Formula & Size of Newborn

[Nick'sMum]

Hello there,

My son will be 5 weeks old on Tuesday, born on 5th September, birth weight 3340 grams, Length 50cm.

He has been Formula fed pretty much from when I left hopsital as my milk never came in, the formula that we are using is S26-AlphaPro Gold.

At his 2 week health check he had put on 270 grams, length 53.8cms.

I am concerned as he wants a feed every 2 hours, and it's amazing if he actually goes to 3 hours.

I have been told that FF babies should go to at least 3-4 hours. I have tried using the dummy to re-settle him or hold him and gently rock but to no avail.

I realise that people say that breastfeed babies should be feed on demand, is this the same for Bottle fed bubs?

He had his 4 week health check on Tuesday and he has put on 680 grams in 2 weeks, Length now 56cms. Is this excessive wieght gain or just normal until he gets into a routine?

I mentioned this to my GP a week ago and he suggested in between feeds I give him boiled cooled water, I mentioned this to the nurse and she said no way, don't know who to believe.

The Nurse didn't think that it was anything to worry about and she suggested that we increase his amount of formula to 160 mls and change the teat size from Newborn to Medium Flow, which she seems to think will make him go longer.


I have done this and although I have only been doing this for 2 days, he still wants to be feed 2 hourly and is not drinking all of the formula and does not settle down and sleep much.

Do you have any sugestions on how to prolong this or should I feed him on demand?

Many thanks.

[the pero clinic]

Dear Nick'sMum,

Newborns should have approximately 150mL of formula per kg of body weight each day, and will normally have bottles 3 - 4 hourly. They can also take a while to settle into a range on the growth charts. It seems as though your bub has gone from just under the 50th percentile for weight to onto the 50th percentile - which isn't a huge difference.

I would be very tentative about changing to a medium flow teat so soon. It will only make your son rush through each bottle and may make feeding too frantic or even unsafe. This can result in gagging, coughing, choking, or swallowing increased amounts of air leading to an upset tummy and poor sleep.

Perhaps your bub will do better with taking smaller amounts more frequently- particularly if he is not finishing the larger bottles. Work out your bub's required daily minimum of formula, and the amount of formula to go in each bottle if you were to feed him every 2 to 2.5 hours.

You can then gradually try to increase the time between feeds and the amount in each bottle as he gets older.

Also give your bub some time to suck on a dummy straight after each feed, and try keeping him upright after feeds, in case he is suffering from reflux. He may just be seeking the sucking as comfort and soothing, rather than just hunger.

Your bub will let you know when he is hungry and when he is full. Go back to the doctor or nurse if you feel things aren't improving or he is taking excessive amounts of formula, or just seems unwell.

the pero clinic