2.5 Week Son Eats a Lot

Oh sweetie, I had a boy (almost eight years ago...sniff, sniff) 9.2 pounds, and he ate 8 ounces at a time,from the third week on, he is skinny as a rail now, so don't worry about obesity! My pediatricion also let me start him on food at 4 months because of his appetite, I think it has something to do with their birth weight, because I have had this dicussion with many other moms of "big boys" Don't fret, just feed him, he won't explode, promise!

My daughter was 9.2lbs when she was born. She too had a big appetite. She ate so much the dr had me start her on baby cereal at 3mo. Feed him what he wants as long as he keeps it down.

Try putting rice cereal in his bottle. He's just a hungry baby. I don't think you should worry unless he is taking a full 8 oz bottle and still wants more.

He was a "healthy 8.6 oz baby at birth. He weighed the same as my son did 26 years ago. He, too, ate well. He is "hungry". Feed him!

My son was the same way. When he was a week old I started adding a little baby rice cereal to each bottle of formula, it helped a lot, he got full faster and stayed full longer. I also knew it wouldn't hurt him because the doctor told me to do this for my daughter to help with her reflux.

PS you don't want to make the formula too thick to go through a regular nipple, just add a tsp or 2 to each 4 oz bottle.

K., let me give you some information that may help you know how much your son needs to eat and some informatin on non nutritive sucking.
If you take the basic nutritional formula of wt x 2.5 oz every 24 hours that comes out to be about 19.8 oz in a 24 hour period. Now if you divide that by the number of feedings in a day (probably about 6 for the typical formula fed baby) that really is about 3 3/4 oz per feeding. Now if you factor in that around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months and 1 year they go thru a growth spurt where they need even more for a few days then you can see how your child may be needing 4 oz in a feeding easily. Another way you can tell is if your baby is wanting to eat more frequently and not spitting up afterwards. Feeding more frequently is a good way to guard against reflux and also a good way to teach them to sleep at night. Feeding frequently in the daytime and then let them sleep as long as they like at night as long as they are at or beyond birth wt which your baby is. Don't confuse the need to self nurture (which is also manifested by rooting and sucking on hands) with hunger. See Dr Karp's happiest baby on the block, he has a website with a preview of info. I am certified to teach these classes here in Grapevine as well to help you know the difference and what steps to take between non nutritive sucking and hunger. It is very difficult for many new parents to know the difference. We think if a baby isn't in milk coma and they are still wanting to suck they must be hungry. If we look around at the obesity in our children today you can tell that just probably isn't true.
I hope this has been helpful. Please feel free to call with any ways I can be of help
K. @ The Nestingplace in Grapevine.

I say if he truly acts hungry, and it sounds like you know the signs then feed him!! If he is not hungry he wont eat.. Mother of a three year old little boy, who also went through that stage

My first daughter ate way above the "normal" starting day one. In fact at the hospital the nurses kept checking to see if I knew how to read the bottle because she seemed to be eating too much. She was a big baby and grew fast. I read babies eat what they need and stop when they are full so If she was hungrey we fed her. She is over 2 now and still eats well.

I nursed - no bottles - but my first son ate ALL THE TIME. I'm not imagining things in new mommy haze - people (other than my pedi) kept telling me I wasn't making enough milk, he must be starving to death, blah blah blah.

He gained (LOTS) of weight easily .. he has always grown welland never been over weight.. he's in the 95th percentile for height now and the 70th for weight. In contrast, my baby was never super hungry and has been chunky since he was a year old.

My almost 10 lb. son ate a lot at one time, but 5 oz. does sound like a lot for a 2.5 week old, but if he is hungry, I wouldn't let him scream, I'd feed him the 5 oz. at least until you talk to your son's doctor. Too bad babies don't come with instructions!! It would be so much easier.

I agree with most of the moms, feed him what he wants/ needs. The books I read discouraged being a slave to the numbers on the bottle, though the average guidelines are helpful to know.
I nursed so I wasn't sure how much my son was eating but I let him go til he was done. He's definitely never been over weight. They go through growth spurts so going by numbers is not always going to work. Our little guy would go a few days of eating close to double his norm and then go back to his regular routine. We often wonder if he's eating the appropriate amount for his age but he grows well and is healthy so we don't get overly concerned. Good luck and congrats.

Sounds to me like a growth spurt. It's right around time for one. Babies will not overeat. If he wasn't hungry he wouldn't take the bottle!

How is he sleeping at night? If he's sleeping long stretches then he most likely is making up for it by eating more throughout the day!

BTW don't believe everything you read! Just because 1 person said your child is supposed to be eating X amount doesn't mean that's what he should eat! it's YOUR child and only YOU know what's best for him!

Well this is taboo, and your pediatrician will not like you for this but I did it anyway with my second child. My second child was a boy and at two weeks, I had to put in on cereal. He was eating every two hours and I had a C-section along with a tubal ligation and I was sicker than a dog, so I did not have a whole lot of enery. But that helped him so much and when it was time for me to go back to work, it was an easy transition for me because I was getting a little more sleep. My daughter my first born, I started cereal at 6 weeks of age. They are 10 and 6 and are the skinnest kids. A lot of people are concerned with obesity, but they do lose it once they start getting a little active. That is my suggestion to you.

It is not uncommon for babies to eat that much at that age, plus he is a big boy. If he doesn't spit up afterwards and will sleep 3-4 hours, then that's great. I certainly wouldn't worry about it. Babies will let you know when they want more or not. If he was full he'd purse his lips together and not eat or would spit up afterward. Talk with you Pediatrician and see what he/she thinks, but I think you're doing a fine job.

L.

Hi, I too have a baby that was born big, (8lbs, 15 oz) and he eats alot more than my first born, who was 7lbs 1 oz. I talked to the doc and she said some babies just like to eat alot. My son will be 6 months on the 8th of March, and he's on solids and formula and he STILL eats alot, lol. I would definetly talk to your pediatrician. She/he might have a different answer than mine. Hope this helps! Good luck :D

I am a first time mom too and I have a ten week old. I know now after learning the hard way that babies truly will stop eating when they are full. They do a great job at self-regulating their feeds. At first, our poor baby cried so much because I followed the 2 - 3 oz. every 2 -3 hour rule. Finally I decided to follow my gut (and the advice of all the wonderful moms on here!) and feed my son until he turns away. What a difference! He is SOOO content and thriving. Can you believe I was at the doctor with him recently for a check up and the nurse still advocated the 2 - 3 oz every 2 - 3 hour rule? I almost laughed at her! My son is 26 inches long (very long!) and weighs 13 lbs 13 oz. He consumes five 6 oz bottles a day. It is different for every baby. Think of it like this: When you nurse a baby you let baby eat until he is satisfied. Why not do the same with the bottle? Good luck and congrats on your bundle on joy! :-)

I would feed him more if he's still hungry. Every baby is different.

Sounds to me like he IS hungry. If he isn't spitting up, I'd just tend to think he needs more.

As long as he is not spitting his milk back up or showing signs of colic why not feed him 4 - 6 ounces each feeding. It seems he is not getting enough at each feeding. I had my first grandchild born last april weighing 5.2 and he was eating 4-5 ounces within his first week. Slept good and very happy. Just watch for colic, it will make him feel hungry. Congrats to you and your hubby!

Babies start out eating 2-3 oz every three to four hours. They slowly increase every day. At two weeks they experience a growth spurt and will want to eat quite a bit more all at once. not unusual at all.

My daughter was born on 2/14 and was 7.12 wen she was born. She has always eaten more than the 2 oz and the first feeding in the hospital was the whole 2 oz! She now eats 4 oz on a regular basis and sometimes, 5 oz. She put on a pound and seems to be doing well. I did mention it to her doc at the 2 week appointment, and he wasn't worried about it. It is a good thing that we have such great eaters! Best of luck and if you want to email me, my address is ____@____.com.

Hi my name is T.,and I have raised many children,I have 5 myself,and countless others that I have had a hand in raising.In my opinion some babies just have a big appetite.I would give him 4 oz every 2 - 3 hours or see if the 4 oz will comfort him.When I had my first everyone told me to give the baby alittle rice cereal,but I wouldn't cause I wanted to do everything by the book.So the second child I did do that and it helped so much.He is 22 now and it didn't hurt him lol.My 4th child who is 4 years old now,Dylan would eat 2-3 bowls of rice cereal at 2 months old,and I fed him with a spoon.I did that because he also was just never satisfied with the formula alone.After that I had a very happy baby.

Dear K.:

Each child is different. My son nursed so I am not sure how much I consumed, but I know it was alot! He gained 2 lbs and grew 2 inches in his first 10 days of life. Babies know how much they need.

