[2_little_boys]

DS2 is now 6 days old (I think..brain is fried)

Breast feeding was/is absolute agony with cracked, bleeding nipples and feeding every hour or so.

So, to ensure he still gets breast milk I am expressing and bottle feeding which both he and I love. He is feeding easier, isnt stressing and sleeps longer aswell.

How much EBM does a bub need? I cant find this anywhere.

So far he has had 4 bottles.

First one 80mls and drank 70mls of that.

Second I decided to do just an even 100ml and discard what wasnt used and he drank the lot.

Third he had 90mls and drank the lot.

Fourth he had 100mls and drank 50mls.

So, Im not even getting a pattern to work with.

ABA doesnt have any info on amounts either.

FWIW he is 6 days old and 3200grams.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[bossy-boots]

My DS had mainly EBM for the first week of his life due to issues with attaching and sucking. He had 60 ml each feed 6 times in 24 hours. This seemed to be a pretty standard 'dose'. the other bubs in special care had the same. They were all feeding to a`four hourly routine rather than on demand though. Why don't you express fully (you'llprobably want to for comfort until your boobs calm down). Then put his dose into one bottle, feed him, top up if he wants more and freeze what ever is left over. you can add new cooled EBM to previously frozen EBM to make up a full feed rather than having lots of little amounts. That way you'll have a stock of EBM for down the track when you want some one else to feed while you're out etc. You can freeze EBM for upto 3 months.
Hope this helps, good luck with it all!
(: Fiona

[laraq75]

I have different advice re the storage. It can actually be stored for 6 months if it is in a deep freezer. Below 18 degrees celcius. It is frustrating with the amounts to give but you just need to give it a few days and see what the average amount is and fill the bottles up to that. This is what I did with my DD. It is wasteful because it is like gold. But you will figure it out.