Can babies be overfed?
Hi,
I am after some advice.
My baby boy will be 6 weeks old on Friday and is currently drinking 5oz. I was told by my cousin (who is a doctor) that he should be drinking 3 1/2 oz every 3 hours. I asked my health visitor and she said that he should be drinking 3-4oz but if he’s on 5oz now, to keep him on that for a while.
When he goes to my partners parents house, he has 6oz. She feeds him 6oz evert time he cries.
She isnt following my routine which I am fuming about and says that everytime he goes over, despite me saying to feed him 5oz, she’s going to feed him 6oz. She says you can’t overfeed a baby.
Can a baby be overfed? I’ve read that they can and that they can’t.
What should I do?
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Is he throwing up afterwords? My daughters daycare was over feeding her and she’d get sick that’s how I knew
I was told by HV that they can’t, and will only take what they want.
Side note though, I’d be having words about following your routine…..you’re mum 🥰
Breastfed babies can’t be overfed but bottle fed can be. That’s what my paediatrician said as I was worried about my son’s weight
No. Babies are really good at stopping when full. Both of my boys were formula fed and always drank more than recommended. Current baby at 4 months was drinking roughly 40oz a day. Our pediatricians were all impressed by the amount but not concerned at all as that's what he needed to be content.
Bottle fed babies are now being advised to pace feed so they don’t drink more than they can take. A baby has to actually physically use their jaw muscles to suck from the nipple but a lil suck from a teat and they can draw in more milk (and it will keep dripping in if left in their mouth) so on my IG Bf pages it’s recommended to pace feed so you don’t overfeed the baby. Let me find the link and I’ll link it
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHv5kxFHpf6/?igsh=MW95bmRibmp6Njc1dw==
Following !
Bottle fed babies can be over fed.
I think formula fed babies can be over fed, but it depends how you feed them. We used to pace feed as this allows them to only take what they actually want and gives them opportunity to stop, rather than if they’re lying back with the bottle totally upright and pouring into their mouth where they have less opportunity to stop it
Babies have a suckling reflex that once a bottle teat or nipple is placed in their mouth they will always want to suck.
I was worried about over feeding when my little one was that young and the health visitor told me that if they were draining their bottles to give it and maybe up it. And if they took too much their bodies would naturally bring the excess milk back up.
So if little one isn’t being sick after bottles then I wouldn’t worry. Xx
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