Need Help with Formula Feeding One Month Old.

22 ounces does not seem like a lot. My doctor never put a limit on how much to feed my kids. They were not huge eaters, but I was never told to stop at a certain point. Feed her until she is satisfied. She might sleep better for you if her belly is full.

I am an OB nurse and mother of three and I have never heard of limiting a newborn's intake. Newborns do not not overeat. Save yourself from going crazy- feed your baby when she is hungry. Also, consider finding a new ped. Is yours very old or very young? I would ask where he got that info.

Everyone so far has really good answers but no one has mentioned that maybe it's the formula. It could be hurting her tummy as she might have an intolerance to something in the formula. The screaming to fall asleep is not normal for this age so I'm thinking that she might be in pain. However don't just go out and buy new formula. This is something you need to discuss with a doctor to rule out any other issues. She could also have reflux. And I agree with everyone else, find a new doctor.

Right now is the hardest part when they are a newborn. You are sleep deprived. Sleep while the baby sleeps if you are tired. Feed the baby when you feel she is hungry. Make sure you are burping her well and she does not have gas. Put some mylicon in her bottle. May be she is having gas pains. She will figure out the sleep part and things will get better. Hang in there.

Does your daughter also spit up alot? If so, she could have reflux. With reflux, eating/spitting up causes heartburn-type pain. Eating again soothes the pain - but then afterwards, also causes the pain again. This can start an endless cycle where the baby wants to eat all the time, because it soothes the reflux pain.

If she doesn't spit up alot, I'd try a hypoallergenic formula to see if its the formula that's making her fussy (alumentum or nutramigen).

As for the always hungry - she is at a classic growth spurt time when babies are very hungry. And 2-4 ounces every 2-3 hours sounds pretty normal to me. Here is a website that talks about how much babies eat (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html). It's geared towards breastfeeding moms who are trying to figure out how much to put in a bottle, but it gives you an idea of how much babies take in a 24 hour period. There is also a good article that talks about growth spurts and when they happen, so you won't be surprised if you baby is hungrier at these times (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html).

If it is so much crying that you are crying too, PLEASE, get some help - just anyone who can hold the baby or take her for a walk in the stroller while you get some sleep. And also have a frank conversation with your pediatrician to tell him that your baby is NOT ok, something is going on. And if you can't do that, then find another pediatrician who will listen to you.

good luck and hugs to you

Babies often nurse to self-comfort, but they rarely bottle-feed for the same reason. One way you would know your baby is soothing with the bottle would be if she sucks a couple of times and then cries and then sucks a couple of times and then cries. If your daughter is not doing this, it is probably not the problem.

A 1-month-old baby should be eating about every 2-4 hours, so that is normal, but unless she is spitting up enormous amounts at the end of the feeding, she really should stop eating instead of being denied food. At this age, she should dictate how much food she needs, and denying her food is going to mean you will have a cranky baby most of the time.

The limit to feeding is a relatively old-fashioned idea, actually. It dates back to the 50s and 60s! It used to be thought that babies would overeat and should have amounts and times dictated, but we now know that a healthy baby will usually self-regulate. Is there a specific health-reason for this limitation? If not, you might want to look into finding another pediatrician who is more up-to-date on caring for an infant. Good luck.

I can't help on the formula front (I only breastfed) but I have some ideas for you. I do know that small frequent feeds are better for baby's tiny tummy.

1-I might check into a new ped. Doesn't make sense to limit a newborn's intake like that (but again, i don't know much about formula amounts)
2-Google 4th trimester. This may help you better understand some of baby's behaviors and help you get her more rest and comfort. Things like swaddling, wearing her, swinging. It may really help if you have a better handle on where she's at right now and how to meet her needs in the stage she's in now. Dr. Harvey Karp talks about how babies in the first 3 months want/need/crave the comforts of the womb and he gives you tips and tricks to help simulate those comforts.
3-if she is screaming after feeds investigate the possibility of reflux. It can be very painful to baby

I've never heard of a doctor being so specific on the feeding. If the baby will take milk, she's hungry. I would offer her milk when she cries, and see if things improve. I also second the suggestion to swaddle, swing, suck (pacify or nurse or bottle), shush her. Ask your husband/partner to bring home the Happiest Baby on the Block dvd. It really helps show you all the tricks for newborn-soothing. Good luck.

I know absolutely nothing about formula, but I don't think it's agreeing with her. She shouldn't be screaming when she's done eating, she should be content and ready to sleep - especially at just 1 month.
Check out the book "Healthy Sleep Habbits, Healthy Child". Maybe you're missing her sleep cues? She shouldn't be up more than an hour or 2 at her age. Try feeding her when she wakes, then playing with her for a while. Then, the first time she gives a sleep cue (rubs eyes, yawns, fusses, etc...) try to put her to bed.
If she keeps having feeding issues, you can always relactate. It will be easier on her stomach and better for her anyhow.

Take what your pediatrician told you as a general guideline. If they are telling you to ONLY offer 22 ounces a day, I agree, get another pediatrician. My son had a humongous growth spurt at about 5-6 weeks and is now in a very high height percentile. During this time, he was actually eating about 40-46 ounces a day. Crazy, hunh? He eventually regulated himself to a bigger, but more regular amount and is a great weight for his height, so no fears if she's just a hungry bunny. If you offer more formula and she's not hungry, but seems to be crying after meals, she may be experiencing gas issues. These can be very painful for little bodies that haven't tooted so much before. Try gently massaging her belly and lower back, lying her on her back and gently pumping, bicycling and wiggling her legs. Also make sure you're burping her well at least once during a bottle and afterward. You should get a burp most times. If none of that helps, explore other options, but if it's the formula, you are likely to get evidence of a problem in the diaper.

