Do you follow the recommendations on the formula box?

[daniel109]

We are feeding our 5-week-old Aptamil, and on the box it says at the age of 5 weeks they should be eating 170 mL 5 times a day. This would mean about 5 hours between each feed, but he's hungry after 2 or 3 hours! I don't want to starve him for 2 hours just to follow what the box says... What he seems to be eating just now is between 120 and 150 mL 6 or 7 times a day.

The box recommendation is just that- a recommendation right?

edit: I just saw on another post about how changing the nipple size affects how much they drink, do you think if we change the nipple size up one he will drink more per feed and then maybe go for longer between each? At the moment we use size 0 and 1 depending on the bottle we use.

 

[masayou152]

@daniel109 At that age you def shouldn’t go more than 3 hours between feedings. I’ve never seen those recommendations but def don’t follow them.

 

[daniel109]

@masayou152 How weird, I wonder why Aptamil recommends that. Thanks!

 

[butterscoth]

@daniel109 Follow your baby’s cues. I wouldn’t change nip size yet.

 

[daniel109]

@butterscoth Ok great, thanks

 

[denise_]

@daniel109 At that age just feed when baby is hungry You are correct, those ranges are just suggestions. My dude is 5 weeks and his eating is off the charts. Pediatrician says to continue feeding whenever he exhibits hunger cues - don’t worry about the charts.

 

[rodney3929]

@daniel109 Our daughter's 5 weeks too and we're using Aptamil. She's been spitting quite a bit up, possibly because her tummy's still quite small, so we're currently on 90ml at a time but more frequently. Guidance is 150-200ml per kg of weight so as long as they're getting that, putting on weight and wet and dirty nappies then I wouldn't worry too much about the manufacturers' instructions x

ETA: some feeds she wants lots more, some she doesn't quite finish, and we go with her but make sure she has enough over a 24hr period.

 

[daniel109]

@rodney3929 Ok yes I think he is getting the higher end of the recommendation per weight so that’s positive! He’s the same, sometimes more per feed sometimes less

 

[olddrummerdude]

@daniel109 Nope. I went off my baby’s cues. My 8.5 month old still won’t go longer than 3 hours MAX during the day with no feeds so I can’t imagine doing that to a newborn.

 

[daniel109]

@olddrummerdude Ok good, I can't either, really weird.

 

[katrina2017]

@daniel109 My baby is almost two months but eats like he’s a month behind. They recommend 2-3 oz every 3-4 hours. He eats 5-6 every 2.5 to 3 hours.

 

[katrina2017]

@daniel109 Those recommendations seem really off. At that age my daughter took about 60-75 mls every 3 hours. Even at 5 months old she eats every 4 hours, about 5-6 oz.

I wouldn’t expect to get your baby eating only once every 5 hours any time soon.

 

[clayhughes76]

@daniel109 Giving aptamil as well. I never followed the back of the can. I let her set the pace and fed according to her cues.

 

[csgoknife007]

@daniel109 My bub has aptamil too, she's 4 months and we do 150ml every 3 hours during the day and a 200ml when she wakes up early am after her long stretch of sleep, 6 feeds in 24 hours. We tried upping her feeds so she would go longer during the day but it didn't work out