How Much Breast Milk Should I Put In a Bottle?

Question: How Much Breast Milk Should I Put In a Bottle?

Answer:

It's difficult to know how much milk a baby actually gets when she's directly feeding from the breast, but you'll want to make sure that you're not overfeeding when you give your baby a bottle.

Here is the calculation for supplementing breast milk in a bottle:

1. Convert the baby's weight to ounces. (Don't forget to add those extra ounces in!) One pound equals 16 ounces.
   Example: An 8 lb., 4 oz. baby will be 132 ounces.

2. Take the baby's weight in ounces and divide by 6.
   Example: 132/6 = 22.

3. Take that number and divide once again by 8 (for 8 feedings/day). This will bring you to the amount that should be in the bottle for one supplemented feed.
   Example: 22/8=2.75 oz.

Keep in mind that your baby may be interested in having more than the calculated amount. This is a general recommendation. In addition, you'll want to adjust these amounts as your baby has more current weight checks.