I'm glad to see so many responses to not limit the amount. My older daughter was ALWAYS hungry! I remember I could feed her, and a half hour later she would be hungry again! I could barely leave the house.... driving was impossible!!! I was afraid she was going to be enormous! haha! She's always been solid, but never fat. :)
Anyway, I never limited what she ate. She started on cereal at 4.5 months, and was such a good eater... she was entirely on table foods at 8 months.

I hope everyone has made you feel better and that feeding her more helps!

sounds like it might be upsetting her stomach? We used Enfamil Gentelease when I had to switch to formula. Seemed to be a smooth transition from breast to formula. (My son was 1 month at the time). Good luck...call the Dr. and ask if you are worried... Don't stress yourself about how much you are feeding, you know your baby the best.

Feed her when she's hungry - no limit! Every 2-3 hours is normal. The screaming seems unusual - does she have gas and need to burp more? Otherwise I might switch formulas. I would absolutely switch doctors!!! No way did any doctor tell me to limit feeding my baby, what next??

Oh my! My ped would have a total fit if she heard your dr. say to limit what you're feeding a newborn! You can't do that. They are in the process of rapid growth and need all the nourishment they can get. When a newborn is hungry--please--let her eat. 26 ounces is not an outrageous amount for her to be eating right now...she's most likely going through a major growth spurt already. It is possible, too, that her formula isn't quite agreeing with her baby belly just yet. Formula is harder for them to digest than breast milk and it also makes them more gassy. You may want to try some Milacon drops after a 'heavy' feeding if she's still very fussy.

Try to stay calm. She can tell the change in your mood just by the way you're holding her. If the screaming gets to be too much for you, it's better to put her down and to walk away for a few minutes than to keep holding her and allowing you both to get even more frustrated and upset.

Also, if she's staying awake for that amount of time, it's time for her to start having toys and things to do/look at. Anything bright and colorful should grab her attention. We personally had incredible luck with the Baby Einstein DVD collections. (Our girls are now 5+ yrs old and they still like them LOL)

Good luck!

You cannot limit how much you feed a newborn , you need to feed on demand , they will eat until they are satisfied. 2-4oz every 2-3 hrs sounds about right. I think the crying is more likely related to how long she is awake.Try not to get upset and anxious as they do pick up on this , if you are relaxed baby is relaxed. For getting her to sleep try swaddling , most babies like to feel secure and swaddling mine always worked when they were very small , also you could try a paci , some do like to suck on something as a comfort , and also make sure you have burped her properly , she could have some gas which is causing discomfort.

Good luck you will be fine

that seems like our daughter's schedule at that age. 2-4 oz every 2 1/2 hours. I dont understand your ped. our daughter would just stop eating or spit everything up when she was finished. If she's spitting up alot, you might be over feeding her, otherwise, I would keep doing what you're doing.

i nursed my kids but here is a great chart that should help you on www.earthbest.com, when i nursed it was on demand so there were times i was nursing every 1/2 hour and as they got older 2-3 hours. hope this helps

I agree with everyone else: don't limit her food. If, after feeding her as much as she wants she is still crying, I would investigate the formula. I mostly breastfed, but we did have to supplement a little, and my son only could handle the Carnation Good Start with cultures (in the green label) until he was about 4 months old. (We switched to the Similac Organic then.) Do you know Harvey Karp's 5 'S's? Swaddle, Side, Sush, Suck, and Shake? They are wonderful for comforting newborns-- really, it's like magic. I'd try a pacifier (if you aren't already). And sometimes they just have to cry. If it is really getting too you, and you've done everything you can, there is nothing wrong with putting her safely in her crib, shutting the door, and going somewhere else in the house for 10 minutes. Really!

Hang in there. 6 weeks is the first turning point-- they start sleeping for a little bit longer stretch. Get some help, and get some sleep. If you aren't feeling better in a day or two, call your OB and say that you need to be evaluated for post-partum depression. I remember those first 6 weeks as being pure, unmitigated torture, but they do pass. :-)

My first reaction was also that she's crying b/c she's tired. Don't limit her formula, but you may only think she's hungry if she's that tired. Babies like to suck, it really soothes them, so she may act like she's hungry when she's really just tired. My second child was a major sucker...he wanted to suck everything and I mistook it for hunger. My first child was totally not like that and I was confused for probably the first month or so and I fed him too much! ;) But it's okay, seriously, you'd rather err on the side of caution! It is totally fine for her to sleep all day and wake only for a tiny bit. Let her sleep! At this age, I wouldn't wake her to eat unless it's been more than 4 hours (maybe 5 at night).

Why is she awake so much, do you know? Do you have swings, bouncy seats, etc? Do you think she's gassy? Try holding her with her face pointed to the floor and her tummy on your forearm, almost like she's a waitress tray, it could help if she has gas. Also maybe put some fans in the room or other white noise. I've never had to do it but others have told me they used to put their baby in the carrier and put it on top of the washer or dryer to calm their baby.

One month is so young. Do what you have to do to get them to sleep right now. You won't spoil them and you can't hold them too much. In a few months, it's a different story, but right now it's okay to hold them as much as possible and rock them to sleep. Hang in there! I know how hard it is! I hope you have support!