Am I Overfeeding?

My opinion is feed her if she is hugry. I have a 4 1/2 month old daughter and i went threw the same thing. She would fall asleep while eating, so i would try to keep her awake by taking off some of her cloths. It didn't always work so i fed her if she woke up hungry. I am also a breastfeeding mom.

It is impossible to overfeed, especially a newborn. She will take what she wants when she wants. Let her have what she wants, because she has no sense of eating just to eat. When she is hungry, she will eat, when she is not, she will not. I'm like you, I can't see not feeding her just because it hasn't been the length of time the pediatrician says to wait. I never put my daughters on a schedule, and I breastfed both of them, one for 10 months, and one for 2 months. I let their hunger dictate when they ate. And when they fell asleep in the middle of feeding, I would change them or do something to wake them up so they could feed on the other side.

I probably would just not feed her any more after she falls asleep until her next feeding. She certainly won't be starving. My newborn (also wouldn't latch on so I pumped) would barely eat 2 ounces at a time, so I think you're little girl is getting plenty. Good luck! It's so hard with a first baby! I always felt like I never knew how to take care of her, and now looking back I think we did a pretty good job! :)

I agree with Christine and Rachel. Follow your baby's cues and your instinct. Schedules aren't for babies themselves, but more for parents. And congratulations on your little girl! Enjoy the little bundle of joy.

Hi A.,

I wouldn't worry about the amount your baby is eating right now. Think about it, if you were breastfeeding, you wouldn't know the amount, you would just feed her until she stopped eating. Do try and keep her awake to feed as much as you can (tickler her feet, talk to her, wipe a wet cloth on her forehead) but don't worry if she doesn't take the whole bottle every time. I agree with your pediatrician, she shouldn't need to feed more than every 2.5- 3 hours (unless she was a preemie or has other medical needs I don't know about). Babies often wake up mid-nap and they are not necessarily hungry. If you can, try to get her on the following cycle: feed, wake, then sleep (in a 2.5 to 3 hour cycle). You don't want her developing the habit of always needing to be fed in order to sleep. Anyway, just my two cents worth! Be patient with yourself, your baby is still really young!!

C.

You are not overfeeding her. I am a mother of three and my doctor told me that I was overfeeding my oldest daughter when she was an infant. The way I knew this is by her spitting up after she at, it was milk that had been digested it was just milk and you can tell the difference, I believe. If your baby is hungry she will let you know, she will not let you underfeed her, EVER, believe me. But it is possible to overfeed because an infant will eat and eat. 4-6 ounces should be enough at a feeding at this age. With breastmilk I would feed my child and if that bottle isn't finished I would refrigerate it and use it at the next feeding. Now after the second time and she doesn't finish, dispose of the milk. My first child was a premie and all of my children are very healthy. That's just my personal advice.

I don't think so. I always nursed my son (now 21 months) on demand when he was little. Is the doctor very breastfeeding friendly or knowledgeable? Sometimes if they are not they just tell everyone all the same arbitrary feeding rules. Breastmilk is digested far easier than formula. I say if she's hungry feed her!
You can always contact a La Leche Leaugue leader or lactation consultant at the hospital for more info specific (better suited) to your situation.

Hi A.
I am a pediatric nurse and infant care consultant- it is not the amount per feed, but per day. As long as your little one is taking 24-32 ounces/day for the first year of her life, she is getting enough. Probably will be closer to 24oz considering her age. She should eat around every 2-3 hours, and take somewhere between 2 1/2 - 4 ounces right now, more or less is okay!! Try to give her around 30 mintues to eat, waking her up if necessary throughout the 30 minutes, then let her sleep (try your best, I know it can be hard to keep a newborn awake!). Start a fresh bottle, don't reuse bm or formula after it has been at room temp for 1 hour.
I'd love to come out and do a consult for you, I go over everything from sleeping, swaddling(very important for a newborn), feeding, health concerns, and more. Check us out at www.momsoncall.com. Feel free to email me with any other questions! I hope that this helps you, congratulations!!
L. E
____@____.com

Hi. You aren't starving your daughter. Infants will only eat until full, unlike us adults who just keep going! :) She'll wake up when she's hungry again, just be sure to give her a fresh bottle. Bacteria grows very quickly!

