Under Feeding

This week I received a lot of questions from moms whose babies who 
were 5 or more weeks old and seemed to need to eat every 2 hours.  The 
moms were becoming sleep deprived and felt like their babies were 
constantly hungry. It didn’t matter if they were using pumped milk or 
formula, all were having the same issue. After a few more questions, I 
realized that they were not offering enough in the bottle.  Some were 
only offering 1.5 ounces (40ml), others only 2 ounces (60 ml) and 
others 3 ounces (100 ml).

Here’s a tip that might help, if your baby seems to be hungry all the 
time. Offer them at least ½ - 1 ounce more than you usually do, if 
they drain the bottle, then add another ½ to full ounce, until you 
find just the right amount.  Ideally, your baby should not drain their 
bottles, they should eat until they are satisfied and then have a 
little bit left over.  In this way, they are deciding when they’re 
full.  Don’t force them to finish every last drop, because that can 
lead to overfeeding and weight issues later on in life.  So, just like 
goldilocks and the 3 bears, make sure you’re offering not too little, 
not too much, but just the right amount of formula or pumped milk.

(This blog was originally publisehd in 2009)