborns usually eat approximately 1 once/hour but that varies from baby to baby. Some newborns eat 2oz every 2 hours and others may take 3-4 oz every 3 hours. The fussy periods in the evenings are normal and most newborns go through these periods until about 3 months. The question is, does your baby feel uncomfortable after daytime feedings or just in the evenings? If your baby is fine during the day, then it is not over feeding. Why are you pumping rather than just putting your son to the breast? The flow from the bottle is quicker and involves less effort from the baby. Sometimes that can cause gas, But like I said, if it doesn't bother him during the day it's not the cause of fussiness at night. Often moms begin questioning EVERYTHING when their baby is screaming! They begin to wonder if it is the formula, breast milk or illness. My advice during these difficult evening hours are :
*Hire a postpartum doula. A doula can care for you so you can care for your baby. She can help with some of the household chores so you can shower, eat and nap. She can provide much needed emotional support.
*Don't try to get anything done past 5pm. Plan for this and then you won't be stressed when the wash or dishes doesn't get done. Plan on an earlier dinner.
*It is essential that you try and nap during the day to build up your reserves and don't forget to eat!!!
*During the fussy periods feed your baby, change his diaper and simply try to comfort him. No one knows for sure why babies do this but some believe it is just a way of winding down and immature nervous systems. Try putting him in a Bijourn carrier, go for a walk, or a drive in the car. Invite a relative, friend or neighbor over to give you a break from the crying. Put on some soft music, take some deep breaths.
*Try to relax! It does pass and you are almost there!

Good luck!
T. RN

I think you should resign yourself to sleep deprevation. Infants rarely ever let you sleep through the night. As far as the over feeding, it is a possibility but there is not set amount to feed a new born. Oh most doctors will say only 2 oz every 4 to 6 hours but then you end up starving the child. If the reduction in food is working then that is good. If he still seems hungry try putting just a tiny bit of oatmeal for infants in his milk. Just a little though. That maybe do the trick. As for the colicky behavior that seems more like he isn't burping all the way or getting rid of the gas on his stomach. Try burping him and laying him across your legs on his stomach and patting his back. That always worked for my daughter.

Hi A.,

I have a 10 week old, and he was born 6 lbs. 15 ounces. He actually lost over 1 lb. in the first week, but he is now over 10 lbs. The doctor has never said that he's gaining weight too fast; in fact they are always happy about his weight gain. I usually breastfeed, but I have pumped to see what he's getting, and he is getting about 4 ounces each time he feeds, which is every 2-3 hours as well (except for at night). I think that your baby is fine and gaining weight at a normal speed. As for the fussiness at night....try putting him in bed between 8 and 9pm and you might see the fussiness go away. This happened to me also until I realized that he was just tired, and he's been fine since getting him into a routine for bedtime.

Good Luck!

Hi A.
Being a new mom is always stressful and let's face it sleep is the first thing to go to the wayside. I can tell you that in time you will know what it's like to sleep again. And the best news about colick, they all outgrow it. My son was colicky for the first 3 months and it just went away.
I breastfed my son exclusively and so it's hard to say how much he was eating. Like another mom said earlier, babies will stop when they are full. I absolutely would not introduce any kind of cereal so early. There is no proof that it helps babies to sleep longer and the earlier you introduce foods the higher the chance of allergies forming. Breastfed babies do eat more often. Breastmilk digests much faster than formula. I also agree with the mom that said breastmilk babies gain faster and they do even out later. My son was always on the high percentages in both weight and height. He is now a very healthy (and thin) 5 year old.
Good luck and enjoy these times, and repeat after me "sleep is over-rated" now you just need to believe it:)

Hi A., my first son was a huge baby. Born 9lbs and by 4 months was 21lbs (mind you my second son is 20lbs now at a year old). He was such a fat baby. I was young and didn't know what was a lot for a baby so I still can't say that he ate a lot. He was also very colicky at night. What relieved his colic was putting him high on my shoulder and
patting his back firmly. Without fail he would burb and feel much better. Sometimes it took awhile but it worked. I can't say that this is your son's problem but it's worth a try since newborns have gas problems.
As far as feeding him less, I say feed him if he's hungry. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
J. P.S. My first son his at a healthy normal weight.

At first I had no idea how much my daughter was eating, because she was exclusively breastfed. But I do know that I fed her on demand and she ate a LOT - much more than the predicted amount from the books and magazines and doctors.

I would say that everything is going fine on your end - despite not getting sleep, of course. The other moms had great advice about what to do, I'd have suggested the same things. I just wanted to stop in and encourage you. Congrats on your new baby, and Good luck!

hi, my youngest son was the same way and i was at a total loss of what to do too, generally a 7wk old only eats abot 2-3oz's a feeding,but its like in life not everyone follows the same routine. And the crying for him was caused by things i was eating. i couldnt get him to settle down hardly at all. so i would suggest watching the things you eat, my major downfall was chocolate, and he was getting the caffiene from it which led to the crying. I'm not familiar with what your eating just make sure the caff. intake is at a very minimum, i had to totally cut out caff., but it worked and he settled down without the extra crying. I hope this helps. Good luck to you and the little one.

HI A.,
When my son was born, I had to pump because it hurt too bad when he latched on. And I only gave him 2-3 ounces of breastmilk at each feeding. Not all babies stop eating when they are full. The doctors do (most of the time) know what they're doing:) As long as he is gaining weight steadily at your next visit, you'll know that it is the right thing.
Good luck:)
M.

First, congrats on the birth of your child!

I know one of the responses suggested a tiny bit of oatmeal... Please do not do this. If you are pumping and solely using breastmilk, a child does not need any type of solid until they are at least 4-6 months old (I didn't give my first child ANY solids until 9 months, and my second until 12 months). If you are supplementing with formula, you still do not need to add any type of solid until 4-6 months. Although some doctors will advise you to add oatmeal or rice cereal earlier, an infants digestive tract is not developed enough to absorb the nutrients and the solids *may* cause other issues in the future.

As for the sleeping... my first son was *colicky* / cranky 24/7. He slept only 20 minutes at a time and would wake for 2 hours for the first 6 months... if I held him or co-slept, then he would sleep, but never when laid down alone.

I too am curious if you are solely expressing milk, or are you also putting Avin to the breast? My question with that is when you put a child to the breast, there really isn't a way to "measure" how much they eat... and the guideline is to empty the first side and offer the other...

Best wishes!

got another suggestion..is there anything u eat differently in the afternoon that u do in the day could be something ur eating that is not agreeing with the baby other than that all babies get cranky

Hi A.,

When my son was 7 weeks old he was eating about 6 ounces at each feeding. He will let you know when he doesn't want anymore. When my son is hungry I feed him. When he was about 6-7 weeks old, he liked to bulk up for the night and would eat 2-3 ounces every 45 minutes or so until he went to bed. He would then sleep through the night. You might want to try giving another 2-3 ounces before bed and see if that works. And I would not worry about him gainng weight too fast, my son was 8.8 pounds when he was born and weighed 14 pounds at his 2 month checkup.
Good luck! And Congrats on your new bundle of joy!