How much breast milk does baby drink at once?

Question

I'm EBF and my baby will start daycare next week at 10 weeks old. For those who bottle feed breastmilk, could you tell me how many ounces your baby drinks during the work day, how often, and baby's age? I'm curious how much it varies by baby and age. I'm asking about breastmilk specifically just because I hear babies sometimes drink less breastmilk than formula and don't increase volume of feeds as much over time. Planning to prepare three 4 oz bottles for her first day and see how it goes.

Answer

Baby needs 1-1.5 ounces of milk per hour you are away. So for 8 hours, you’d pack 8-12 ounces split into 3 or 4 bottles, 3 or 4 ounces each. I personally preferred to pack smaller bottles but more of them, because daycare is going to dump out the milk from a feeding if baby doesn’t finish. First week of daycare for my 12 week old I packed 4 bottles with 3 ounces each.

Answer

After a few weeks we are in a routine...I pump 14 oz at work in three pump sessions and split it into 4 3.5 oz bottles for the next day, which she usually drinks there but maybe once a week only drinks 3 bottles. If I make 3 bigger bottles she often wastes some late morning cause she just wants a snack, and she seems to prefer eating more frequently for her daycare providers.

Answer

I went back at 12wks. She drank 3 bottles, 3.5oz each. At 6m she drinks 3 bottles, at 4oz each. Your milk changes, so in theory you shouldn't have to increase the amount you send by much. I also asked my pediatrician , he also explained that she wouldn't need an increase in milk. Hope that helps you. When I first went back, I did send 4 bottles for a bit and a frozen bag incase.

Answer

When we introduced bottle feeding (pumped milk) at 4 months, my daughter was at about 3-4 oz per feeding. Between 4-8 months she maxed out at 4.5 oz bottles IF she was super hungry. Typically still between 3.5-4 oz though. We were able to use the same set of small bottles (I'd fill them just past the 4oz line) and size 1 or 2 nipples the whole time. When she was 8 months I switched jobs (part-time, baby in my office) and was able to go back to nursing full time. Hope this helps!

How much breast milk does baby drink at once?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey