Is my 6 + a half month old drinking enough milk?

Question

Hi I am a mum of 2, and just thought I'd see if anyone else thinks that my baby girl is not getting enough milk? She is 6 & a half months but still just 14lb 4 so quite small for her age and always has been. Since I have weaned her when she was 19 weeks her milk intake has gradually decreased. She gets a 7oz bottle when she wakes up about nine then her porridge which I have to make up with water( according to instuctions), then another 7oz bottle about two in the afternoon and then a full jar of savoury and a full jar of pudding about 5.30 and then her bedtime bottle (7 oz) about 7.30pm. She is drinking about 20 ounces a day of milk + a little baby juice? I have read the guidelines on the side of the formula carton and it says she should be drinking around 32 oz a day. Does anybody think I should have any concerns about this? I'm not worrying too much as she is very healthy and continues to gain weight steadily and has always stayed on the same centile. Should I be worrying at all?

Answer 1

not all babies are big milk drinkers, ignore the side of the carton, the most my little boy ever drank was 27 ounce a day, he drinks hungrier baby formula so it does fill him up more, we also began weaning around 18 weeks, he just doesnt like downing lots of milk!

I know it can be worrying when you read things like "my baby drinks 4-5 8oz bottles a day" but as you know every baby is different, 20oz is completely fine, if in doubt add some formula to her solids and make her puddings dairy based, like yoghurt, custard, rice pudding, as this is seen as a milk intake also.

My son is 6 months old and drinks 20oz of milk a day - 6oz in morning, 7oz in the afternoon and 7oz before bed (not big bottles but he just wont take anymore - he sometimes doesnt even finish them) he also gets porridge in the morning,  yoghurt at lunch and  a dinner and fruity pudding at night he drinks juice with meals, he is 17lbs 5oz and has slept 8-8 for months!

Answer 2

she sounds healthy to me, but if concerned why not contact your health visitor. I had the opposite problem with my son having too much milk! My health visitor told me to remember the milk added to food also counts. If this is the case why not make her more meals with milk in them. It sounds like you buy baby food, try making it your self occasionally, its much healthier and cheaper. You will be able to monitor how much more milk she is getting. I always found macaroni cheese was a favourite and easy to make. Also you could try and make a little of the porridge with milk it may be ok.

Answer 3

my son is 6 1/2 mths and has only 20ozs over the day, including what i mix in to his food, ( i always use milk, although it says water) i worried this wasn't enough, but H.V said as long as they have a pint which is 20 ozs they will be fine, as they are having food as well, i am trying not to worry now, and  i have stopped counting, as i know some days he only has 18 ozs but others 22 ozs, my ds is gaining fine, if your dd is, then try not to worry, these are only guidelines after all, and all babies need different amounts of milk.

Answer 4

All babies are different.  As long as she is gaining weight then she must be taking in enough calories.  If you have major concerns then speak to your GP or health visitor.

Answer 5

My first thought is that this is a question that you should be posing to your pediatrician.

That said, I would offer the formula first at every meal and the food second.  I assume you are giving her baby formula and not cow's milk.

For what it's worth, the directions on the baby cereal I gave my babies said it was ok to use water, formula, or breast milk to prepare it.

Answer 6

If she is on the same weigh curve as she ever was then she is ore than likely gaining enough weight for her.

If you are concerned I would replace the 3oz of juice with formula, and add formula to the cereal (unless it has formula in it, which some do)

http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&a...

A baby can have up to 32 ounces of formula per day. In addition, he can have as much in the way of solids, water, or juice as he wants to supplement this. The mealtime formula is usually given at the end of the meals, to top off the solids in a comfortable and easy way. Even though the solids are now playing a larger role, the breast milk or formula still provides the core of the nutritional needs. If a baby begins to regularly take less than about 20 ounces per day, you might want to offer the bottle first and then solids.

Thirst is an extremely strong drive. As long as a baby’s own regulating mechanism isn’t tricked by getting too much juice or water, healthy babies will take enough formula or breast milk to meet their nutritional needs. This is one good reason not to put juice in the bottle.

Let your baby set the pace, but if he continues to consistently take more than 32 ounces or less than 20 ounces, run it by your pediatrician.  

Answer 7

less juice?

she will also need less if the food intake is greater...

Answer 8

That is pretty low but as long as you are taking her the doctor and they dont say anything she must be ok.

Answer 9

hi there when my son was 6 months he still drank lots and lots of milk and the hv told me to cut him down to 20oz a day and the was plenty for him.

But can i just say to you the baby juice that you give ur little one has lots of sugar in it so make sure u add lots of water ( even the ones that state ready to drink) as in a small bottle there is just over 3 tablespoons and in a big bottle there is over 15 tablespoons

if u r still concerned contact ur hv thats why they r there 2 give u peace of mind

good luck x*x