How much should a newborn eat?

Question

I'm breastfeeding, but my daughter was a month premature and losing weight too fast (she was only 5 lbs 15 oz to begin with) so I started pumping and putting it in a bottle to see how much she usually eats before falling asleep and she only eats like an ounce and a half at a time! She's only 4 days old, so I was wondering how much they usually eat when they are that new.

Answer 1

A FULL TERM baby will only eat around .75-1.25 oz on day 4.  And their stomach will not expand to fit any more.

Please don't bottle feed.  If you must top her up because she is too tired to eat use a cup, paladai or syringe.  Not only will that prevent breastfeeding problems; bottle feeding is actually stressful to a preemie and can cause problems.

What does your baby weigh now?

How often do you feed her during the day?  How often at night?

How many times did she p**p yesterday? So far today>

What colour is her p**p?

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/colostrum.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkc...

Alternative Feeding Methods

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alter...

Breastfeeding your Premature Infant - Resources

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/preemie/preem...

Answer 2

Not enough, 3 oz. preferred.  You daughter is tiring before getting enough.  Tickle her feet to awaken her and keep feeding.  If no improvement is 2 days call the doctor.  You just may have to supplement breast milk with formula.  Your baby's health is more important.

Answer 3

Your best bet would be to ask your pediatrician.  Each baby has different needs and being a month premature she might need more to help her body finish developing.  Your pediatrician is your best bet.  Good luck.

Answer 4

definitly ask her dr. you dont want her to eat to much or to little its best if a pro answers or any of your relatives whove had babies

Answer 5

That is great for her size .She should eat like that for the first week or so. You're doing a great job!!!

Answer 6

My son was born 7 weeks premature and kept in the ICN unit until he was 3 weeks old.  They started feeding him 10 mls every 3 hours at first and gradually increased it.  By the time he was 3 weeks old he was eating 2 oz every 3 hours.  He is now 10 weeks old and is eating 3-4 oz per feeding every 2-4 hours.

It's normal for newborns to lose weight in the first week.  They will gain it back gradually.  My son was 7lb 3oz when born went down to 6lbs 12oz.  When he went home at 3 weeks he was back up to 7lbs 7oz.  

Hope this can help!!

Answer 7

average is 2-3 oz every 2-3 hours.  My son was doing almost 4 oz, he was a big boy.  How are you pumping?  the fat is in the back of your breast, try pumping a breast dry, then the other and give her some milk with more fat in it.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

The best advice I got as a new mom was to feed my daughter for 15 minutes on both b*****s every 3 hours (unless she was hungry early), let her stay awake & then let her put herself to sleep. It was really hard to keep her awake for about 2 weeks but after that she was use to the routine & she is not reliant on the breast to fall asleep. It would take me a long time to feed her at first (like an hour) but it was well worth it. The whole point is making sure she has a full feeding every time you feed her.

Teaching her to put her self to sleep was WONDERFUL! She started sleeping thru the night at 6 weeks (6 hours) then 8 hours at 8 weeks & its been wonderful.

The more she suckles the more milk you'll produce. Your body will respond to how much she eats, producing milk as she needs it. Her stomach is really small so it will fill up really quickly.

Mark your calendar for growth spurts too. It will seem like you're not producing enough milk because she wont stop eating. That is a growth spurt most of the time.

Answer 10

2 oz every 2 hours is normal for a full term baby. A premature baby will probably eat a little less and more often. If your breastfeeding, you're giving your baby the best nutrition and should probably be feeding on demand...which means about every hour for as long as you can keep your baby nursing. You will feel like you can't do much for about the first two weeks, but its fine as long as your baby is eating. And it is normal for babies to lose weight after they are born, but they will gain it back at about two weeks old. Your baby should catch up to a full term baby after she regains her birth weight.

BTW you really can't measure how much you're feeding your baby if you're breastfeeding. The only way to tell if she's getting enough is if she's having 6-8 wet diapers and about 3-4 poopy diapers a day. And don't worry if she doesn't p**p for a few days...that's normal. Unless she's in a lot of pain and crying when she poops, or poops hard stools.