i have a 3 month old duaghter that is eating 8 oz every day is that ok ?

Alexandra - posted on 08/02/2012

this amount seems normal if she is growing well and does not have any digestive problems.

BERNICE - posted on 08/02/2012

If you put cereal in the bottle do you use a special nipple or does it flow threw a reg. one?

Niki - posted on 08/02/2012

I was feeding my daughter cereal in her bottle when she was 2 months old. When she was 3 months she started eating regular baby food. She was just not happy with just formula. She was 7lbs15oz when she born. And I found that with me giving her cereal before her bath she was sleeping all might to.

Jody - posted on 08/02/2012

My kids always ate 8 oz. I don't feel there is anything wrong with it. But if you are concerned talk with your pediatrician.

Natalie - posted on 08/02/2012

Check with your pediatrician, but if you can, check with your mom and your husbands mom on your infancy feeding habits. I am helping to raise my third generation of my family and have noticed that some babies need more frequent feedings or a little cereal added, and their babies do too...and sometimes the grandbabies! lol we dont do schedules either. the little babies eat when they are hungry.

Brenda - posted on 08/02/2012

How big was/is your baby??? I had a 10 lb girl & she nursed & took the bottle....she settled out at about 4 months

Alison - posted on 08/02/2012

My son is four months old and eats 6ounces every two hours...everyone is different..hopefully you have a good doctor who can give you advice!.....and I don't think you can slow them down at any age lol!

Eronne - posted on 08/02/2012

If she's not fat and hungry, what's the issue? I am so concerned about this generation of moms that are so worried about every little thing. Two of my chlldren wanted to eat at 3 months so I let them. My daughter by 5 months loved pineapple and celery. She is now a beautiful 27 year old who has never had a health issue of any kind. Nor did my other food eating son or my milk only son. Worrying might be way worse than the perceived over-eating. Save the worrying for 15 years, you'll really need it then. :)

Holly - posted on 08/02/2012

I agree with another reader, I would put a very small amount of cereal in their bottle to help fill them up a little bit. When both of my children were around 1 - 2 months old I started putting a small spoon of cereal in thier evening bottles to help tide them over through the night and they are both perfectly normal kids now. My son is 21 years old he is 6'3" and weighs about 205 lbs, my daughter is 4 and she is right on target according to the Dr's charts on percentiles....

Faith - posted on 08/02/2012

That's hilarious Candace!. Good for you. I don't like schedules either. I think it's very unnatural to put a baby on a schedule. They eat when they get hungry just like we do!

Carrie - posted on 08/02/2012

Hello i have 3 kids my oldest came out of the hospital drinking 4 ounces at 2days before he was 2weeks old he was drinking 8ounces he is now 15. Honestly i dont think the baby being 3months n drinking 8ounces is a problem. All my 3 drank 8ounces before thrir second month n never had any health issues. She will b fine. Hope i could help

Candace - posted on 08/02/2012

I agree with Faith. All babies are different. I personally don't believe in schedules or limits, as a healthier fed baby will be a healthier child. They sleep better & are happier when full. As long as the baby is healthy, I wouldn't worry about it. If weight becomes a health issue, then you should watch the diet. I have 3 kids, my oldest I bottle fed & the other 2 breast fed. I fed them when they were hungry, at times with the younger 2 it was a slight inconvenience as I was feeding them much more often so I just started to walk around the house without a shirt & just my nursing bra..lol. Much luck to you & don't worry, you will do just fine.

Lisa - posted on 08/02/2012

i would talk to your peditirian , i know for my daughter she was 2 months old drinking 8 oz every hour on the hour at night and 8 oz every 3 hours during the day. we had no choice but ti feed her cereal, but her docter was ok with it as long as it wasn't in the bottle. she said to feed it off the spoon, all baby's are so different.

