QUESTION:

1. How do you know how many ounces to pump for a feeding bottle?

2. How long can it be stored?

3. Can the baby drink it cold?

Dear Rhonda,

The average breastfed baby is usually consuming between 2-4 ounces per feeding, 8-12 times per day, so that is a good amount to store in a bottle. All the bottles don't necessarily have to have the same amount in them. Also, it is much quicker to thaw two 3-oz bottles than 1 6-oz. bottle. If a baby is not as hungry at one feeding, then you haven't wasted as much. If a baby is a little more hungry than usual, then it's easy to just pull out another small bottle to thaw.

Here is a chart of average intake by weight:

If you'd like to continue this chart, take a baby's weight in pounds and multiply by 2.67. That gives you average number of ounces per day. Then take the total ounces and divide by the daily feedings to find out how much to put in a bottle. For example, your baby weighs 13 pounds. That means he needs about 35 ounces per day. If he eats approximately 8 times per day, then he consumes a little over 4 oz per feeding. If he eats more often, then he is probably used to smaller feedings. These are just averages, and babies may be more hungry at one feeding than another.

Babies can drink breastmilk cold and many don't care at all what the temperature is. I think it's a good idea to take the chill off of it, but it doesn't necessarily have to be heated. Put the bottle in a pan of warm water or under running warm water for several minutes. Microwaves should never be used for this purpose. Babies (and parents) have been burned, and nutrients are destroyed by the high heat.

Storage guidelines for breastmilk have changed considerably over the years, and most books on the market today are very outdated as far as this information is concerned. The following guidelines are for healthy babies at home. If you are pumping for a baby in the hospital, you must check with that hospital to see what their guidelines are. They can vary from hospital to hospital. Also remember, that the most important thing you can do to insure safety of the milk is to wash your hands. Our hands are how most germs are transferred. Bottles can be washed in hot soapy water and do not need to be sterilized for healthy babies at home. Human Milk Storage Guidelines (From La Leche League's "Breastfeeding Answer Book", p. 188, 1997 edition)

In a Cooler with Ice Packs 24 Hours

Room Temperature (66-72deg.) 10 Hours

Refrigerator 8 Days

Refrigerator Freezer 3-4 Months

Deep Freeze (0 deg) 6-12 Months

Hope this answered all your questions.

Cher Sealy, RN, BSN, IBCLC, LLLL

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