Does My Daughter Eat Too Much?

At 3 months, my daughter was about that size, so first off, don't worry, mine is just breaking 20 now, at 8 months. secondly, if shes hungry, feed her! babies don't yet have over-eating programmed into them, so she'll only eat until she's full.

No! I wouldn't worry too much about it. It may be more time consuming, but just feed her littler meals more often. It seems like that's what she's asking for. It's easier on reflux to eat like that too!

Hi T.~ My son had reflux........BAD! He used to spit up his entire bottle at almost every feeding. Finally after getting no where with the doctor, a friend told us about Dr. Brown's bottles, they were a life saver. he went from throwing up every feeding to only once a day. I swear by these bottles. They are a little more expensive and a bit more work to clean, but worth it! Good luck.

Hi T.,
My son was in the 95% for his height and weight till he was over a year old. The doctors also told us to feed him a certain amount of food every so often. My advice is if your child is hungry feed them. If you have tried playing with her and changing her and she is still acting hungry feed her. That is the best advice I got being a new mom. My son is now 2 1/2 and healthy and is now only in the 50% for his weight. They naturally begin thinning out as they grow taller. Good luck.

At 4 months I had to start feeding my babies ceral with a spoon. They were hungry. My doctor told me once that they should not finish a bottle, If they finish it then they didnt eat enough this was helpful. Every 2 hours is a lot. But my kids ate about every 3 but then slept at night. You have to do what is right for your child and do what feels right for you and your baby. Good Luck!!!
C.
Mom Helping Moms Work from Home
http://colleend.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

I've never listened to a doc's advice on how to feed my children, and they are all healthy and happy. You certainly could try smaller bottles more often. Although have you considered she might have gas? Rice cereal can cause little stomach problems like gas and constipation. Sometimes babies act like they are hungry, and will eat, even though they only have gas that won't release. They just don't know the difference between hunger and gas pains. You might try getting some baby gas drops (store brand works just as well as the expensive one), and give her a dose of that before each of the next few bottles. It won't hurt her if it turns out to be she really is hungry. You might also want to try spoon feeding her some rice cereal. That could help stave off her hunger a little longer.

I wouldn't sweat the weight too much...my daughter was at the 95th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for height until a few months after she started walking. She was like a globe.

The first thing I'm wondering about the formula is what kind? If she's getting dairy-based, you might want to switch to soy or vice versa. If that doesn't help, you could try a goat's milk base. Goats' milk is much more similar to to human, so it's more easily digested. It's pricey and only available through health food type stores, but it can be really worth it.

As for the feeding schedule, I'm no doctor, but if I had a baby who was spitting up that much, I'd approach it like this. I'd feed her on demand. I'd keep a close eye on how much she's taking in. I'd also keep a close eye on how vigorously she was eating and the minute she slacks off in the slightest, I'd switch her to a pacifier. Here's my logic: being hysterical is not going to help the digestive system function well. So I'd feed her when hungry, but I'd try to do smaller amounts at each feeding. The purpose of switching her to the pacifier would be to make sure that she's eating when she needs to eat, and not when she just needs to suck for comfort.

Hope this helps...

Don't worry about overfeeding your baby. When babies are little they eat because they are hungry and they et until they are full. We adults are the ones who teach them to not listen to their bodies in regards to hunger which leads to bad eating habits. The doctors and nurses just give you recomended guidelines but every baby is different, some eat more others less. My daughter was always in the top 90th percentile for her height and weight when she was a baby, now she is very tall for her age but has thinned out, losing some of her baby fat. Listen to your baby and when she is full stop feeding her, when she is hungry let her eat. I think the main point your doctor was trying to make was to try to get her on a set eating scheduale where you space it out and don't over feed her. If she eats fast when she eats she may be eating a little more than she needs because it takes longer to feel full than it does for your tummy to actually be full. If you think this is the case try to get her to slow down when she eats. Eating too fast can make acid reflux worse.
Doctors can give you great advice but sometimes you have to be a little flexible with what they tell you to find what works best for you and your baby.

I would listen to your baby's cues. At that age if they want to eat let them eat. My son was in the 95%, he was such a butterball baby. I always fed him on cue, I figured he knows when he is hungry and how much he wants to eat. He is now 3 and in the 50%. My second son is the opposite in the 25% at 8 months and the doc keeps telling me to make him eat more. He simple doesn't want more, I've tried. Every child is so different I think it is always best to tune in to your baby's cues and go by that, no one knows a baby's needs better than their own mother.