When my son was about 2 months old, he caught a parasite and consumed mass quantities of food. Since I fed him alot he still showed adequate weight gain.(At 13 months, he ate 6 hot dogs and 4 jars of baby food plus 8 oz. of formula - then ate 4 more times through the night)

By the way, my 16 year old son is now 6'3" and weighs 170 lbs. As an athelete, he consumes about 4,000 calories per day, but burns it up. As long as children eat healthy food, I wouldn't worry about the quantity.

Jen

I would suggest you feed him. When my son was your sons age (20 years ago Feb 29, 1988) he was drinking about 6-8 oz, he was a large baby too - 8lbs 21 3/4in. When he became school-aged, his appetite suppressed but by the time he was a pre-teen/teenager until present day, he eats like a free-range cow (young bull that is). Now he is 6ft 8 3/4in tall 225lbs

Your doctor may say otherwise but only a mother knows the cry of her hungry child.

I had a similar problem with my son many years ago. My pediatritian had me try different formulas. It would help for a few days or a week and then we would have the same trouble again. We even tried the more advanced formulas for older babies. By the time he reached about 8 weeks, we had gone through everything on the market at the time. She finally told me to go ahead and try whole milk. (I know, crazy) but that finally seemed to work. Luckaly, he did not have alergies or anything and had no problems digesting it. I would definatly not recommend this unless you try everything else and be cautious about it but it did work for my son. I did not have that problem with his older or younger siblings and have not seen the problem with any of my grandchildren, though all of them have been breastfed as were my son's younger siblings.

Most babes go through a growth spurt at this time--at remember that feeding them is feeding their braing fat babies usually have better IQs. Mine ate a lot. My last two were very fat, but now are very skinny. They work it of when crawling and walking.

Congrats on your new baby! My son was hungry all of the time too. If he is hungry - feed him. Slowly increase what you are giving him, if you are doing 3 oz now go to 4 oz, if after a few days/week that doesn't help try 5oz and so on. I know my son was drinking an 8 oz bottle every few hours at 2 months and I 'held out' putting a little rice cereal in his bottle unitl he was 3 months old - but only at night. That gave me another couple of hours each night. Most pedi will tell you to not put any kind of cereal in their bottle, but I've talked to dozens of parents who have done it and it helps most babies. Go with your gut (mama knows best!) and good luck!!!

My son ate a lot, too, and was 9 pounds when he was born. Five ounces of formula for a two week old could be a phase. Some babies want to suck all the time, so maybe you should try substituting a pacifier after you get to three ounces and find another way to soothe the screaming.

My son was the same way, born 8.3 oz. Although I breastfeed him he would completely drain both sides every feeding. It got to the point where I could have feed twins!!! I only know that because I am a twin and my mother breastfeed us. She was amazed at how much milk I produced and how much he ate. Today my son is 2 1/2 and he is perfect weight. So if people try to tell you that you are "hurting" you kid by feeding him so much right now they are completely wrong. Just like every pregnancy is different, so is kids. So feed on momma. If he's not spiting up then he obviously needs the extra food.

If your son is still hungry after you feed him or even wanting to feed closer together then you should feed him. Some doctors say that you are suppose to feed babies every 2-3 hours but if a baby is hungry you should feed it. My son was 7 lbs 12 oz when born. By his two week checkup he weighed 9 lbs. He only lost an ounce when we went back two days after he was born. Most babies lose 6 ounces to a pound. Your sons appetite will subside sometime (whether it is when he starts getting active or when he goes to school). My son's started when he was eating normal table food and getting a lot more active.

I've had five kids and not all of them are the same. That is a 'guidline'. He's not spitting it up which is a plus. I had one child who would spit everything up then cry because he was hungry and it just kept repeating until they finally diagnosed him with reflux. Your baby is still a newborn, so he's probably honeslty hungry when he's crying. If he's just ate 5 oz. however, and is just rooting or sucking on hands, infants automatically do that when you pick them up or hold them close. Now, if he's rooting and screaming and sucking and you can just simply tell he's hungry, feed him. Be aware that some times they are actually mistaking gas pains for hunger. Have you tried Mylecon drops and are you burping right after every feeding? Formula will cause much more gas than breastmilk, so just make sure your burping and the drops work good. Your pediatrician will know if he's gaining an excessive amount of weight and offer suggestions. Once my kids were about 8 weeks, I'd add a tiny bit of rice cereal to their formula to help keep them fuller longer. But for now, I wouldn't worry. I know it's prob. a pain for you seeming like all you're doing is feeding him. Just let the pedi. know, they should offer you solutions. Good luck!

