How much EBM/FF for your bubba?

I think I'm at the stage where I'm going to have to use EBM and FF top ups for bubba as she does not want to attach anymore. I see an LC on Wednesday but until then I'm trying to work out my options.

I WAS able to express about 80ml in a sitting (mind you I havent been consistent expressing on a timetable or anything) but today my supply was lower with about 40-50ml in a sitting.

As an experiment tonight I gave DD 35ml of EBM and then a 120ml FF to see how much she'd drink. I thought it would give me an indication, based on her previous feeds where she had the breast and then i topped her up, how much she was actually getting from me. However, she has drunk about 140ml tonight so I'm wondering if that is about average, or high for a 6 week old?? I know today has been hot so also considered that maybe as the weather has been warmed she was just extra thirsty..

Would love to hear from other mama's who are EBM/FF their bubbas how much they drink...

DD has been on between 80ml and 135ml since she was 2 weeks old. She has just started to want a little bit more - sometimes... but she feeds every 3 hours during the day - so not sure how often your little one is eating?

When I was EBM feeding my bub he would have 130-150mls, 6 times a day, at around 6 weeks. And I was expressing 4-6 times each day.

On average while BF'ing Chloe was having around 5 feeds a day, sometimes 6 but not very often. I guess then that she is getting about the right amount then if she is having fewer feeds. I am going to try a proper expressing schedule, every 3 hours for the next few days and see if it helps my supply. I'm taking motilium also. I recently went from 3 tablets per day to 2 tablets so think i'll go back to 3 tablets a day as it obviously has had an effect.

Do you have a decent pump? If you are going to be mostly feeding EBM after you see the LC it is probably worth hiring a grunty double pump (something like a Medela Lactina or Symphony) from the chemist or the ABA.

Hi snowchickie,

Sounds like a similar story to me.

I now soley give ebm and use the guide given by the hospital and my gp of 150mls per kilo of body weight divided by the number of feeds per day, so for my baby, she weighs about 4 kilos and has about 6 feeds per day. So 150 x 4 gives me 600mls per day then divide by 6 so 100mls per feed.
(you can google for a calculator to work it out for you but its pretty simple) its better to go on their weight rather than age.
I'm on motillium too and pumping frequently is important, it doesn't work unless u remove the milk regularly.
Double pumping is good for increasing supply as well, so like kmn said if u aren't using one then get ur hands on a good pump. I've hired the lactina from the aba and most times i get over 180ml and ive even had a couple of 300ml pumps!
good luck!

Hi,

babies from the age of 1 mnth to 6 mnths generally take around 800mls per day. Interestingly, research as shown that their intake doesn't increase as they get older. sucking fulfils more than one role - it's not just about food. When breastfeeding, as the breast becomes relatively emptier, the baby still sucks, for comfort and to be with mum. So, if bottlefeeding EBM you might consider giveing the EBM "as though" you were breastfeeding. "Pace" your feeding - use a slower flow teat. Give her part of the bottle, burp, nappy change, and then the rest of the feed (on the other "side" so to speak) after a feed, cuddle her for that special mummy time. Some people find that a dummy is useful when baby still wants so suck, but isn't really "hungry" anymore

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Hi snowchickie,

Sounds like a similar story to me.

I now soley give ebm and use the guide given by the hospital and my gp of 150mls per kilo of body weight divided by the number of feeds per day, so for my baby, she weighs about 4 kilos and has about 6 feeds per day. So 150 x 4 gives me 600mls per day then divide by 6 so 100mls per feed.
(you can google for a calculator to work it out for you but its pretty simple) its better to go on their weight rather than age.
I'm on motillium too and pumping frequently is important, it doesn't work unless u remove the milk regularly.
Double pumping is good for increasing supply as well, so like kmn said if u aren't using one then get ur hands on a good pump. I've hired the lactina from the aba and most times i get over 180ml and ive even had a couple of 300ml pumps!
good luck!

