how much formula should a 4 month old eat?

Question

I have a little girl and now she is eating 7 oz, is that to much?

Answer 1

no, your baby cannot overeat.
i just discussed this very topic with my pediatrician yesterday.

my son is 3.5 months and he is HUGE. he is 16.8 pounds and 24.5 inches. however, the doctor said he is in great shape and is doing fine. he said that babies cannot over eat and the only time they worry about little ones over eating is when they are around 2+ and they are eating a bunch of junk food.

babies know when they are hungry and they know when they are full, so feed your little angel as much as she wants whenever she wants it and enjoy your time with her:)

if you are unsure, then ask your pediatrician. please don't starve your baby b/c someone on here told you that she should only be eating 4 oz. every 3-4 hours.

also, have you started her on cereal yet??? that could help, too. put some rice cereal in her bottle (may have to poke some holes in the nipple) or spoon feed her in a highchair during her hungriest part of the day.
so, if she eats 7 oz only in the afternoon, then before you give her a bottle give her about 1tblsp of cereal mixed with formula and then her bottle. this may help satisfy her a little more.

take care:)

Answer 2

My 4 month old was drinking 6-8 ounces at every feeding, but she was having painful vomiting so the dr said to only give her 6 ounces at a time, and add in a feeding session so she is still getting the same amount of formula over the course of a day.

As long as your baby is not having excessive or painful vomiting, she is not getting too much at a time. In general, a baby will let you know when they are done eating. Don't try to force her once she is acting disinterested, and she will be fine.

No matter what, DO NOT put cereal in your baby's bottle! This is a dangerous bit of advice that can lead to choking. If your dr says your baby is ready for solids, feed it to her with a SPOON.

Answer 3

My daughter is 6 months old and only drinks 4 ounces every 2 hours during the day. If your baby's feeding are further apart than every 2 hours, then I would say that she should be eating probably 4-6 ounces every 2-4 hours. If she drinks 7 ounces and is satisfied for 3 to 4 hours, I wouldn't worry about it. I think she is probably fine. Like I said, my daughter drinks 4 ounces every 2 hours. I think it varies from baby to baby. My baby can't handle that much at time. She tends to spit up very badly if she eats that much, so smaller feedings more often is better for her. Like I said, every baby is different. If she can handle 7 ounces and doesn't get an upset stomache from it, then she is probably fine.

Answer 4

My 4 month old takes 6-7 ounces every 4 hours or so. So that sounds about right. I think as long a baby is within normal weight range amount of formula is not so important. I will say though, my baby is bigger than some, but the Dr says he is fine.

Answer 5

Let her gauge on how much she is eating. If she is eating that much and not constantly wanting more it's fine. If she is eating that much and then spitting up maybe it is too much. Every baby really is different. I was giving my baby cereal in her bottle by 2 1/2 months because she just didn't seem satisfied.

Answer 6

How Much Milk Should Baby Be Drinking?
I was told to start feeding my 6-month-old son three meals a day. My concern with doing this is should I also still be giving him 32 oz. of formula/breast milk? Right now he eats dinner and four 8 oz. bottles a day.








Many parents share your concern. By the time that you are juggling multiple feedings and formula or breast milk, an uneasy feeling often develops that something is getting lost in the mix. When mealtime comes, which do you feed first, formula or solids? Or should the formula be given between meals, and how much?

It all starts fairly simply; most healthy formula-fed newborns take 2 or 3 ounces of formula per feeding, and eat every 3 or 4 hours. By one month of age, most have increased on their own to about 4 ounces every 4 hours. By six months, the amount at each feeding has increased to 6 or 8 ounces, but the frequency has dropped to 4 or 5 times a day. By timing these larger feedings while you are awake, your baby won’t need to eat in the middle of the night.

Another way to express this rule of thumb is that the average baby takes 2 or 3 ounces of formula each day for every pound of body weight, up to a maximum of 32 ounces. A newborn weighing 7 lbs. will take an average of 14-21 ounces of formula in a day. A 4-month-old weighing 14 pounds needs 28-32 ounces.

Nevertheless, these are general guidelines. In real life, this may vary quite a bit from day to day and from baby to baby. It’s best to remain flexible and to let your baby’s appetite guide the amount. You don’t need to coax him to finish a bottle, or stop him if he still acts hungry. If your baby consistently chooses to take more or less than the expected amount, discuss this with your pediatrician.

Moms who breastfeed are often worried because they can’t see or measure how much their babies are eating. Babies are born with a sophisticated mechanism that prompts them to nurse until they are full and to stop when their nutritional needs are satisfied. If a mother is not producing enough milk, a healthy baby will act hungry even after feeding and will not gain weight normally. The pediatrician should be called if there is concern.

When a baby is still hungry after 32 ounces or nursing 8-10 times, it may be time to start solids foods. It’s usually best to start with solids once or twice a day, and to finish each meal with nursing or a bottle. Some babies prefer a little formula first to take the edge off their hunger. Babies can have as much of the solids as they want.

At this stage, most of the nutrition still comes from breast milk or formula. The solids provide wonderful experience with flavors, textures, and the mechanics of eating. As the amount of solids they take increases, most babies settle into a pattern of 3 meals of solids each day. The amount of formula tends to drop off a bit, but typically still falls in the range of 6 to 8 ounce bottles given 3 to 5 times a day. Most commonly, a smaller bottle (or half a bottle) is given with each meal and a larger one at bedtime. Some babies also enjoy a bottle first thing in the morning.

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.

Within these broad guidelines, there is plenty of room for different preferences and schedules. Variety is part of life. Your baby and your own intuition are good guides through these exciting times.