Faith - posted on 08/02/2012

Babies will eat when they are hungry and will stop when they are full. I started giving mine some cereal before bedtime to keep them fuller at night when they acted like they were still hungry after having their bottle. Both of my children and grandchildren are very healthy and not overweight. Let your baby be your guide to how much she wants and don't try to limit her. Some babies eat more than others because like adults they have a higher metabolism.

Brandy - posted on 08/02/2012

When my son was born he was 9lbs and 22 inches long. When he was first born (he was a c-sec baby) my hubby was the first to get to hold him and he got to feed him right away as I was in labor for 36 hours, so he was STARVING!!! when he came out lol! The drs told my hubby that he may only suck on the bottle for a minute or two and be done with it. Not what happened! My new born son drank down a whole ounce of formula and fell asleep. He woke a half hour later and wanted more! Drank another ounce, making it half of the 4 oz bottle, then fell asleep again. He woke an hour later and drank the rest of the bottle! Within the first month he was drinking the 4 oz bottles every 3 hours or so, so I slowly switched to the 8 ouncers in the beginning of the 2nd month. By the end of the 2nd month, he was drinking the 8s every 3 hours or so- day or night! By the middle of the 3rd month he was drinking them every hour and still wanting more! I spoke with our dr and he recommended putting some of the rice cereal in his bottle to thicken the formula so it would stick in his belly longer. By the end of the 3rd month he had slowed down a bit on the bottles and I would make the bottle before bed a little thicker and he started sleeping through the night because he wasn't hungry all the time!! My son is now 8 1/2 years old and very healthy! Our doctor recommended starting baby foods when my son was 4 months (he could pick up his own head when he was born, as could I when I was born) because he had no trouble sitting up or with his tongue. We started with the fruits and veggies, then worked our way through all the others to the meats. By the time he was 7 months he wanted nothing to do with anything that came out of those little jars, (he loved everything he ate, but our food had more flavor!) so we started blending up some of whatever we were having for him! We only used mild seasonings, never anything spicy or over powering, but mostly we went with natural flavors. I wouls still supliment with bottles before nappy time and bed time, but other than that he ate food. As a result, my son is very healthy! He has never been overweight and is tall for his age! He is 4'4" tall and in a boys size 10 clothes and wont be 9 until february! So as you see, every baby is different. Go by what your baby is telling you she needs! As long as she is keeping it down, her body needs it! If you're concerned about her, ask your family dr! As long as she is happy and healthy- not too skinny and not rotund, then she should be fine! Babies know what their body needs more than we do! I never put my son on a strict eating schedule. I fed him whenever he was hungry and as a result, it didn't matter where we were or who we were with, or if our trip went a bit longer than planned, he wasn't cranky because he missed his feeding time! He ate when he was hungry. When he started eating his baby food and then the blended foods, I tried to time it for his main meal times to be with ours (with more in between if needed) so he got used to eating at family meal times and to this day he is always the first one at the table... and his veggies are always the first eaten lol Limabeans are his favorite! :) Good luck with your bundle of joy! If you have more questions, there is a book out in most book stores (and walmart) just like the pregnancy book what to expect when you're expecting. It's called what to expect the first year. It is very informative! I liked it! It has useful info like did you know that the leaves on tomato plants are poisonous of a baby eats them?? I didn't know that and we had a garden (still do) and I was glad I read that before I took my son out there! I got mine from walmart for about $9 (and have since passed it along to a cousin) I hope this helps!!

Heather - posted on 08/01/2012

I willl tell u that most of these responses are not correct. They r basing ur baby on a a textbook baby. They should eat a ounce of formula for each week of there age. So eight ounces at three months is really good. Now all my children were having cereal in there bottles by two months old. This is also Supported by my kids doctors. Its usually about a half a tsp. Per ounce of formula. I would not listen to these other responses they do not know ur baby. Giving her cereal in a bottle may also help her sleep better at night. if ur really worried ask ur doctor about her eating cereal. Do not cut back her feedings to less more often she will not be happy and then will xry cuz shes hungry and of course which will stress u out and then upset her and then she may not eat or worse throw up what she does eat knowing from personal experience.