Best wishes, A.

I think that even though you are a "new" mother , you know your baby better than anyone-even your doctor. Watch your baby and you will know , what the right thing to do is . Every baby is different, doctors don't know EVERYTHING, trust yourself a little and try what you feel is the right thing to do .Good Luck!

With breastfeeding (even if they are not latching) I was under the understanding that you feed on demand. Therefore if she wakes up and acts hungry feed her - if she doesn't wait the 2 hours. As long as she isn't spitting up a ton I wouldn't think you were overfeeding. I would rather over feed than under feed. I think she would let you know by spitting up or stomach discomfort if she was overly full.

Baby's are similar to us in that they are not always hungry for the same amount of food on the same schedule all the time. Sometimes, I wake up wanting pancakes and sausage and fruit. Sometimes, I just want a bowl of cereal. Feed your baby when your baby is hungry. As long as your baby is growing at a steady rate and is not obese (unlikely for a two-month old) stick with feeding on demand.

Hi, A.. I have a 6 month old baby girl. When she was your baby's age, she was eating 3-4 ounces every 3 hours or so during the day, sometimes closer to 2 hours. ( she is exclusively breast-fed). I think at your baby's age, you should still be feeding her on-demand. If she's hungry, she'll let you know. I know it's hard to waste that precious breast-milk, even a 1/2 ounce, but if she's falling asleep, she's probably satisfied. that's just my experience with out little one. Don't worry, sounds like you're doing a great job. As long as she's gaining weight and making 6-8 wet diapers during the day, she should be fine.

When my daughter was that age she ate about every 1hr and 30 minutes. I was told to feed her when she was hungry, and that if she wasn't hungry, then she wouldn't take it. If she is growing, she will want to eat more and more often, not to mention that this is also a way your body keeps up with her demand for breast milk. Like another poster said, you could try to keep her awake through the feedings. We did this by taking off her clothing so she wasn't all snug and warm. It will take you sometime to figure out if she's waking up for a feeding or something else. Good luck!

I attended a breastfeeding support group for the first 6 months of my daughter's life. We had some challenges to say the least! This question is VERY common so know you are not alone! The lactation consltant always said if the baby is thriving you are doing well. If she falls asleep at this point (and assuming she is thriving), I would let her sleep. When she wakes up I would feed her if she is hungry and not worry about the clock. Babies at that age are not pron to over eating. Remember, her little tummy is quite small and the milk is easy to digest.

I would also continue with just breat milk for as long as you can- do not introduce cereal into the milk... that changes the gutt and the BM is not absorb as well after that.

Congrats on Breast feeding! It is such a great gift you are giving her. Did you consult a lactation consultant regarding the latch? I know it is alot to be punmping and feeding... my pediatrian suggested i suppliment (little did I know about it changing the gutt) and after that my daughter would rather take the bottle (it is easier to get the milk so why work for it). I got back to BF with a supplimental feeder. That is a suggestion to try to get her to BF- it is less work for you and that sometimes makes the whole thing more enjoyable! But, if you don't - enjoy every single, sleep deprived moment.... it goes soooo fast.

All the best,
C.
www.candlewealth.com/soy4u

The best information we have on breastfeeding tell us to feed on demand. www.kellymom.com is a tremendous resource for all things feeding related. Also, are you getting help for the latch? My dtr was a 4 week preemie and we went to the LCs at Northside, and even received some specialized exercises from an OT and within a couple of weeks my dtr was a nursing champ. Let me know if you need more referral information for the Women's Center. Also, LLL meetings are great for that, and Northside sponsors two locations with weekly meetings that include an LC. Other good resources are the Northside Moms and the Atlanta Area Breastfeeding Support Group...both are Yahoo groups you could hook up with that I've found INVALUABLE. Best wishes! Feel free to write more, I've become nearly a bf'g expert after my two and all kinds of issues. It is such a great thing that I'm so thankful for persevering.

