Although parents, especially first-time parents, often like specific rules on how much to feed their baby, there really are no one-size-fits-all rules to feeding a baby. Unlike breastfeeding babies, who simply breastfeed more to stimulate an increased production of breastmilk, you are more directly responsible for how much formula your baby drinks.
So how can you tell how much to feed your baby and when to give him more? You really just need to see how satisfied your baby is and increase his feedings when you notice that he may need more, such as when:
- He quickly finishes a bottle and seems to be looking for more
- It seems like he is wanting to eat more often, like every two hours, when he had been eating every three hours
- He begins to wake up more often at night to eat
- He isn't gaining weight well
Formula Feeding Guidelines
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in the book Your Baby's First Year, states that "most babies are satisfied with 3 to 4 ounces per feeding during the first month, and increase that amount by 1 ounce per month until reaching 8 ounces."Although not an absolute rule, as a general guideline, that would mean that a baby would be drinking about 4 to 5 ounces per feeding during his second month. And most babies are eating about every 3 to 4 hours, with perhaps one longer stretch of 4 to 6 hours during the night when they are sleeping.
Be sure to talk to your pediatrician if your baby is drinking very much more or less than that amount of formula - about 24 to 32 ounces a day.