Heather - posted on 08/01/2012

I willl tell u that most of these responses are not correct. They r basing ur baby on a a textbook baby. They should eat a ounce of formula for each week of there age. So eight ounces at three months is really good. Now all my children were having cereal in there bottles by two months old. This is also Supported by my kids doctors. Its usually about a half a tsp. Per ounce of formula. I would not listen to these other responses they do not know ur baby. Giving her cereal in a bottle may also help her sleep better at night. if ur really worried ask ur doctor about her eating cereal. Do not cut back her feedings to less more often she will not be happy and then will xry cuz shes hungry and of course which will stress u out and then upset her and then she may not eat or worse throw up what she does eat knowing from personal experience.

Ali - posted on 08/01/2012

Though everyone on here will probably disagree with me, I say give her some cereal! Both my boys were started on oatmeal at 2 months old. My oldest was drinking too many ounces per day(more than 32 oz each day) so his pediatrician recommended the oatmeal. He is now a very healthy 4 year old. It didn't replace the formula, but supplemented it. Hope this helps.

Rose - posted on 08/01/2012

Do what you feel right in your heart. If your baby eats 8oz bottles let her eat 8 oz bottles. I don't mean to make this sound mean or rude but it's not gonna kill her if she hungry let her eat. It's that simple

Debbie - posted on 08/01/2012

Babies will overeat because my son did . he would eat 2 8 oz. bottles in one feeding at a month old if we let him so he was started on pablum at 6 weeks old.

Tanya - posted on 08/01/2012

Every child is different and what works for one, doesn't nessessarily work for another. If that is what your child wants to eat, isn't bringing it up afterwards and is gaining weight it's fine. Both of my children were very similar in eating habits. By four months they were drinking one 8oz bottle 4 times a day and eating cereal at every meal.



Edited to correct the bottles, gah.

Andrea - posted on 08/01/2012

My first son had an 8oz bottle every 3 hours day at night from he was 7 weeks old, no sicking it up either, he just needed it, would scream the house down otherwise! Health visitor said it was fine. He slowed his drinking down when he was older and got more solid food.

Susan - posted on 08/01/2012

You really should talk to your child's pediatrician and let them know your concerns. There is mixed advice on this page, and only you (and your child's pediatrician) can deide what is best for your daughter. There are people on here saying you should never put cereal in a bottle - well I did with both my kids (now 5 and 2) with the advice of their doctor. I was not producing enough milk to satisfy them, and even supplementing with formula was not enough. Both my kids had terrible reflux, and adding som cereal to their bottle to thicken the formula worked wonders. They both were able to get full bellies and thrive.

My point is, each child is different, and one piece of advice does not fit all. Talk to your daughter's pediatrician, and together you can work out a plan for you and your daughter. If you don't like or feel comfortable talking with her docter, find a new doctor.

Natasha - posted on 08/01/2012

Many people tend to have their own advice on when and what to feed your baby, but I know when I had my son I stuck to the schedule the doctor's game when I came home and it worked just fine. I gave him formula until he was 1, and he drank every four hours. I waited until he was six months to start cereal and other soft foods. Here is something I found that resembled the schedule my doctor gave me.

She can sit up (with support) and can hold her head and neck up well.
Her birth weight has doubled.
She’s interested in what you’re eating and may even try to grab food from your plate.
She can keep food in her mouth rather than letting it dribble out.
She shows signs of being hungry for more than she’s getting by clamoring for more when her bottle is empty or wanting to nurse more often.

But the doctor's give us these rules to help protect our babies from things they have seen happen in the past. If you still aren't sure just ask your pediatrician for the best advice.

