how many ounces?

[@llli*bananalana6]

My daughter is turning 3 months tomorrow! she recently started going to daycare and i am wondering if there is a way to figure out how many ounces she is actually eating while at breast. at daycare she will only eat 2 oz every 3 hours. i pump anywhere from 4-8 every 3 hours. she takes both sides and i am positive she is eating more than 2 oz but not sure how to tell? should i maybe get a higher flow nipple as my nipples are super high flowing and see if she will take more? she is in the 86% for her wt and is healthy. attempting to wean late evening 10pm feed and want to ensure she is still getting adequate amounts. is there any way to weigh her or other way to find out? thanks

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

You can try weighing her before a feeding and then after, but....I would not mess with it.

A faster flow bottle might make her prefer a bottle and stop nursing.

And actually, a 2 oz bottle is OK. It's slightly low, but if you nurse on demand at home, it will be OK. I would not wean any feedings myself, as you might end up needing to pump. And getting hwe to eat more suing the day does not guarantee she will want to drop that feeding. Breastfeeding for many babies after mom is at work is not about the food. It's about the connection with mom.

[@llli*mommal]

with everything the PP said. Is there any reason why you feel you should be weaning from the 10 pm nursing session?

[@llli*lllmeg]

How is baby being fed at day care? (on a schedule or cue fed, are feeding sessions "timed" or can baby take as long as she needs?) I am thinking that maybe your baby would eat more frequently at day care if fed on cue rather than on a schedule, and maybe she would eat more per feeding if she could control the pace of the feeding herself more. This document has lots of great tips for the caregiver on giving bottles to a breastfed baby: http://www.llli.org/docs/00000000000...astfedbaby.pdf

I would not suggest trying higher flow bottle nipples unless this becomes a much more serious issue. If baby is being fed in a "typical" bottle feeding position, it's a possibility that even with the low flow nipples your baby is getting those two ounces very quickly & is stopping/pausing because she feels full.

Keep in mind it is going to be very individual based on many factors how much milk a baby takes each time they nurse OR bottle feed, and lots of variation even with the same baby. Expecting baby to take the exact same amount every such and such hours is a hold over cultural expectation from formula feeding and it is largely irrelevant when dealing with a breastfed baby.

I would also say it sounds like your baby is doing well with what you are doing right now so this does not seem like a huge issue. Lots of babies prefer their meals "from the source" and do not eat a ton at day care. And I agree with pps on considering not going out of your way to eliminate nursing sessions when you & baby are together-Many moms find it continues to be important (for many reasons) to nurse frequently and generally on cue at this age, this can be especially important when mom & baby are separated part of the day.

PS Your pump output sounds a bit above average, so don't be surprised if that lessens over time as your milk supply regulates.

This article discusses how much expressed milk a breastfed baby generally needs while away from mom. http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

[@llli*bananalana6]

she feeds on cue which pretty much is within a 30min window each time. even at home she is pretty regular with time/cue. i work long hours and am absolutly exhausted to keep the 10pm feed. i always pump after her last feed and am only getting about 5 hr of sleep by the time i feed her and get to bed. im a nurse and on my feet all day, its just exhausting. the daycare lady gives her as much time as she needs. although i have a very high flowing boob and she emptys them very quickly. i think the slower flow nipple is wearing her out and she isnt wanting to eat any more. im positive she is eating more than 2 oz when she eats off me.

[@llli*lllmeg]

i always pump after her last feed and am only getting about 5 hr of sleep by the time i feed her and get to bed.

Do you need to always pump after her last feed? It sounds like you are pumping plenty of milk for baby to have at day care while at work- If you did not pump at night, or at least not every night, you could nurse baby to sleep and go right to sleep yourself maybe?

Anyway, if the fast flow nipple helps, by all means try it. Also if eliminating a feeding results in more sleep for you (not always the case btw) then try that as well. Neither are generally recommended because they may cause issues with breastfeeding now or down the road. But you and your baby are individuals and what works best for others may not work best for you. You are are the expert on your baby.

It sounds like you are experiencing utter exhaustion due to working an extremely demanding job with long hours that keeps you on your feet all day and then coming home to your other very demanding, full time job of mothering a very young baby who (just like all babies) needs momma even at night. Yes, society in general increasingly “expects” this of mothers even of young babies, and your family finances may demand it, but the fact is many moms find these types of schedules very difficult and some moms even find them physically and mentally impossible. This is just reality. You are a super woman, not Superwoman. Kwim?

Some moms find that co-sleeping with baby helps them get more sleep, and/or they try to catch up on sleep with naps/lying in on weekends or whatever days off they have. Other moms find they prefer to temporarily cut back on working hours if they can. You can find lots of articles for working moms if you search ‘working’ on this website. I just wanted to mention that it is normal to get very little sleep when you are mothering an infant as well as normal to feel tired from a demanding job, so the two together are obviously going to be doubly exhausting. And since it is normal, there is not always a way to entirely 'fix' it especially when baby is very young. Your baby is obviously thriving, you are doing a great job mothering, but you may well be very tired for some time to come. Keep snatching what sleep you can and try not to worry too much!

[@llli*monika.h]

It's possible that a higher flow nipple will help. Why not try it? You could get ahold of a really accurate scale and weigh her before and after a feed, I'm sure you'd get more than 2 oz.

The main thing I can think of is that she prefers the boob and nurses alot while she's with you and not so much at daycare. This is quite common and as long as she's happy and healthy and gaining the apropriate weight, it's not a problem. What's important is her 24 hour intake.

The other moms have given good suggestions re the sleep. You need more than 5 hours of sleep a night. Maybe you can go to bed at the same time as her, nurse her to sleep and forget the late-night pumping session.