How to Measure Breast Milk to Bottles

Introducing your baby to a bottle of pumped breast milk can be challenging, especially if she is only used to nursing directly from mom. Start offering your baby a bottle only after she is 4 weeks old to prevent nipple confusion, recommends pediatrician Bill Sears on the Ask Dr. Sears website. Ask a caregiver or partner to offer the bottle to your baby since breast-fed babies may refuse a bottle from their mother. Aim for at least two bottle-feedings a week before you go back to work. Experiment with different feeding positions and artificial nipples, and your baby should eventually take the bottle. Once you go back to work, measure the amount of pumped breast milk to the bottles for your baby by your baby's weight.

Instructions

1

Weigh your baby the pediatrician's office to determine her weight and calculate approximately how much bottled breast-milk she should receive in a 24-hour period. A baby younger than 6 months typically drinks 2 to 2.5 oz. of formula per pound per day. A 10-pound baby would drink 20 to 25 ounces of formula a day. Use this as a rule of thumb for planning.

2

Calculate how many feedings your baby needs away from you at a day care or with a caregiver. Typically, babies 3 months and younger need about eight feedings a day. Nurse her at home before work and then figure she'll need three or four feedings during a full workday. As a general rule, babies have about 4 to 6 oz. of formula per feeding from 2 to 6 months of age.

3

Pump breast milk at work every two to three hours for at least 15 minutes, if you pump both breasts at the same time. Store the milk in bottles or freezer breast-milk storage bags in the refrigerator or a cooler. These containers have measurements on the side so you know how much milk is being pumped.

4

Combine the milk from each pumping session into one bottle. If you are at work for eight hours, you should have three or four bottles of breast milk for your baby the next day. This milk should suffice feeding your baby while at work. Do not worry if it is slightly less than the recommended amount of formula for your baby's weight. Breast milk and formula are different and pumping milk is not the same as when your baby is nursing. Your baby will make up any difference when you are at home.

5

Breastfeed your baby when you return home and during the night if needed. As long as you continue breastfeeding while you are with your baby, she should have enough nutrition. As long as she is growing and having four to six wet diapers a day, she is getting enough milk.

6

Adjust the amount of milk you provide for each feeding session based on feedback from your caregiver. If you are concerned that you cannot pump enough milk to satisfy your baby while you are away, consider providing the caregiver with formula to use as a supplement once the day's breast milk has been consumed.