How much should my 3 month old eat?

Question

I think my mother inlaw is over feeing my child (she watches her) between 6.30 and 1.00 she has already eaten 16oz- four, 4 oz bottles. I guess that is about 8oz every 3 hours. Is this too much? I thought they would probably consume about 5 oz at this age. Please help

Answer 1

that doesnt sound like a real lot,,, and i think 5 oz would not be enough,,,,, babies that age usually have a bottle or nurse, every few hours so at 6:30 maybe 8:30 or 9,,, 11:00 or 12, then again around 1 or 2,,,,, and 4 oz at a time is not alot,,,, if your baby seems healthy, and doesnt look obese, (keep in mind babies are often chubby at this age, till they start to crawl or walk) then i would say feed the baby when she seems hungry, if she is full, she wont take it, readily, and dont try to force more in

and also, ask your doctor, if her weight is within normal/expected, for her birth size

Answer 2

If that's how much your baby wants to eat right now, you should let her. At around 3 months babies have a growth spurt which can cause them to feed constantly. They have growth spurts at 3, 6 and 9 weeks, and 3, 6 and 9 months so be prepared for this every time. Your baby will let you know when and how much she wants to eat. The general guideline for a baby of three months is 6-8 feedings daily of 4-5 oz / 125-150 ml per feeding, but all babies are different. Click this link to refer to the Feeding and Nutrition Guide http://ca.geocities.com/__geri/FeedingAndNutritionGuide.xls

Answer 3

Nope it's not too much. That's how much my son was eating at that age. Also, it seemed like some days he ate non stop and then there were days he'd shove the bottle away and just not eat. I think they regulate themselves pretty well.

My neice was eating 6 oz every three hours. Sometimes more depending on that particular day. Your baby could also be going through a growth spurt. If baby sleeps alot next week that's probably what's going on.

Answer 4

Babies typically eat an ounce an hour. That doesn't mean feed them that often, though. For example, if your little one has a bottle, then sleeps for 4 hours, it's fine to give a 4 ounce bottle when she wakes up. So depending on the last time she ate, give her one ounce for every hour that has gone by.

Keep in mind that babies are not "by the book". Growth spurts are frequent in the early months so if your baby seems hungry (nothing else quiets her down) then go ahead and feed her.

The great thing about babies is that if they are full, they will stop eating, or they will spit up. You cannot over-feed an infant.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

I read that between 4-6oz at a time is normal for babies 3-6 months old. That's what our baby takes per feeding and eats usually every 2-3 hours during the day and every 2-5 hours at night.

Answer 6

8 oz is a lot for 3 mos. i think they generally shud have 4-5 oz at 3mos if it is formula feeding. my baby was feeding only that much. he is 9 mos now. but if you had to give him breastmilk, the baby wud feed more often, every 1 1/2 hr-2 hrs becoz breastmilk is easily digestable. but still dont think they can have more than 5 oz at 3 mos. but others seem to vary above in their comments. but i guess as long as he passes proper motions and keeps kicking his hands and legs for activity, it is fine.

Answer 7

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babymenu.htm Scroll down to bottom of page to see the suggested "milk" intake chart for babies.

Your baby should be having about 30-40oz per day. I think one time I read that it's 2.5oz per pound (so if your baby weighs 12lbs, s/he should have 30oz (12*2.5) per day)

Answer 8

let the baby eat as much formula as it wants. it can't hurt em. they won't take it if they don't want it.

Answer 9

at that age i dont think you should restrict food intake, babies grow very fast, and they wont eat if they arent hungry

Answer 10

she'll eat as much as she wants! hopefully you're feeding her breast milk as that'll be best for her age:)