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How much to feed baby
"I am currently breastfeeding and want to be able to pump and feed an occasional bottle when someone else needs to watch my baby. He is 6 weeks of age and has gained weight of more approximately 10 ounces per week for the last 3 weeks. How do I know how much milk to feed them at each feeding with a bottle?”
A general guideline for a strictly bottle-fed baby is to give 2 to 2.5 ounces per pound of body weight per day. So, for a 10-pound baby, he would get 20 to 25 ounces per day. Divide this by 8-10 feedings per day, this gives about 2-3 ounces per feeding. When you are using a bottle as an occasional alternative to the breast, the amount of that particular feeding may vary. Don’t worry too much, just prepare a few ounces and if he doesn’t finish it, no problem. He is gaining plenty of weight.
Dr. Jim
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