I breastfed on demand, which in the beginning seemed like all day. Now that my daughter is almost one SHE has cut it down, I'm sure with my help of introducing solid foods and I also do snacktimes morning & afternoon (she needs the weight, she is tall & thin like her dad).
I have never heard a pediatrician say that, especially if it is breastmilk which makes babies hungry faster since it digests so much more quickly than formula. I would do as others said & trust your own mothering instincts. I personally think newborns need to build up their weight because once they become mobile they really burn it off & care much less about eating! Best wishes!!

Your daughter is fine. I did the same thing when my daughter was born also. But trust me, when she's hungry, she'll let you know.

As a new mom to my 4th baby, I didn't have the time to read everyone else's response but here's mine. I have a 6 year old, 4 year old, 2 year old and 4 month old and I don't think you can overfeed a baby. If they are hungry they are hungry and I'm totally against trying to space out feedings etc... That may work for some people but for me I feed my children when they are hungry. Your Dr. is a good source of general information but as a mom you need to go with your gut feeling and do what feels right for your child and your family. I would love to know if the Dr. is a male or female and if they have children of their own??? :) Sometimes, when my children were newborns I was feeding them every hour on the hour whether they were hungry or just wanted the comfort etc... They eventually go for longer periods and especially since its not formula you are feeding your baby, It's all good for them.
The only thing I would question is not nursing your baby because she doesn't like to latch on. All 4 of my children were difficult to breastfeed initially. I had no idea it wouldn't come naturally and would take so much work but after about a 2 week period of trying and trying (sometimes in the first few weeks it could take up to 45 minutes to get them latched on) then it would click and they would know what they were doing without all the stress. Don't give up. Nursing provides way more then just food. The sucking motion required is way harder then what they do when drinking from a bottle and gives them a huge jumpstart on speech and language. Many children require speech therapy later on because there mouths didn't properly develop muscles because they were bottle fed. Again, you know your situation better then anyone but I just wanted to give you that info in case you weren't aware of it.

I always fed my daughter whenever she was hungry. My pediatrician had no problems with that. She needs to eat and she will let you know when she is hungry. If she wakes up crying because she is hungry, I have found no problems feeding her right away. I don't leave a bottle out more than an hour though. If she falls asleep and doesn't drink all of her bottle and wakes up and hour and a half later. I would get a new bottle with new milk. It's typical for new born babies to be a little of schedule and one time she will wait like 3 or 4 hours in between feedings, and then one time it will be a hour in between feedings. Start trying to get your daughter on a schedule. It will help her in the long run. She will start eating more at one time. And then she will start sleeping better the older she gets.

Your duaghter is trying to find a schedule and you have to give her a little help with that. I struggled with my first child who wanted to eat every hour and a half until I got him on a 3 hour schedule (which nobody told me until I called Laleche League because I was worn out from so much breasfeeding). You could either keep her awake while you are feeding her by using a a cool cloth, tickling her feet, sitting her up, etc. or let her fuss when she wakes up too soon and and try to distract her until it's time to eat again. It may sound cruel to let her fuss but she is obviousley not starving is she falls asleep from a full belly. Also, if she wakes up soon after eating a lot, if she is spitting up, it may be a good idea to keep her propped up for about 30 minutes or so before you lay her down to avoid reflux problems. A lot of it too is the comfort of suckling on the bottle that she is fussing for. She'll get the hang of it. Good luck and girls are wonderful!

Hey A.,
I also have a daughter who was born on 1/31/08 and she also doesn't latch on. How ironical.I tried initially but she didnot want to work hard for her food. I am pumping and she also gets it in the bottle. I do give her Enfamil at night and in early morning feeds.

My daughter would also sleep while feeding and then wake up in couple of hours. Then, I changed to number 2 nipple in Avent which is better than the new born. She would work so hard in the new born nipple that she would fall asleep. Now she is taking between 4- 5 ounces depending on her every 2.5 to 4 hours. Kids are smart and they decide when and how much they want. Hang in there.

A.

