Formula and breast feeding mothers?

Question

Breast feeders: How often do you feed your baby? Say you pump and feed. If you pump how soon afterwards can you bf? (I'm wanting to pump in order to save milk and feed also)

Formula feeders: How much powder formula do you go through in a month? How many cans? How many ounces are in a can?

Answer 1

I use about 9 cans a month.Sometimes not that whole amount though.My son isn't on a feeding schedule,but he eats somewhere between 5-6 oz every 3-4 hours.Lately it has been every 2 or 3 hours.I think it is a growth spurt or something.I am not sure how many oz's are in a can though.Sorry can't help you there.

Answer 2

As often as they want, it varies completely from baby to baby.  I have one that nursed 2-3 times an hour and one that as a newborn would barely make 7 times a day (and 8 is the minimum).  And I have to say 2-3 times an hour but for 2-5 minutes is much easier to deal with than every 2-8 hours for 30-60 minutes.  Everything can wait for 5 minutes (even if you really, really have to pee).  But for 30 minutes you have to plan ahead, turn off the stove, etc.

You can breastfeed immediately after pumping.  Pumping is inefficient at getting milk out of the breast compared to the baby, and you can NOT EMPTY A BREAST.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkpr...

Do b*****s need time to refill?

Many people mistakenly think of a mother's milk supply as being like "flesh-covered bottles" that are completely emptied and then need time to refill before baby nurses again. This is simply not how we understand milk production to function.

First of all, milk is being produced at all times, so the breast is never empty. Research has shown that babies do not take all the milk available from the breast - the amount that baby drinks depends upon his appetite. The amount of milk removed from the breast varies from feed to feed, but averages around 75-80% of the available milk.

! Trying to completely empty a breast is like trying to empty a river -- it's impossible, since more milk will keep flowing in while milk is being removed.

Research also tells us that the emptier the breast, the faster the breast makes milk. So when baby removes a large percentage of milk from the breast, milk production will speed up in response.

! Rather than thinking of nursing or pumping as "pouring milk out of a container" think of it as flipping on the "high speed production" switch!

! Yet another analogy: Imagine you are using a straw to drink from a glass of water. As you drink, a friend is very slowly pouring water into your glass. The emptier the glass, the faster your friend pours the water. Would you be able to drink all the water in your glass?

Waiting a set amount of time to nurse your baby (under the mistaken belief that b*****s need time to "refill") is actually counterproductive. Consistently delaying nursing will lead to decreased milk supply over time because milk production slows when milk accumulates in the breast.

Answer 3

I feed my son on demand, which is every 3-4hrs.

If i pump & he wants to eat i put him to the breast immediately after. There's always milk coming out, slowly but coming out, so no worries.

God Bless

Answer 4

I breast fed my baby every 3 to 4 hours in the beginning.  When I wasn't with her I'd try and pump at her regular feeding times or whenever it was convienient.  To start my stock pile of milk I'd actually pump right after I fed her (great way to get production up) or I'd pump one side as she nursed the other (get a lot more form the let down that way), then I'd switch sides.  Let her finish up on the pumped side and see what was left on the nursed side.  (Make sure you alternate sides every time you feed).

This worked for me and I had crazy milk production.

Answer 5

I buy formula in 24 ounce cans. That lasts me about 5 days. My son drinks about 30 ounces a day. I use about 6 cans a month.

Answer 6

I formula feed. We used to use Similac Sensitive (25.7 oz can of powder) but now use Parent's Choice Sensitive (found at Walmart-25.7 oz can of powder). Similac normally was $26.39 a can at Target & Walmart. But at Walmart the Parent Choice brand is only $14.88 where I live. We typically go through about 4 cans a month. We switched with of course speaking to the doctor first. So far so good.

Answer 7

ruby had to switch to formula at 2 months. she was never a big eater, but at her peak (around 10 months) we went through maybe 2 of the large cans each week (enfamil prosobee). so that's about 34 bucks worth. she was always fed on demand.

Answer 8

Formula feeding.

I use 4 tins in a month. Basically one a week. Out of that one weeks tin we get 5 x 8oz bottles. So in a tin there is approx 280 oz of formula.  

Answer 9

Formula: 2 400 gram cans per week for a 4 month old. I am trying relactating at the moment and am succeeding at night and early morning so far, so that saves me 2 bottles per day. A can might last longer now, but at the same time he's started eating bigger portions, so it'll probably even each other out.

Answer 10

Pumping didn't work for me, so I only did it a few times. I started out feeding her every 3 hours and then around 3-4 months I started feeding her every 4 hours.

Answer 11

I always fed on demand.  She was a pretty typical baby -- ate about every 2 hours for the first several months, then every 2 1/2 -3 hours for the rest of the year.  (She began sleeping through the night at 7 months.)

You are always making milk, so you can pump any time, and nurse any time.  (You might want to pump one breast and feed on the other to ensure that baby gets plenty and doesn't get frustrated.)