Feed him whatever he will take and fill his belly. Babies go through growth spurts like toddlers and on some days wants lots more and then others they snack all day taking some here and some there. If he is peeing and pooping and the extra food settles him then just feed him till he tells you he is full. Maybe he was awake more these days and his body needs the extra calories or who knows. Mine at that age (I looked in his baby book) nursed mainly but when I pumped 4 oz he would take it all so maybe when nursing he did take more. I would just feed him and he will tell you his limits. Like I said maybe he will pig out for a few days and then go back to a few oz at a time. Good luck and congratulations on your little addition.

My daughter who is now 24 was a very hungry baby. She was my first and of course I wanted to do everything by the book. I was told to feed her every how ever many hours and only a certain amount. This child was hungry, so I threw in the towel and fed her when she was hungry. She was taking an 8 ounce bottle of breast milk from the very start. I was breast feeding and producing enough milk to feed any army....I figured there must be a reason for so much milk. At her first month vist she weighed 10 lbs. and was happy as a lark. Sometimes you just have to do what feels right for you and your baby. I had 2 more kids...they all had very different feeding habits, but with a little trial and error you can figure it out. They somhow survive the trial and error! Good luck!
B.

I understand where you are coming from. My daughter had a son born on Feb. 24. At birth he weighed 8lbs 8oz. Four days later at the doctors office he weighed 9lbs. They were feeding him 2-3 oz every four hours and he is not satisfied. While he was at the doc appt. they told the doctor about him being so hungry and they did not know what to do. Her response was with his size you are not feeding a newborn. He is about the size of a 3 month old.(usually). God bless you with your child.

Hi K.,

I would definitely talk to your doctor and asked them if you can give your son some water in a bottle. If the doctor can't offer you anything maybe you should slowly introduce one of the baby cereals into the milk. I know how being a 1st time mother feels. My boys are 7 years apart and it was just like starting over. Hang in there, and know that you have all the common sense to handle anything that comes your way.

I know that what I am about to say the doctors and many moms will not agree with. My son came into this world hungry!! I tried to feed him like the dr. said and it did not work. After many sleepless nights I gave in and fed him what he wanted. He drank 6 oz. and a little bit of rice cereal. He did not have any problems with it. He was able to sleep through the night and not be so cranky during the day. My son is 9yrs old now and is just fine. He is not over weight and does not have allergys. Sometimes we as mothers just have to do what we feel is right for our children. Trust in youself as a parent!

I also had large babies and I do know that larger babies actually need more feedings than smaller ones. I'm a nurse and never fed on a schedule. I fed whenever my babies were showing signs of hunger, and at least every four hours even if I had to wake them up to feed them the first few months. Low blood sugar can be dangerous for an infant. They were much happier that way and were more content, happy and healthy. My son seemed to never get satisfied so I actually started him on rice cereal when he was two weeks old, usually before bed time (he slept much longer too) and cereal midway during the day. Of course this was mixed with his formula and was quite thin so he could take it through the feeder with a nipple especially for it. By the time he was four months old he was eating 12 large jars of baby food per day and could eat anything!! He never got fat, but is a very handsome boy now! He is 6'1" and weighs 190 lbs. and wears size 14 shoes. By the way he is 15 years old now and can you believe cereal is his favorite snack? lol! Just use common sense, introduce foods slowly so you can see if any food will cause allergies. Every baby is different so just enjoy your special little angel and let him eat. If he doesn't seem to be satisfied with his milk or is trying to have his bottle too often, then try some rice cereal mixed thinly in one of those cereal/baby food feeders and see if that helps. He'll love it! Good luck to you.

I had a set of twins first, then two singles. My last kids were 8.12 and 9.1. They were big and ate alot. I nursed them, all the time. At my son's two week check up he had gained a pound and grew almost an inch. Breast fed babies aren't supposed to do that. At four months he went to formula. He was starving after 12 oz. We fed him cereal then started baby food soon after. He was just a tall big boy. 98th percentile, but the doctor said he was fine. He never spit or had stomach problems. He wasn't a fat lazy baby either. Everything was early. He is ten now, very picky, normal size, fast metabolism. Actually alittle thin.

