Am i feeding my 3 month old too often?

Question

I am nursing him about every 2-3 hours. He will soon be attending daycare and i'm not sure how the transition to bottle feeding from breastfeeding will come in to play. I want to pump but I'm not sure what I am to do. Do i start to feed him every four hours so he gets used to it. How many ounces do I feed him if I give him a bottle.

Answer 1

Don't start feeding your baby less, babies eat as much as they need to. Just put the milk in bottles, and tell the daycare to feed him every 2-3 hours, or sooner, if he wants it. If they refuse to do it(which I doubt they would- they're paid a lot of money to watch people's kids), then find a different daycare.

For helping the transition from breast to bottle, I recommend using Gerber NUK bottles. The nipple is shaped like a mother's nipple. This helps them latch onto it easier and switch from breast to bottle easier.

Answer 2

no, babies feed at their own pace. the daycare staff should know this.  as for pumping do so at least every 3 hours or when you feed your baby and things will fall into sync.  the amount you give him varies but go with what you pump which might be about 3 to 4 oz.

Answer 3

As a frame of reference, a 4 month old baby does not need more than 5 nursing sessions a day (according to Barton Schmitt, MD). So try to space out your feedings working towards that goal.

Also, to estimate the size of a single serving use 2.5 ounces per pound of baby's weight divided by the number of feedings. Example, an 8lb baby needs 20oz per day & if you are giving 10 feedings that is 2 oz per feeding. (according to Amy Spangler's Breastfeeding guide book).

Remember these are only estimates though so don't drive yourself or the baby nuts trying to meet the numbers.

Answer 4

That sounds about normal. I would try about 3-4 ounces at first. Then make more if you need to.  

Answer 5

I would give him about 4-6 ounces in a bottle and no tell the daycare he eats every 2-3 hours and they can deal with it. That is what they are paid to do. Good luck. Remember to pump every 2-3 hours or your milk supply will go down.  

Answer 6

If you know where your baby will go to daycare, ask them how they handle it. Hopefully they won't insist your baby eat on a rigid schedule right off the bat.

My daughter was nursing every hour and a half when I went back to work at 12 weeks! Because I had a general sense of how much she might eat, daycare suggested I bring in more bottles than what I'd think we'd need. I started with five bottles at 4 oz each, and that transitioned to three bottles at 5 oz (then three bottles at 6 oz). (One bottle every three hours, too.)

As for how I ended up with a general idea for how much she'd take in a bottle, I had the experience of pumping for bottles my husband could give her so I could rest, or if we were at church...

And as for going about pumping, start with a good double electric pump first thing in the morning. As unpleasant and  awkward as it may seem at first, you will pump more milk first thing in the morning than any other time of day.

You could also try pumping one breast while letting your baby nurse at the other. (This, too, gets less awkward over time.)

And, if your supply is really good, you could pump for a few minutes after you've nursed your baby.

Good luck. Breastfeeding is hard work and so is pumping! But remember it does get easier.

Answer 7

No continue to nurse as you are. Will you be giving formula or breast milk. Formula feed every 3-4 hours and breast feed every 2-3 hours. When nursing on one breast you can pump the other to start a supply to give daycare. I would make enough for 4 ounces every 2-3 hours at daycare. And start to have dad or someone give him a bottle about 2 weeks before sending him to daycare so he can get used to it.