Hi T.: Sometimes as a mom, you have to go with your gut instinct. Yes, drs believe in their own and what they have learned but unfortunately they are not the ones that live with your child. I nursed my son for 4 1/2 mos. From the day he was born he had one formula bottle a day, one night I did try the formula bottle with the cerael in it to see if it would hold him off a little longer so that I could get a longer stretch of sleep. unfortunately in my case it didn't work so good. But either way, as a mom, you have to do what you think is right for your baby, you are the only one who knows every inch of her and what all of her cries mean. It takes a little while to figure it out though. I didn't think that the cerael in the bottle worked for my son. At 4 mos they reccomend 1tbsp of cerael mixed with formula or breast milk spoon fed. Why don't you try that a little early and see how she does? In the morning or at night time. What do you have her on for formula? With the acid reflux, I don't know if there is a special one that they are supposed to be on. My son used to spit up alot himself but they never said he had AR. He was just a hungry baby.... He will be 18mos next week. Some babies are just hungrier than others.

You should do what you feel is right. The doctors probably told you that as a suggestion, but if it isn't working, you shouldn't do it.Every baby is different and at this point, I don't think that you can "overfeed". Babies let you know when they need to eat, so follow your child's signs.

I have the same issue with my daughter. She will eventually start to go longer on the formula. Weight doesnt always matter as far as how long she should go. She could also be going through growth spurt. If she doesnt finish a 5oz bottle don't force her to. My daughter's GI said that some babies never drink more than 5oz at a time and my daughter is 6 months old and drinks anywhere from 2-4.5oz every 3-4hr during the day and she just started going longer at night. The cereal may help her reflux. But I found that if I put 2 tsp in a 4oz bottle she wouldn't drink half as much. She is doing fine with only 1 tsp /4oz. Everybaby is different try it and see how she does. good luck Let me know how she works out.
T.

The way I see it is medical stuff isnt always right on which is why I guess they call it a medical practice. Each person is different and you just need to go by your daughters needs. I would think trying to feed her when she is no longer hungry would cause problems later. Good thing about kids is that they usually stop eating when they are done so if shes done then I would just wait again until she is hungry. Everyones metabolism is different and this way you are teaching her to listen to her body.

My oldest had problems with throwing up after eating when she was very little ..between 2 and 4 months old. I started doing smaller and more frequent feedings, using the Mylicon(sp) drops for gas and she was just fine. A couple of things to consider , like someone mentioned babies can't tell the difference between an empty tummy and an achy one. And babies need "suck time", so she may just need a pacifier to get her time in.
Having a strong history of diabetes in my family I was reluctant to start cereal before 6 months. Here's a bit from an article on that and the link for the full story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/30/earlyshow/contr...

"Two new studies in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association show a link between diabetes risk and a baby's age when cereal is introduced into the diet.

The research showed that cereal introduction before four months of age increased the risk four times of developing diabetes autoimmunity, or the antibodies that are the precursor to type 1 diabetes.

Research also showed children who were not given cereal until after six months of age were five times more likely to develop diabetes autoimmunity. "

hi, do what YOU think is best for her. if she is hungry, than give it to her after 2 hours! you will not be overfeeding her. my son was born 9lbs 1oz & was drinking his formula with cereal in it like crazy...and it was my idea to put the cereal in the bottle! he was over the 95th percentile! he is now 31 months old & in the 75th percentile & a very happy healthy boy! your the mom, YOU KNOW BEST!

I have a 13 month old and is healthy as can be. He had acid reflux bad also & i was told 10 different things from 5 different doctors. My advice to you is just do what you and your daughter are comfortable with. Your daughter knows better then anyone else when she wants to eat & if she is hungry so just follow her lead. Good luck and congrats!!

Your daughter is overeating. She has acid reflux because of it. A baby's stomach is the size of their fist.

Do what the doc says. I did and my son is perfectly healthy. At his last check up the doc actually said he was 'text book'. All the numbers were perfect.

My son never spit up b/c he wasn't overfed. I once, ONCE, listened to women in my family and put some cereal in his bottle. He has such back constipation that he actually ripped a little of his anus. From then on I vowed to only listen to the doc.

Your daughter is very uncomfortable with all the food. And, you have to remember that a baby's instinct is to suck. She could just want to suck and not actually eat.

Please, listen to the doc's orders for like a 2 weeks, you'll see her acid reflux clear up and she'll learn to soothe herself without the bottle. She just needs something to soother herself, she's not hungry.

Acid reflux is destroying her esophagus, too. Do not overfeed babies. I had this argument with my mom, grandmother, aunts and other older women. Babies spit up b/c their itty bitty stomachs are overflowing with formula.

If the baby's hungry, feed her! you know your baby better than the doctors. also, baby's don't ask to eat if they're not hungry so if she's acting hungry it's because she needs food, she's growing a lot right now and her body needs lots of nutrients. my advice is don't listen to the doctors, go with your gut! good luck! :)

Hi T.. My son (now 4) had acid reflux for the first 6 months of his life. The reason she's crying is she's hungry. To help keep him quiet, we would add more cereal to his bottle. The consistency was heavier, so it was harder for him to bring it back up, and he wasn't as hungry. Just make sure you keep extra bibs around.