Hey A.! Congratulations on the birth of your little girl!! I miss those newborn days :-) A little about me...I have 5 children ages 9,8,6,5 & 3 - 2 boys, 3 girls. I breastfed all of my children on a 3-4 hour flexible schedule and they all slept through the night by 10 weeks at the latest - usually by week 6. I think your issues could be resolved by following a flexible schedule with your daughter. A schedule is a wonderful thing for a family - especially a new baby. Let me tell you why I believe this with all of my heart:

On a schedule you can...

- more quickly diagnose the meaning behind their cries (hunger, tired, sick).
- ensure that they are getting adequate sleep throughout the day rather than hoping they stay asleep for 15 minutes here and there - which ultimately leads to a cranky baby.
- regulate their metabolism by having them eat at certain times of the day, which leads to longer night time sleep, which leads to happier baby.
- your milk production regulates itself thereby producing exactly what you need for each feeding - and responds quickly to growth spurts. You can also identify growth spurts more quickly b/c of the increase in demand for an additional feeding.
- you get back to feeling more "normal" and rested quickly, so you can be a better mother to your child/children.
- once you have more than one, the baby's naptime becomes treasured "Mommy & Me" time for your older children. If not on a schedule, you can't ever guarantee that you will get this time...you just hope for it.

I could go on and on...the benefits are numerous. As far as your feeding issue is concerned, I would put her on a 3 hour routine as follows:

7am - feeding & wake time (work to keep her awake)
8-10 - nap time
10am - feeding & wake time
11-1pm - nap time
1pm - feeding & wake time
2-4pm - nap time

etc. until your last feeding at 10 p.m. Then let her wake you up during the night for her feedings. You will find that she will sleep better, have fewer digestive issues and be less likely to feel at odds once she is on a schedule. I would only feed during feeding times b/c if she doesn't take enough at one feeding, she is sure to make up for it at the next. As long as she is gaining weight, sleeping well and has a generally pleasant disposition, I wouldn't worry about it. Also, you may want to keep track your feedings (time/# oz./fussiness, etc.) as well as the number of wet/dirty diapers per day. This info was invaluable at the pediatrician's office when we ran into problems.

Sorry for the long answer. I just strongly believe in the benefits of a schedule for babies where you work the schedule, it doesn't run you. I wish you nothing but the best!!

Warmly - J.
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Follow your gut. Your pediatrician is just trying to get her on a schedule. It really isn't that big of a deal. You are mom..You do what you feel is right. I never breastfed on a schedule. If they were hungry I fed them if not no biggie! You know what is best. Follow your gut.

A.,
I would say to trust your mothering instincts! As long as your infant is not gaining too much weight at one time I would suggest giving her the rest of her feeding. If she is falling asleep before she finishes she is probably not getting completely full. I use to put unfinished bottles in the fridge to carry over to next feeding and my children were just fine. Breast milk is hard to come by or at least it was for me when pumping. I never wanted to waste any of that "liquid" gold milk.
Trust your God-given instincts on this one. If weight becomes an issue then you can come up with another plan.
Good luck,
A. (Mother of 6 & 4 yr old boy and girl)

Hi A.,

I agree with PPs - just follow your daughter's lead. I breastfed both my children for 1 year (they are now 16 months and 3 1/2 years). I did on-demand feeding and it worked great. Sometimes pediatricians want babies to be on a schedule - and they are partly right - it will give you the chance to better plan your day when you know what time your girl will eat, sleep and play...but that isn't the important thing here.

Just listen to your baby - she will tell you! I was told I needed to feed my son every 2 hours. I did and woke him up for feedings - I believe because of that he wasn't a great sleeper until recently. Even though I haven't breastfed him since he was one - he still kept waking up...

I did the opposite with my daughter. I followed her - never woke her up for a feeding and she is happy as can be, plus she was from the beginning on a better sleeper.

Good luck - keep us posted.
Cory

Breastfed babies should NOT be on a feeding schedule! You don't have to worry about overfeeding your baby, if she doesn't want it she won't take it. It doesn't sound like your ped knows much about breastfeeding, I would talk to a lactation specialist. Better yet, contact your local La Leche League.

