“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