I would let him have the 5 oZ he wants. Remember he is a bigger baby than average. My boys weighed over 9 LBs at birth and they required more formula than a much smaller baby. I'll bet your doctor says the same thing.

My daughter was the same way, she was eating 6 oz. every 3-4 hours by the time she was about a month. I also knew the hunger signs, but sometimes an hour or sometimes 30 minutes after eating she would have her hands in her mouth. I knew she couldn't be hungry because she just ate. Because of that I did start to watch the clock more closely, so that I didn't overfeed her. By the time she about 3 months she was taking 32 ounces which is the maximum their supposed to take. The doctor changed her formula a couple of times, he thought the formula wasn't settling in her stomach. It didn't help, she still just always seemed hungry. I ended up starting cereal early because she was just hungry. Once she started solids it helped A LOT. My doctor wanted me to wait until 4 months to start cereal but I knew what my daughter needed. Always trust your mommy instinct.

My daughter was 7lbs, 10oz and ate a lot. On my doctors advice, I fed her as much as she wanted which was usually 4 to 6 ounces at that age. She is now 8 months and is not overweight. 2 1/2 weeks is to early for a diet. If he's hungry, I would feed him. Hang in there. I know the first month is a real challenge.

Most newborns go through a growth spurt around this time- they will increase the amount they eat just before and during a growth spurt. Both my children were breast-fed so I cannot tell you how much they would eat in a feeding, but when I pumped I usually got around 4 oz/side during this age period. for the most part newborns eat what they need. You may want to check that the bottle nipple has the right 'flow' and he is actually eating that amount (a friend's child appeared to be eating a lot, but when they paid attention they realized he was dripping most of it out because the bottle flowed too fast). If your baby is happy after a feeding and isn't spitting up or cranky, I would relax and enjoy a growing baby!

Hi!
I don't think I would worry about how much your baby is eating right now. I have a 5 year old and a one year old and I was the same way with my first one, but babies know how much to eat, believe it or not! I wouldn't be too worried!

Don't worry - my son was also a big boy when he was born (8lbs 5oz) and although I nursed he also ate a lot. When I would pump and give him a bottle he typically ate 4-6 oz the first couple weeks then moved to 6-8oz by 6wks. Nothing was/is wrong with him, he never had a parasite or any other problems - just a healthy appetite. Discuss with pediatrician but don't worry, an 8lb baby requires more than a 6lb baby. My son never really had any "baby fat" either, no cute little rolls on his arms or legs. The up side is that he also has never been a picky eater. Good luck!

I say if he seems hungry, feed him until he seems content. Typically a baby this age will eat every 2-3 hours but be careful not to watch the clock too much or "hold him off" because it hasn't been 3 hours since the last feeding. They can easily get dehydrated that way. I would say, if he's finishing off a bottle, make 2 more oz. and see if he wants more. He should stop when he's had enough. Normal weight gain for a newborn is 1 oz per day. Babies should regain their birthweight by 2 weeks, which he has so you're in good shape. Now, he should gain an oz per day. I wouldn't worry too much about any spitting up unless it seems to bother him. When they spit up, it always looks like more than it really is. You're doing great. Don't worry too much and trust your instincts more than the books!

K. you might want to entertain the fact that the formula that your baby is eating is causing stomach pains(gas) for him. Babies don't know any other way to sooth themselve other then suckling. So when their tummy hurts they try and fix it themselves by soothing. When it doesn't work, they look to you to fix it. When I was trying to find the right formula for my son, I found that Simalac made his stomach hurt. It looked like he was still hungry after being feed because he was rooting, suckling, then crying. I changed to Infamil and he was satified with 2-3 oz. Take a look at what he is being feed. The mixture of ingrediants may be making his stomach hurt. If it's not that then you should give him what he wants at this age. If he is taking 5 oz. then give it to him. Also you might want to ask your doctor if it's OK to give him gas drops. This could help his stomach too if he does indeed have gas.

Hi K.!

I would give him a little extra, it's okay if he wants more. If he starts spitting up, then I would try scaling back a bit. My son was born 9lbs 2oz and was around 8lbs 6oz or so when we brought him home. I tried nursing for a week and when we started him on formula, almost right away he took 4oz at eevry feeding. Our Pedi said it was fine, his weight was in line with his height so it wasn't an issue.

Maybe fill a bottle with 4oz and let him take as much of that that he'll drink. There might be times he'll drink all of it and then times he'll only drink 3oz.

Good luck!! And congrats on the newborn!

-Char