Wanda - posted on 08/01/2012

when my youngest daughter was born she was breast feeding every 2 hours and I couldn't keep up.. my pediatrician told me to supplement with formula and a 4oz bottle didn't even last her and hour so she was eating 8 ozs every 3-4 hours.. the doc told me that it was just fine as she was also at the 98 percentile of the growth chart for kids her age.. she finally dropped down when she started crawling and getting around on her own.. I should mention that at birth she was 9lbs 11oz and 21in long.. now at the age of 20 years old she is a whole 4'10 and weighs about 90 lbs soaking wet.. lol...
please feed your baby when she is hungry and don't worry about how big she is for now.. as long as your pediatrician is happy with her health and growth there is nothing to worry about while she is this little..

Jill - posted on 08/01/2012

Four 8 oz bottles = 32 oz

At 3 months old both of my kids were 17 lbs, give or take a couple ounces. A normal formula amount for that age/size is 34 to 42 oz per day. You can find your daughter's appropriate range by taking her weight x 2 = low end & weight x 2.5 = high end.

Is she throwing up (not just spitting up) after a feeding? If not, then she can handle the bottle size. 8 oz at once is a little higher than typical at 3 months, but not crazy-abnormal.

Babies this age usually eat more often than 4 times a day. Is there an outside influence that makes it difficult to feed her more often? If she's really hungry between feedings, she will naturally try to eat as much as possible to hold her over until the next time.

If she is overeating and throwing up, then you can try to reduce the bottle size to 6 oz, and feed her 5-6 times a day, or 5 oz with 6-7 feedings, etc.

Ellen - posted on 08/01/2012

Some very good advice here that I second; generally it's not recommended to put cereal in a baby's bottle, and wait until 6 months to introduce solids. Ways you can tell when your baby is ready for solids is she should be able to sit up without being propped, and be naturally grabbing things and bringing them to her mouth consistently. My girls did this about 5.5 months, and that's when they both started solids. We started with banana and avocado. Cereal isn't necessary; if she is formula fed she'll get plenty of iron from that.



To slow down her eating, feed her more frequently. I would say even every 2-3 hours, 4-6 oz at at time. That's about 5 or 6 times a day. At 3 months her tummy can barely hold 6 oz, let alone 8. Although some kids do seem to eat that way it's not as good for them as eating more often instead, and she might be spitting up a lot? If she seems hungry, more frequent bottles is usually the answer, not more in each bottle or cereal before 6 months.



I know it can be nerve-racking with the first one, but you could check out this method of introducing solids: http://www.babyledweaning.com/ . Note: 'weaning' means introducing solids; that's what they call it in England, where the term 'baby led weaning' comes from. I did this mostly with my first, and completely with my second. It saved me a lot of time and worry, and it was so nice not to shove purees into my baby's mouth. :) Read through the stuff on the site - especially abut gagging vs. choking - and check with your pedi, as babies with any health issues should consider other methods of introducing solids. If it seems like something you are interested in, I highly recommend it.



Good luck!!! You're a good mama to be looking out for your little one. :)



PS - Originally I said 'never' put cereal in a bottle, but I too have heard of cases where it helps some babies with reflux, etc. and of course follow what your Dr. says. Thanks for the good follow-ups, I've changed my comment as you'll see. ;)

Kyliegh - posted on 08/01/2012

ok thank you

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/01/2012

It is not recommended to add cereal to bottles. Infact, there are better foods in general to start them out on. Usually you do not start solids (and yes that is a solid) between 4-6 months. They should be able to sit up and support themselves, tongue thrust and have good head control. 6 months is the better target age.

Kyliegh - posted on 08/01/2012

oh ok thank you n when do u start them on creal like in their bottles ? just wondering

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/01/2012

She could be going through a growth spurt, they tend to eat more. Or feed her more often. Every 3-4 hours or so. That may help. Babies will not over eat. They eat until they are not hungry.

Kyliegh - posted on 08/01/2012

4 times in a day i tryed giving her just 4 oz but it dont work she wants more

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/01/2012

How many times per day is she having that amount in one feeding?