BF Question

[Blackcat31]

I have had lots of BF babies over the years but only 6 months and up so I have a few questions. I am temporarily taking care of an 8 week old and he is BF. He eats from bottle really well. So I have only had him one full day and during that day he ate alot! Mom brings frozen milk in 3.5 oz bags. He ate 3.5 oz and wanted more so I warmed another 3.5 bag and he ate that too. Burped great, pooped, and then napped for the next two hours. After sleeping he was hungry again. He ate 3.5 more oz. But still seems hungry.

Is there a normal amount for a BF baby to eat? I am assuming he will eat until he is no longer hungry or is that not correct? I feel like a new mom, but it has been a looooong time since I've had one this young in care and have never had a BF newborn.

I have read on here that BF babies eat more often than formula fed babies...is that true? Should he just eat until he doesn't want to anymore? It seems like 7 oz is a lot if he is eating every two hours or so but yet he acts like he wants more and cries if I stop after the first 3.5 oz. He is a normal size baby with a big appetite I guess....Is this normal? Any advice would be appreciated.

[GG~DAYCARE]

Once a baby is done drinking at the breast, the **** changes and than it becomes like a pacifier. I BF all 5 of my own children adn this is what I have noticed. I have a BF baby now too and I would love if she took a pacifier. She drinks fine from a bottle but is awalys looking to ****! She is 4 months old and drinks 4 oz every 2 hours. Hope this helps!

[dEHmom]

hahaha I'm having a brainfart kind of day today....

i was reading BF as boyfriend and I was like HUH? I get it now! yaya I know.

[Blackcat31]

Mom brought a paci but said the baby doesn't really use it...but you think I should be offering that instead of more breast milk? I don't want to over feed...kwim? 7 oz seems like alot for his age.

[Blackcat31]

hahaha I'm having a brainfart kind of day today....

i was reading BF as boyfriend and I was like HUH? I get it now! yaya I know.

If BF meant boyfriend, I think my DH would have ALOT of questions! LOL!! In your case BF means brain fart! LOL!! ::

[nannyde]

That's a LOT.

I have a ten week old who eats 3.25 oz every three hours here. BF babies do usually eat more often but they don't eat that much that young.

[dEHmom]

If BF meant boyfriend, I think my DH would have ALOT of questions! LOL!! In your case BF means brain fart! LOL!! ::

haha see I do have BF because I didn't even realize BF could be brain fart someone must put me out of my misery, I'm so zonked today.

[jojosmommy]

Once a baby is done drinking at the breast, the **** changes and than it becomes like a pacifier. I BF all 5 of my own children adn this is what I have noticed. I have a BF baby now too and I would love if she took a pacifier. She drinks fine from a bottle but is awalys looking to ****! She is 4 months old and drinks 4 oz every 2 hours. Hope this helps!

Agreed. My son would non-nutritive **** for a long time so when we switched to bottled breast milk we all had a hard time knowing how much was too much. Can you take the nipple off the bottle and hold your finger in it and let him just **** the bottle nipple with no bottle attached?

No other real good advice here but follow his cues and talk to mom about it. She may be feeling the same thing or be worried about not producing enough and would probably like that you are going to support her in this effort.

I forgot to add that breast milk is easier digested and for some kids means more feedings. I would still look to mom for help but thought I should add that too.

[ammama]

I would feed as much as he wants to eat. Babies know when it is enough food - he could be going through a bit of a growth spurt right now, and needs the extra calories. Ask Mom to pump more if she isn't sending enough - or get her to leave a little 'back-up' supply, in case you run out one day.

[dEHmom]

i'm not very helpful when it comes to bf babies, but i'm wondering, if lets say mom didn't have the best dinner last night, or whenever, would the bm be less filling for baby? and so baby would need to drink more?

[busymomof2]

I bf my babies for the first 6 months of thier lives. BF babies drink more because they poop more. The bf baby is prob use to bf every couple of hours when she is with her mom...mom has to release her milk or it will hurt. I was lucky that both of my kids took to the pacifier. The hospital gave it to them but it was a life saver. As the baby's tummy gets bigger they will drink more less often. You just have to get past the first few months or so. Hope this helps!

[Blackcat31]

Yeah, this is his first day here so I don't know his habits and schedule yet but mom did bring like twenty 3.5 oz bags of frozen milk so I do have enough. He has also pooped like every diaper change so far today so that is obviously normal too right? I just thought 7 oz every 2-3 hours was a bit much but he wants it. I will also try the paci just to be sure it isn't the ****ling he is looking for....

thanks ladies!

[kitkat]

My DS is 7 weeks old and takes 5oz of breastmilk every 3-4 hours (I pump instead of bf). Sometimes he takes up to 7oz at a feeding, but not very often.

[SilverSabre25]

i'm not very helpful when it comes to bf babies, but i'm wondering, if lets say mom didn't have the best dinner last night, or whenever, would the bm be less filling for baby? and so baby would need to drink more?

No, the mom's body will take from her body's own reserves to make the breastmilk. If her body is lacking in a certain nutrient (say, calcium), her body will sap her sources of that before compromising the milk. Breastmilk doesn't depend on what she eats--but she does need to drink plenty of water or her supply could drop.

Yeah, this is his first day here so I don't know his habits and schedule yet but mom did bring like twenty 3.5 oz bags of frozen milk so I do have enough. He has also pooped like every diaper change so far today so that is obviously normal too right? I just thought 7 oz every 2-3 hours was a bit much but he wants it. I will also try the paci just to be sure it isn't the ****ling he is looking for....

thanks ladies!

Normal poop, and probably normal eating, too--I've had bf'd babies that eat more at first with me, seemingly to make sure that there will be enough there when they need it. I very much agree with feeding him as much as he seems to want--he knows his own little body and 8 weeks is a normal age for a growth spurt. That's a common age for mama to feel like she's literally doing nothing but nursing the baby day in and day out!

[Symphony]

Everything Silver just said, and I'll add that sometimes BF babies will eat more if they are given a feeding from a bottle because getting milk from the bottle is so much easier than getting milk from the breast. So, the baby who is use to working hard at the breast will put the same effort into the bottle and get a ton more milk. They generally will learn to adjust the pressure, but overfeeding to start is common.

So long as it is staying down, I would let him eat what he wants.