Congratulations on your new baby! Four ounces should be plenty for her. Our daughter gradually moved up to 6 ounces, then 8, but that was after 4 months or so (and she was a big eater). :) We also had latch problems and I ended up exclusively pumping for about 10 months (with some extras, that lasted us a full year). It is not ideal, so I sympathize with you!

Oh, and this site (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html) has some great links and a chart that will tell you how long you can store milk. Definitely no need to start a fresh bottle of milk after only a couple hours. Stick it in the fridge, then when she's ready, you can put it in a cup of warm water to heat it up again. If you are using/thawing frozen milk, you should use it within 24 hours (and keep it in the fridge).

A.,
My son is 16 mos and I, too, had to pump and bottle feed bc he wouldn't latch on. His pediatrician said his rule of thumb is 2-3 oz every 2-3 hrs for the first 2-3 mos. Your little one may be falling asleep bc she is full and dosen't need any more food. Also, I was told to discard any milk in the bottle not taken within an hour. So try giving her just 2oz and if that satisfies her and she falls asleep, you haven't wasted any milk. Also, if she needs more you can always add it to the bottle she is drinking.
Good luck and Congrats on the new baby!

Hi A., I am 46 years old and was 42 when I had my first child, 44 when I had my 2nd child (both IVF babies). I was completely clueless regarding the needs of a baby, since I didn't ever really have much to do with children before. I live in Belgium (am a US citizen) and had my children here. The nurses at the hospital also told me to not feed my son before a certain amount of time had elapsed. With him,(the first child and my being clueless) while I was in the hospital, I tried to follow what they said. I didn't breast feed, I bottle fed and the nurses had to make the bottles for me. When my son would cry, before it was the "official" time to eat, they wouldn't make a bottle. It was incredibly stressful for me to watch him crying like that. When he finally got the bottle he was FINE, so I figured out that he was just hungry and a bottle was what he needed. I was in the hospital for a week (c-section) and by the end of the week, I was insisting that he get a bottle more often. As soon as I got home with him, I fed him WHENEVER he seemed hungry!!! If that was every hour, I did it. If my kids were crying and weren't hungry, they wouldn't take the bottle or they would just drink a little bit. Both of my kids are healthy and had NO problem with how often I was giving them a bottle. I always made sure they had clean diapers on and were warm or cool enough, made sure that no tags inside the clothing were irritating them, no temp., etc. If everything else was o.k., then I figured they were hungry.
I was amazed to find out that I actually HAD maternal instincts!!! Ha! So, I just did what I thought was what my kids needed. Trust your instincts!!! Good luck and ENJOY!!

Hi A.,

It sounds like your pediatrician has no concerns about the baby gaining weight so therefore you have no need to wake the baby to feed her. If she's falling asleep because her tummy is comfortable and full, she's NOT starving. You will have fewer problems with spitting up and reflux if you don't force her to finish every bottle.

Relax and enjoy learning her cues.

S.
mother to five

I think you doctor is trying to help your daughter not "snack" Trust me it is awful to have a snacker. If you feed when they want just a little, you end up with a snacker who wants to eat all the time. You waste bottles, they only nap a little because they get hungry quickly, you have one constantly up and down. napping then feeding. Try what your doctor is telling you. Give them the bottle until they seem content, fall asleep, etc. Then try to stretch out your feeding as suggested by your pediatrician. It will really help you in the long run, they go longer between feedings and then take more at the next feeding, sleep for longer, etc. It is cyclical, this goes for toddlers too. If they snack all the time, they don't want a meal when mealtime comes. These first few months are so scary, and each child is a little bit different, but try to stretch out the feedings and not create a snacker. I hope this helps. Have a great day.
C. in Alpharetta

I think the problem is that you know how much she is 'really' eating. When nursing you really have no idea. I used demand feeding, when he demanded it I gave it to him. He is now four, and has a great appetite but only eats as much as he needs too (wish I could do that!). Even things like cake and ice cream, he only eats as much as needed, not the whole thing (again, wish I could!)
My mother-in-law who was in early childhood education for over 40 years (in Scotland, England and Canada) gave us the best bit of advice...
if your child is crying, try feeding them, if that doesn't work, try changing them, if that doesn't work just hold them and love them.

