How much is too much milk for a 5 week old??

Question

Ok so i was expressing my milk and feeding via bottle as my son will not suck from my breast (long story there but we have been everywhere from a parenting centre, lactation consultants and breastfeeding latch groups he wont suck but just holds it in his mouth and then spits it out

Anyway so i expressed for him due to lack of stimulation i wasnt making enough milk or the pump wouldnt pull enough out of me to give him a full feed that he needed and the midwife told us to get formula

Well so he is having formula and one bottle of breast milk a day (its all i can get and its better than nothing)

The thing is he is having more than the 6 bottles of 120ml that is recommended for his age

He has the 120ml and keeps sucking the bottle and then when he is burped again he looks for more by sucking his hands and trying to push his head around and crys

So igive him another 30 ml which he is happy with and will settle

So we were asking the midwife and clinic lady and she said hat we should give him 120ml only and that we need to make him hold out four hours instead of 3 between bottles''

Well i dont need to be rude but if he is hungry im going to feed him

Am i wrong here or what???

Answer 1

Well, first of all I really applaud you for trying so hard with the breast feeding. With my first born I was able to breast feed her only for the first 2 weeks and I developed a life threatening infection in my incisions from the c-section and therefore had to stop feeding her due to the anti-biotics could be harmful to her.

As a result I was never able to get her back to feeding. I tried hard and was able to go for about 4 weeks after being off the meds but it gradually just stopped producing and dried up for me also she was feeding every hour at that point which indicated that it just wasn't satisfying her alone. So I supplemented with formula and eventually gave up.

With my second born who came 14 months later, hehe, I never was able to breast feed him at all. Firstly, we got on the wrong foot bcz 30 mins after he was born and I was in recovery still they had to give him formula from the nursery bcz his sugar was low and he was starved. He was a BIG boy too.

Anyway, I am a student of early childhood education and not only have I experienced with my two babies hands-on but also I have the book knowledge when it comes to newborns.

You are right. You must always remember that you are right when it comes to YOUR baby. Mothers always know best and you said that he is still hungry.

With my firstborn I made the mistake of going by the textbook with counting hours between feedings and every little thing. She was a very unhappy newborn as a result and I feel guilty sometimes when I look back on it. The second time around I learned to simply 'listen' to my son. When he cried I fed him. And I would mix more if he seemed to still be hungry.

Every baby is different and requires more or less feeding at different times. With my son, he would feed more in the daytime and then at night he would take smaller feeds or not at all. Its totally normal.

And now that you are supplementing with the formula you should be able to handle your baby's feeding alone. You can still pump and give him a combination of the two. He may have a bit of gassiness or colic. In which case, you try to burp every 2 ounces and also massage his tummy. If he has tummy problems there is also a wonderful natural remedy that has existed since our mothers were newborns and that is Gripe Water. It is expensive but you can get it at your local drug store over the counter. Giving him a teaspoon of it when he seems most fussy or gassy will help soothe him. I don't recommend any medications even infant tylenol! But that is one thing that is natural and helps work wonders when you have no other ideas left.

Listen to his cues and if he sucks his hands then he needs more. If he stops mid bottle don't try to wake him or make him take it. Just sit the bottle aside and it will stay fresh for two hours after that toss it.

Over burping is sometimes unnecessary. My son sit up more when I burped him for example. He usually burped on his own and I never noticed any gassiness.

Aside from these tips, remember that you should sleep when the baby sleeps. Until he is old enough to sleep through the night which can take a few months to establish, it is best to have a bed for him set up next to your bed or a place where you can also lay down too. Breast feeding becomes difficult when you are under stress or not sleeping or eating enough. Your body could be thrown off just bcz of you are constantly worried about his well being. That is new mother's syndrome. So try to rest and remember to take a hot bath or give yourself a facial anything to make you feel better. You can sit his bouncer next to the tub and he will be happy to be carried along with you.

I hope I helped you. But its better for your baby's happiness to throw out the time schedules and rules about feeding. I know its a scary thought but if you listen to him and watch him he will tell you he is hungry and he will stop when he has had enough. Mother is always right about her babies and every baby is so different from the next. (I have two polar opposite babies one was a terribly unhappy newborn and the other as calm and happy as could be.) Good luck and you will be fine.

Answer 2

A 5 week old knows how hungry they are and need fed on demand.  At 5 weeks they eat about every 2-3 hrs and can take anywhere from 2-6 oz at a feeding with no problem.  Just feed your baby when he is hungry, you are the mom you know he is hungry not them.  

Answer 3

no... i completely agree with you.

and i must say (sorry) but i have to disagree with the first answer.

babies are humans. they're not stupid. they know when they feel hungry. if they are still suckling then they are obviously hungry. they always stop when they are content.

you say that if u give him an extra 30mL he settles and is happy then that's probably the right amount he needs :-) just because it's not the "norm"

listen to your baby and your instincts

good luck, i know what hard work it can be!!!

Answer 4

when I was a little girl my older sister had a baby that ate ever 2 hrs and around 6-7oz at a time. I remember my grandmother putting in some instant potato flakes to help fill my niece up. not much just enough to thicken the milk. This worked. When I had my own children my oldest did not eat near as much as my youngest did. So I decided that baby needs to eat when they are hungry, not when "experts" dictate especially since these "experts" do not have your baby's tummy therefore they can not say when your baby is hungry.

You are not wrong Keep being the good mom and take care of your baby.