Milk Intake w/Reflux

[Anonymous]

I have a question about the amount of milk/formula babies drink when they have reflux. I breastfeed, so it’s kind of hard to really know how much Cade is drinking, but on the occasions that I’ve left a bottle for my husband or the sitter, he only drinks about 2-3 oz. Since my milk’s come in, he has always only drank from one side at each feeding. I now realize this was a bit of self preservation because if he drinks more, he always spits it up (I also have an overactive letdown and lots of milk). Anyway, while he’s drinking for longer periods of time (in the beginning I was lucky if he stayed latched for 5 minutes, now he’s consistently on for 10 minutes. GREAT for going about my day, not-so-great for getting through the night without him needing to eat again…) He’s now 9 weeks and I tried to get him to drink from both sides since he’s going a bit longer between feedings (up to 2.5-3 hours), but he won’t drink more and seems perfectly content. The pediatrician said he should be drinking 5-6 oz. per feeding by now, especially if he’s ever going to sleep through the night. She doesn’t understand how he can be so big drinking 2-3 oz. at a time (he’s 14 lbs.).

Do all reflux babies drink a little at a time? I know they say to limit how much they drink, feed them more frequently, etc., but I just wanted to see how everyone else’s babies handle the milk volume (breastfed or formula).

Thanks!
Andrea

[Anonymous]

Colton only drank 4 oz. during a feeding until he was about 6 months. Even now at 28 months he never drinks more than 6 oz. I think all babies are different. Don’t worry the milk volume will increase.

[Anonymous]

Cooper is taking 7oz every 3.5hrs. He is probably the exception to the rule when it comes to reflux babies, but he is also 20wks old today. I think at 9weeks we were at about 5oz every 4hrs maybe 6 but like Kathleen said all babies are different. It may also be that he doesn’t like to take from the bottle as well as the breast and therefore takes less from the bottle. I was always worried when I breastfed about the amount and found out that I needed to be worried as Cooper only gained 2oz the first 3weeks of his life on breastmilk. So if he is growing and thriving I wouldn’t be too worried.

[hellbennt]

my non reflux breastfed baby doesn’t drink much from a bottle; I think he knows to hold out & wait for mama to return…

[Anonymous]

I thought about that with the bottle. But I also only pump around 3 oz. I know they get more than a pump can get, so maybe he does come closer to 4 or 5 oz. But I do think that he doesn’t drink as much from the bottle, which stresses me out because I go back to work full time on Monday. Our nights could get even worse! But I’ll probably need those extra sessions as much as him – I’ll miss it during the day! Thanks for the encouragement. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about – she just made it sound like he’ll NEVER sleep through the night the way he’s going.

[Anonymous]

I’m no expert, but I am sure that at some point your little one will sleep through the night (which is acutally technically only 5 hours according to some baby experts). At 9 weeks he’s going need mama for awhile at night yet, so enjoy and don’t worry about the Dr. ALana has always been a big feeder, 6 ounces or so but she has also always been bottle fed.

[hellbennt]

it’s hard going back to work! I would say that these little ones (for the most part) get adjusted and figure out what to eat & when & where (and also sleeping)

not eating bcse of holding out for the breast is very different from not eating bcse of a food aversion…so if your lo is generally an ok eater, then I would guess that he will learn to drink at the sitter’s house/daycare…

[Anonymous]

evergreenie wrote: I’m no expert, but I am sure that at some point your little one will sleep through the night (which is acutally technically only 5 hours according to some baby experts). At 9 weeks he’s going need mama for awhile at night yet, so enjoy and don’t worry about the Dr. ALana has always been a big feeder, 6 ounces or so but she has also always been bottle fed.

Well, then he’s sleeping through the night! Just in the last couple days he’s been sleeping around 4 or 5 hours straight. Beautiful. But then the last stretch he’ll wake up every 1-2 hours. Oh well, I’ll take what I can get!

Thanks for the wisdom everyone. I know it’s totally irrational to think he’ll never sleep through the night, but my daughter was sleeping all the way through by 8 weeks, so every night I think “ok, this is it!” and every night it doesn’t happen. I guess that’s the beauty of having two DIFFERENT kids!

[Author]

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