Do you actually know the amount your feeding your babe?

Rachel - posted on 04/07/2010

I always tell people I give him as much as he wants ;)

If they feel the need for numbers, I can tell them how many times he pees and poops :D

Michelle - posted on 04/07/2010

As long as your bubs has plenty of wet/dirty nappies she is getting enough breastmilk. If someone asks how much? rather than how often? it is sure sign of someone who formula feeds. I breastfed until my daughter was almost 18 months (she choose to stop because I'm pregnant with #2). I couldn't tell you if my life depended on it how many mls she had at a feed.

Melisa - posted on 04/07/2010

Thanks for the reassurance everyone. I am not worried at all that she is not getting enough, I just was not sure if most people do measure. I feel better knowing it's mostly only a formula thing and it just means there are a lot more formula feeders out there if so many have been asking me LOL

Kathy - posted on 04/07/2010

I always refer to kellymom when answering questions about getting enough milk. It's a wonderful website and it helped me through breastfeeding two kiddos. Check out this link on how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk. :)

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough...

Emily - posted on 04/07/2010

The only time I know how much my daughter is eating is when she gets bottles when I'm at work. I think in our culture bottles are just so much the norm that it seems weird to most people when you don't have an *exact* knowledge of how much your baby eats.

Minnie - posted on 04/07/2010

You feel that you're doing something wrong because you've been conditioned by our medical culture to need something to quantify. That's not really the way everything works. Breastfeeding is an art, not a science. If your baby is happy and thriving and isn't dehydrated and is pooing she is fine!



I have never even considered trying to figure out how much milk my daughter is getting.

Dayna - posted on 04/07/2010

I feel the same way about breast feeding. I was so worried that my boy was not getting what he needed. Now I am pumping and feeding through a bottle. I feed my six week old 4 oz every 3-4 hours. I was told that a baby should be gaining about 1oz a day.

Chantal - posted on 04/07/2010

LOL, how are you supposed to know? Your boobs don't have a measurement on them like a bottle!

You are not doing anything wrong. You know your baby is getting enough and that's all you need to know.

Keep up the good work!

Kathy - posted on 04/06/2010

That question is leftover from formula feeding days, when it was important to know exactly how much baby was getting.

I always said "just the right amount." When my daughter is asked how much her 7-month old twins are getting, she says, "I don't know, they work it out for themselves!"

Melisa - posted on 04/01/2010

Not many who matters have ever asked me! It's mostly when we're out, and stopped to see how cute our lil' Laura is, and chatting to strangers -- who I am sure formula fed. Or all the elderly ladies who live in our building. But thanks for answering ladies! I was beginning to feel like I was the only one.

Beck - posted on 04/01/2010

hehhehe none of us unless we express and feed exclusivly know how much how much our bubs have. I could guess, now that bub is older 13mths I would say for his morning 7am feed he would have 100-200mls, for his 9.30am and 2.30pm feeds anywhere from 20-80mls depending on how much he has going on! and his 6.30pm feed anywhere from 50-150mls. Now I could have no idea and be sooooo wrong but I would say from past expressing history (I could not express after about 10mths? and no longer need to), the time of each feed, and breast fullness. Also, I dont know if this has ANY truth in it, but I weighed myself then fed Corey and I was 200grams lighter (straight before and after). Now this for me means I gave him 200mls milk?? do you think that would be right?? Look, I know it did bug me at times about is this enough but (especially now that Corey is starting at times to self ween) I have learnt to trust myself and trust that Corey knows how much he needs and will take what he requires.

To be honest, no one has ever asked me this though.

Good luck with your breastfeeding, I love it and can't wait to have another bub and give them the same benifites that I have given my son for 13mths

Valerie - posted on 04/01/2010

you are doing nothing wrong...it is their lack of understanding and perhaps guilt for not nursing...you are absolutely right to know that as long as baby is growing and there are lots of wet and sloiled diapers, all is well...if you want to satisfy them you could weigh your baby before and after feeding on a very good scale and know the answer within ounces...but i sure wouldn't bother...