https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 14 May 2026 08:12:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2485216 Sat, 05 Mar 2016 15:01:59 +0000 Waterbaby 2485216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all of the replies! The milk/feeding is so confusing! It's slightly more complicated because they are my in laws. I shared paced feeding with them when they first started watching him, but I'm not sure they are really doing it. This week they fed him a ton (sometimes every hour and one day 4 oz followed by another 4 oz...45 minutes later!!!). I'm just hoping this is a growth spurt and he chills out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2485098 Sat, 05 Mar 2016 11:30:35 +0000 Waterbaby 2485098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <br /><p><i>This comment has been deleted by the original poster.</i></p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476782 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 23:04:33 +0000 QBbride 2476782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, it is common for babies who drink exclusively breastmilk to drink A LOT less than those who are formula fed, because breastmilk doesn't really have any "waste product"... the body basically uses all of it. I think KellyMom says babies who drink breastmilk sometimes even drink half the amount (!!!) of babies who are formula fed... just FYI :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476601 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:08:25 +0000 BSB 2476601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was taught in the NICU how to read feeding cues. My babies will open their mouth and cry when they are still hungry. My babies are primarily formula fed. The short time I was BF and pumping, they did not seem to get full enough (BM is less calories than formula). </p> <p>There were a few times where my daughter would drink too much and throw it up, but it's rare. </p> <p>At 4 months of age, they were both taking about 150ml or 5 oz of formula. Not sure if this matters but they were preemies and at 4 months of age, they were 3 months adjusted age. </p> <p>We were advised recently by our pediatrician to start waking them up to feed because they weren't gaining enough weight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476590 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 18:43:50 +0000 lepamplemousse 2476590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, for what it's worth my youngest son ate 4 oz at 3 months and now at 4 months eats anywhere from 4-6 oz. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476586 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 18:39:10 +0000 lepamplemousse 2476586@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly it's not worth stressing over. Give him whatever he eats. My first son started off eating 3oz at each feeding at home but at daycare it kept going up and up until he was at 8oz 3-4 times a day. I was so stressed about it but in the end if he was really over eating he'd throw it up. Babies do eat more when they get older and it can go up pretty fast. </p> <p>I know lactation consultants always talk about paced feeding and how BM changes with the baby so they usually eat the same amount as they get older but I didn't find this to be true. Plus babies are a lot more efficient at getting all the milk out than breast pumps so what you pump isn't exactly what they eat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476164 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:36:00 +0000 petitenoisette 2476164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine has always taken between 3-4 ounces per feeding, and between 9-12 ounces a day. Right now she just turned a year and is still doing 3 bottles, 4 ounces a day (over about 9 hours). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476152 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:29:44 +0000 Ms.Badger 2476152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a similar problem when I went back to work (<a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-breastmilk-is-too-much" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-breastmilk-is-too-much</a>). It seems like it was a combination of wanting that extra comfort of feeding while I was away and he was adjusting to something new and the new care-giver having trouble getting him to nap and he got over-tired.</p> <p>I just allowed him to "over-eat" and it worked itself out. :goodluck: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476113 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:01:37 +0000 kes18 2476113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do paced feedings. And the standard rule is to leave them 1-1.5oz per hour that you are away. So if you're gone 9.5 hours you would leave 9.5-14.25 oz. I was gone 9.5 hours the most she ever took in one day was about 15.5 at 5.5mo old (they didn't pace feed though). At 4 mo I think she took 4 to 4.5oz bottles (9:30am, noon, 3pm)</p> <p>1-1.5 oz per hour rule works out to the normal average consumption of 24-36oz over a 24 hour period. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476100 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:57:23 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2476100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>6 ounces I would say would be the max if they are stretching feedings to every 3-4 hours. But if they are wanting to eat more like every 2-3 hours and aren't taking long naps, breaking the ounces up may work better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476095 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:56:01 +0000 autumnlove 2476095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It really varies. 6 doesn't sound crazy but my LO usually does 3-4 at 6 months. My friend's 4 month old does 5-6. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2476034 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:21:54 +0000 DenverMom 2476034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My baby has never taken more than 4 oz bottles of breastmilk. Sometimes she would eat more often, so she'd take about 3.5 oz every 2 hours, but in one sitting, no more than 4 oz. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475794 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 09:26:44 +0000 josina 2475794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did 5 oz. bottles every 3 hours; so while I was at work he was drinking 15 oz. and we never did anymore than that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475781 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 09:22:18 +0000 snowjewelz 2475781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine never took more than 5 either... They really shouldn't need to drink that much since the content of your milk changes to meet their needs. I mean, if you have a good stash going he can have 5 each time? If not I'd just see if they can just do 4. We never pace feed b/c it was hard enough to get her to take the bottle as is, but she was always still happy with 4-5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475505 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 23:09:12 +0000 QBbride 2475505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think 4-5oz sounds like a good volume. My EBF baby never took more than 5oz. </p> <p>What you pump per session isn't really a good indicator of how much he actually eats though, because your baby is a lot more effective at removing milk than your pump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475503 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 23:05:32 +0000 gingerbebe 2475503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, at 4 months, my son was taking 5-6oz of pumped breastmilk per feeding, for a total of 28-30oz a day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475450 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 21:49:45 +0000 catomd00 2475450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My EBF baby never took more than 4oz of breastmilk at a time. Your body knows what it's doing. Talk to them about paced feeding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475367 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:30:29 +0000 MrsSRS 2475367@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree that's too much. Have you thought about offering them some resources on paced feeding? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475362 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:25:43 +0000 hellobeeboston 2475362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also pump around 4oz each time. LO is almost 5 months. Sometimes I get more and sometimes less. I usually have daycare give him 4, if he's still hungry they will give another 2oz, but that's rare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumped-milk-how-muchoften#post-2475273 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:23:45 +0000 Waterbaby 2475273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So I'm back at work and pumping. I leave various bottles of milk for my inlaws (who are watching the baby-4 months old). Lately they are giving him two bottles back to back- meaning he takes 6 ounces total for a feed. I typically pump 4 ounces each time at work. I feel like the 6 ounces is too much at once- I know he probably chugs it down though. Should I ask them to keep the feeds around 4/5 ounces to match what he eats when he is bf? Does that matter?</p> <p>How much/how often is average at this age? </p>