One thing that we wish that someone did tell us was that during those 'growth spurts' where your baby seems to sleep and eat more, remember that their lungs/vocal chords grow as well. We had two times where my husband and I didn't know what to do. We were both in tears worried...he was just hungry again!!!!

A.,

Follow your daughter's lead! When she falls asleep, she is done! Quit!

I had my first and only daughter at the age of 40. She is nearly 26. I breast fed, even though my mother said it could not be done! Trust me and trust your daughter. She will let you know when and if she needs more nourishment. She falls asleep because she needs more sleep than food in order to grow at this point! After all, did you notice a watch on your daughter's hand at the hospital? Probably not! So her inner clock is what she is paying attention to. You will need to adjust your outer clock to her inner clock! She is the center of your Universe, and not that doctor! Try to remember that. It will only be a relatively short time that she will be the center of your Universe, so cherish that!

I learned that babies learn to eat until they are full. We can try to make them eat more, but I hear that only will cause eating problems in the future. If your baby is at a good weight, I would not worry so much. There is no right or wrong, only to make the best decission you can. Try not to stess yourself so much. If it were coming directly out of your breast you really would have no idea of measurements only that she is eating...

You've got to get this book by Laura Hunter. A local nurse in Atlanta who does on call visits. She is amazing and saved my sanity with baby #2! I didn't know what to do with my first baby and she was colicky and I fed her way too much, similar to what you are saying, and she never got on a proper feeding schedule. I used the recommendations in this book for my second baby and it was been truly amazing! She also does home consult visits if you need it. She works for a pediatrician's office near Northside but wrote this book because she was having such great success with her care. Book is, The Moms on Call Guide to Basic Baby Care, www.momsoncall.com
She says feed every 3 hours. I did this and my baby sleeps 12 hours at night, was born one month before your baby, and has been doing so for weeks now. I know it's because of following this book! page 115, will save you!
good luck,
K.

Dear A., Your sweet baby is still very little. I have breastfed all 4 of my kiddos and the first 2 I fed on a schedule but with my last 2 I fed on demand. I believe that especially when they are still so little they need to eat when they are hungry. Little babies will only eat when they are hungry. If you think that she is hungry then I would feed her and not worry about waiting the full 2 hours. As she gets older (atleast 5 months or so) you will begin to recognize when she can wait a little longer between feedings. I just think that when they are so little they are constantly going through growth spurts and it is hard to just be regimented about a feeding schedule. I found this works for us.

If Allyson go to sleep that means she maybe full but if you lesson to you little girl she will tell you when she is hungray so you want strave her when my oldest boy was a baby it was like he would fall asleep every time he strated to eat he would eat about 3 0z. then go to sleep and when he wakeup I would try to feed he bout until he was hungry he did not want the bottle or anything else. but when he wanted it he would cry just little to let me know he was hungry. so lesson and you will know when she hungry or sick or have a dirt dapper so lesson to you daghter S. B.

After reading several of the replies, I just wanted to add my $.02. Some will say to "demand feed." Some will say to put on a "schedule." Here is what I will add: "Know thy baby." My first child I put on a schedule (every 3 hrs eat, wake, sleep), which I always directed. I didn't look at the clock as my dictator, just as a guide. It helped to regulate his metabolism, sleep through the night at 9-1/2 weeks, and make him an overall happy baby. My second child I also had on a schedule, but she needed to eat more, esp. in the first week, so it was every two hours. It's called "Parent directed feeding (PDF). Notice the "P" is for parent and not pediatrician. Your doctor can also be a guide, not a dictator. Both of my children are healthy, happy, good-sleeper kids, and I believe it's from taking the time to meet their individual needs while also assimilating them into our already established family unit. :) Oh, both were breastfed.

HTH

My lil girl is almost 1 year and she's still a bf baby. I am surprised that your doc suggested that you start with a new bottle after only a 2 hours lapse. Based on my research I thought that you were to toss out formula after 1 or 2 hours but that BM was good until the next feeding. Just pumping so she can have milk while I was at work used to exhaustive, I wouldve went ballistic had my babysitter poured out left over milk after less than two hours!!!!