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If I go off this calculation it would be:
Chloe is 3.4kg so 150 x 3.4kg is 510mls, divide by 5 feeds per day which is her average, is 102mls per feed. This is way less than what she is actually drinking. The most i've gotten from a session (about 10 mins per side) is 100mls.

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Hi,

babies from the age of 1 mnth to 6 mnths generally take around 800mls per day. Interestingly, research as shown that their intake doesn't increase as they get older. sucking fulfils more than one role - it's not just about food. When breastfeeding, as the breast becomes relatively emptier, the baby still sucks, for comfort and to be with mum. So, if bottlefeeding EBM you might consider giveing the EBM "as though" you were breastfeeding. "Pace" your feeding - use a slower flow teat. Give her part of the bottle, burp, nappy change, and then the rest of the feed (on the other "side" so to speak) after a feed, cuddle her for that special mummy time. Some people find that a dummy is useful when baby still wants so suck, but isn't really "hungry" anymore

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This amount sounds more closer to what chloe is drinking. 800mls divided by 5 feeds per day is 160mls per feed. She is having between 120 and 180mls per day depending. Today she fed at 11.30am and didn't wake till 6.30pm for her next feed. She seems to have a huge feed then sleep longer, then wake and have a smaller feed etc.. I've been trying to pace her feeds so it's no over in a flash and so she has time to realise she is full. I'm using the Closer to Nature TT bottles and teats which are shaped like a nipple.

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Do you have a decent pump? If you are going to be mostly feeding EBM after you see the LC it is probably worth hiring a grunty double pump (something like a Medela Lactina or Symphony) from the chemist or the ABA.

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I have a medela mini electric pump which seems good but I have nothing to compare it to as I've used it from day 1. I didn't like the idea of hiring a pump (I know it's silly but personal thing) which is why I got my own. It was a case of me being in hospital and my mum going on a "pump" finding mission. The pump was recommended by the assistant at Baby's Galore I believe.

I started another thread asking about how long to express for as I've only been doing 10 or less minutes per side or pretty much till the milk stops flowing which I guess is the end of the first let down. Tonight I massaged during expressing and seemed to get more out but I'm still not getting more than 100mls in a single expressing.

The mini electric has nowhere near the pumping power of one of the hospital-grade pumps. However, if you hire a medela pump, the pieces of the mini-electric work with that pump as well. So the bit you hire isn't the bit that touches you or your milk - you have your own set of "bits".
Also - read or do something to distract yourself while expressing. It seems to make it work better.
all the best
Kate

I had an electric pump from the hossy but it did not improve my supply. I barely got anything.

At around that time Brock was having 150mls in total per feed and 6 or 7 feeds a day. With us it was mostly FF as my milk was barely there.

I upped him at 2 months like the formula can tells you too but put him back to 150 a couple of weeks ago. He now has 5 or 6 feeds a day. This is keeping him happy. He's 3 1/2 months.

My MCHN told me that the quantities they give you on the FF cans are not right (they suggest you give them more so they sell more formula). She told me that at 3 months Brock only needed 4 x 150ml per day and he's always a little over that.

You are probably already doing this, but just in case you are not make sure you feed bubs the EBM first so it is all swallowed, followed by the formula.

So today I went and had Chloe weighed at the clinic and she put on 400g in 10 days!! :) Nurse was impressed and said that it was fine. Considering 200g is a good gain for a week and she was only 4 days off a fortnight then 400g is on the good side of it. Nurse said she is possibly making up for the fortnight she only gainde 50g in total and also might be having a growth spurt. She said her feeding schedule (which I've written down) was fine as she was having small feed, then a big feed, then small etc. She said if Chloe wants food to give it to her as she obviously needs it so that made me feel much better.

When i total up her feeds she is getting between 500ml and 700ml per day. Clinic nurse said that I don't have to wake her every 3 hours to feed anymore and just go back to demand feeding with EBM and FF. I finally have an appointment tomorrow with my LC (another thread) so see if can sort out BF'ing issues or if I stay with EBM/FF situation which is obviously agreeing with Chloe.. :)