My son 10.5 weeks old is still on a 2 hour feeding schedule. He doesn't breast feed. So, I have to pump exclusively and bottle feed Expressed breast milk. He usually feeds less than 3 oz per feeding and still wakes up every 2 hours. His weight gain is normal; he is the 25th percentile. I hear that 7 week olds drink 4-6 oz of milk /feeding.

Any suggestions on making him drink more per feeding so that he can sleep longer. I have tried several times to feed him more and wait until he is really hungry, but it has not helped much. Your ideas will be useful to me.

Thanks!

My son is the almost the same age yours and he is breast fed. He doesn't drink a whole lot at one time either. He has just started to sleep through the night and notice that he is eating LOTS through out the day. What you could try instead of waiting till he is really hungry, feed him a little more often. Try every hour in the evening before bed if he is usually every 2 hr. I am finding that my ds will drink more through out the day and now I make it a point to feed him more often in the evening so when he is finally a sleep for the night (between 10 and 11pm) he is out till anywhere between 4:30 and 6am) I feed him again and he will sleep for about another 3 hours. It is pretty nice.....now if only I can figure out a way to get the 3 yr old to sleep alittle longer. :) Our babies are also almost ready for rice cearal, that is another option. I don't have ds on it yet because he is very content with the breast but when I had dd she wasn't as easy. I started her on cereal about this time and it made a world of difference for us. Some say it didn't for them but every baby is different. I hope this helps.
Sava

Thanks Savason!

I'll try to feed him more often during the day. My son is drinking a little less than average. As per the doctor he should drink an average of 26 oz a day. However, DS is somewhere between 24 and 25 oz daily. He is in the 25th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height.

Remember that your dr is basing the amount on what formula fed babies drink. I found with my first that he never drank what they said he would...usually only 4 ounces at that age every 3.5-4 hours. At his most, he drank 6 ounces but that was rare...usually only 5 at that was up until he started formula at 10 months...then he drank 8 ounces. Ds#2 is half bf, half bottled as I return to work on Monday. He is 8 months and drinks 5 ounces MAX at a feed.

Well here is another question I have; How does formula compare to breast milk in terms of quantity? DOes 4oz od Breast milk equal 4oz of formula? Thx.

I don't think there is an answer for that as everyone's milk is different and also milk differs from day to day/month to month as the needs of the baby change...ie it is fattier when they are younger etc. Mine is very fatty (you can tell by the amount of cream on the top of it when it sits in the fridge and by the colour of it...it's always very creamy looking, not blueish like skim milk). In general, in talking to others who have exclussively pumped I have found that when their baby is offered formula they drink it faster and drink more than breastmilk. I even have found this with my friends who are nursing but offer EBM or formula from time to time when they are away from their baby. As long as your baby is gaining, wetting diapers and having bowel movements, they are doing fine. Just watch if their growth starts to flat line or dip on the growth chart.