Are 6 ounce bottles a good idea?

Question

My son just turned 1 month old on the 22nd of August. The last time I saw the Ped., he stated that he should be drinking 24 ounces a day of formula. He is not a "on demand" eater. I have been trying to keep him on a regular schedule of feedings, at least within 1 1/2 hours lead way...
My soon to be mother in law states that at night before he should go to sleep, that I should give him a 6 ounce bottle to make him sleep longer though the night, mind you, I have no problem getting up with him at night. She states that this is what she did 24 years ago with my fiance, when he was a baby. Mind you, she told me that her doctor recommened AGAINST IT... She is a very pushy woman at times, or so I feel and I do not feel that this is a good idea?
Well, the real question is, is it a good thing to do? And if not, how do I deal with telling her?

Answer 1

Hi
I am a nutritionist

I'm going to just point out a few things so you can make your own decision...

the current capacity of your one month olds stomach is 2-4oz, if you stretch a stomach by overfeeding it takes more food to make you feel full (so a larger stomach puts the baby at risk for over eating)

baby's are supposed to have short sleep cycles and wake frequently, infants that sleep more soundly or for longer periods and at risk for crib death

"Most babies do not begin sleeping through the night (six to eight hours) without waking until about three months of age, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. Newborns and young infants have a small stomach and must wake every few hours to eat. In most cases, your baby will awaken and be ready to eat about every three to four hours. Do not let a newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks. " per lucile packard childrens hospital at stanford
http://www.lpch.org/diseaseHealthInfo/healthLibrary/newborn/behrslep.html

I will also post a chart and formula to figure your baby's caloric needs and how much formula that equals

Energy RDAs for healthy, full term infants are as follows:

Age Energy Recommendations (kcal/kg/d)

0-6 months / 108

6-12 months / 98

1-3 years / 102


To Provide 108 kcal/kg/d

Infant's Weight Expected Total Daily Intake (in ounces)

Pounds kg 20 kcal/oz

4.5 / 2 / 11
6 / 2.7 / 15
8 / 3.6 / 19
10 / 4.5 / 24
12 / 5.5 / 30
To estimate energy requirements and recommended formula intake for an individual infant:

* Obtain infant's weight in kg. If measurement is taken in pounds, convert ounces to a decimal value of a pound (each ounce is .0625 of a pound) and multiply by .454.
* Multiply weight in kg by 108 kcal/kg to get estimate of total energy needs.
* Divide by 20 to get number of ounces of 20 kcal/oz formula.

Example:

* Infant weighs 7 pounds 6 ounces.
* 6 ounces is equal to 6 x .0625 = .375 pound
* Infant weighs 7.375 pounds or 7.375 x .454 = 3.34 kg
* 3.34 kg x 108 kcal/kg = 360 kcal total daily energy need
* 360 kcal/20 kcal per ounce = 18 ounces of formula a day

Answer 2

You are the mom afterall. Feeding a baby 6 ounces before bed will not mean that he will sleep longer. Every baby is different, and at your sons age he will let you know if he needs food. At 1 month age my daughter and son ate about every 3 hours. I was told when my kids were that age to put rice cereal in the bottle because that will help them sleep longer. But, I never did. I did what was right for my baby. And believe me, I had family telling me how to do everything. You're his Mom and that is the bottom line. You sound like you are a very concerened and caring parent. As long as your baby isn't malnurished and that he is growing and thriving and being loved, that is all that matters.

Answer 3

First of all, even at 12 months my daughter was still drinking 4 oz. bottle. Not that I thought it was okay, but she never would take more than that. If I put more, it went to waste. Your baby will know when to stop when he feels full. You shouldn't force or deprive him - either of those things is wrong.

I can understand why she is aggrivating you. My x-mother-in-law would tell me to put cereal in the milk bottle before she went to bed, which is a Big no-no. Why do people think they know better than the pediatricians? It's like whatever they say, they do the opposite? Anyway. in my opinion, 6 oz at 1 month sounds a little too much. I think that my daughter was taking 2 -3oz. You should do what You feel is right and according to your son's needs.

Answer 4

Its 25-30 he should be drinking. My daughter is 2 months, teething already and is drinking an 8 ounce bottle all day til bedtime then she'll drink 10-12 ounces of formula and sleep from 10:30 or 11pm-7am sometimes til 8! She weighs 10 pounds 7.3 when she was born and is healthy as a horse I just wish I could get through the teething stage, I hate it. My son, completely opposite and didn't teeth til about 5-6 months and drank an 8 ounce bottle at 4 months. You're the parent not her you decide!

Answer 5

My experience is that you can force a baby to eat. Giving your baby six ounces before bed won't hurt, but only if your baby is hungry. I also wouldn't let your mother in law push you into doing something either, because what was good for a baby 24 years ago is not ncssarily good for a baby today.

Answer 6

Congratulations on your new baby. Your mother in law is so wrong. But don't tell her that when she pushes the issue of the bottle just say this is working just fine for us. then say in a few weeks he will be up to a 6 ounce bottle but theirs no reason to rush it. Then if that doesn't work say that this is the reason why obesity is so high in America. When she pushes at you don't take it either tell her what you think. But don't fight cause that wont solve anything.also clue in your fiance about this stuff.

Answer 7

You're baby will actually tell you if he wants it or not. Fill up the bottle to 6 oz. , let him eat until he no longer sucks. (Stop at 3oz. burp him, and continue.) He'll stop when he is full. You will mind getting up with him when he is 4 months old. It gets old fast, so try it out and see what happens. From now on, just tell your MIL thank you, and you'll keep her suggestion in mind in the future. Moms like to give advice because they think they are helping you-- not trying to tell you how to raise your kids. My Mom is the same way, and I hate to admit, she had some pretty good ideas at times.Good luck

Answer 8

The thing that I have learned with the stuff is that it depends on the horse. It had absolutely no effect on my mare, and actually as soon as I stopped using it I noticed more of a difference. One of my friends horse's had an opposite effect, where it worked wonders. If I were you I would try it out for a certain amount of time, and if you see no change then I would stop using it. Horses are like people, each are different, and that includes hair growth times/lengths

Answer 9

He is only one month old and should not be drinking more than 4 oz at a time.However a tablespoon of cereal in his bottle will also help him to sleep.But at one mth old they do not sleep 4 long periods a time anyways.So u can wait until 4 mths to try the cereal if u want.Tell her u don't want to over feed himor just tell her the truth,it is your baby and you don't want to do what she has suggested.

Answer 10

i personally think they are a good idea because at the age of your baby, he may not drink more than that, and if you use powder milk you have to throw it away if it is not all drank. and milk is expensive. but if you feel about your mother n law the same as i feel about mine, just because she said i should use 6 oz bottles, i would do the oposite. lol