How much should my 6week old eat?

Question

My son is drinking pumped breast milk and a little formula when I can't pump enough. He has reflux and is starting prilosec because he throws up almost everything he eats. I only feed him 2oz at a time like every hour and a half. He has gained 2lbs since birth. How much do other 6week olds eat in a feeding?

Answer 1

I'd say between 3 and 5 oz every 4 hours. Your baby will get more and will control his hunger on his own if you can possibly start nursing him directly from the breast. If you pump all his feedings, eventually you will fail to keep up and have to quit. Not to mention, you're doing twice the work! Babies have growth spurts at 3 and 6 weeks as well as 3, 6, and 9 months. Those growth spurts are intended to increase your milk production. A pump won't do that for you. It's not too late to teach your son to breastfeed! Enlist the help of a lactation consultant or an experienced nursing mom. As for the reflux, try putting a wedge in his crib. It worked for my daughter and she never had to go on medication. Good luck to you!

Answer 2

I have two kids and both were SOOOOO different in regards to eating (and well EVERYTHING else). My son was a tank and nursed every 1 1/2 hours. He gained weight quickly and finally evened out when he was one. Now at 2 1/2 he's a healthy little boy. My daughter on the other hand nursed every 4-5 hours and gained no weight for a little more than 3 months. She's now 1 1/2 and doing just fine.

Our doctor said the best way to tell if little ones are getting enough to eat is if they have regular bowel movements and enough potty in their diapers. If this is the case, he said not to worry. If your son is constipated or doesn't seem to potty very much, I would call your pediatrician and see what he thinks. It never hurts to call the nurses at your pediatricians anyways . . . they usually know a lot :) Good luck!

Answer 3

Will he not latch on? You may want to see a lactation consultant and see if you can get him to latch... it will make your life 100x easier.

Have you tried eliminating foods from your diet? Dairy is a common one. Im not sure if you would see good results while supplementing formula though.

Youre right, its best to feed small amounts frequently...

However much he wants to eat is going to be the right amount. Keep in mind that hes going to hit a growth spurt here soon and you will need to up your pumping to up your supply. Find a good pumping moms support group... www.kellymom.com has one as does www.myspace.com.

Answer 4

you should feed him every 2 to 3 hrs depending on how hungry he is good luck.....