They usually grow out of it. This too shall pass.

Hello, T.. Can I ask, what formula do you have her on? I have twin girls (who are now almost 2) and when they were that young they had very bad acid reflux (one worse than the other). We tried several different formulas then my doctor (who was completely against cereal at that age) suggested Enfamil AR. It was a newer formula at the time. It's Enfamil w/ rice already in it so it is thicker than other formulas. Let me just say that my girls were completely different babies once they started taking it. They still spit up so unfortunately, I can't tell you that will stop, but because it was thicker it went down better and made them feel better. I also had one twin taking Prevacid which helped a lot too. But if you don't feel comfortable giving her all of that cereal, ask your dr about the Enfamil AR. I had suggested it to a friend when her baby was born and the same thing happened, she started the formula and her baby was a whole new little girl... it was wonderful. Good luck to you!!

I had this same problem when my daughter was 8 weeks old. The nurse told me that she was just in the habit of eating too frequently and I had to stretch the times out between feedings. For eg. 2 hours then 2 hours and 15 minutes. You just have to really work when they start fussing and bounce them, put them in the swing etc. in order to make the time longer. Of course if tyou can't soothe them then feed them. she could be going through a growth spurt.

Good Luck

Jenn Smith
http://jennsmith.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

A second opinion by another pediatrician doesn't hurt.
Also gas may be the problem. Hold your baby across your legs. Rub back in circular motion. You can also try walking with baby in your arms vs. lying baby down gently patting his back.
I personally think that's a lot of food. Cereal is very good for babies. However, I see a lot of people as there kids get older give them "shut up" food. As long as you know your feeding your children necessary amounts of food and their not starving, then the baby will be fine.
*My son at 2 months old had a sugeory called pyloric stenosis.
Trying to rememeber the true meaning of this. All of a sudden one day he wasn't keeping the food down and everything would get spit up. I think this was due to the over active or underactive muscles in the stomach which required a smal minor surgeory that went just fine. They say its common with first born males. If you see that this is a on going problem, it wouldnt hurt to get a second opinion.
Good luck! :)

T.,
I had the same problem with my daughter when she was that age, she will actually do better with the spitting up if she has smaller meals. Follow her lead, and you all will be happier. Remember that the weight is in relationship to her height, so if she is tall compared to others, then she should also be heavier compared to her peers. so if this is the case, I wouldn't really worry about her weight.
As long as she is eating b/c she is hungry, and not just to satisfy her sucking needs, I would give her what she wants when she wants it. If you are unsure if it is b/c she wants to suck, try giving her a pacifier when she slows down on the bottle, and see what she does. best wishes!

This is a relly tough one because you don't want her to scream because she's hungry but you don't want her gaining too much weight. Maybe try the 4 ounces every 2 hours and then when she is 4 months spoon feed her the cereal with her bottle maybe that will fill her up more. My doctor said that spoon feeding the baby cereal adds less weight than putting the cereal in the bottle also. Good luck!

I had the same thing going on with my little girl when she was a baby. The acid reflux and adding the cereal and eating often. She is now 5 and a little over wieght and can eat as much as I do. I think it is all tied to the acid reflux. When she was on just milk she seem to be hungery all the time. Which I think she was because she didn't keep much down and didn't grow much stayed small for along time. When she got to start baby food she acted like she was starved and at times we couldn't spoon the food to her fast enough. She done alot better on solid foods, but I think this caused her to be a big eater. With the milk she was never full from throwing up and the solid foods filled her up but she was so hunger she acted starved and ate too fast. She also had trouble with milk all together baby milk and whole milk. We ended up having to keep her on baby milk til she was almost 2 years old. Just think if everytime you ate you throw up you would be starved all the time too. It's sad. I was the by the book kind of mom. Whatever the doctor said I did. If I had it to do again. I would have started my baby girl on food sooner.

my son has the same problem and he is 3 and a half months. i resorted to feeding him whenever he is hungry which is usually every 4 hours. he is not spitting up as much nor is as thick as it use to be. Also my doctor suggested burping him with his back /posture straightened. We do this w over the shoulder burping and laying on his stomach across my lap. the reason for that is the baby might have been taking in too much air during burping

Also, ctoo much crying before a bottle cause a large amount of air intake

I don't understand why they didn't put her on meds for the acid reflux? My son who is 8 mths now has been on medicine for months now & is doing wonderful. I would ask your doc for heart burn medicine (my son is on prevacid). I did try another before the prevacid & it didnt work but this has. I'm not sure if you don't want to give her meds or not but it work. Good luck & I hope I was at least helpful.

I had the same situation with my son. (now 7 months). By 3 months he was eating over 40oz per day, with cereal mixed in the bottle. My doc had me start solids at 3 1/2 months. At that age they need 28-32 oz of formula/day, and this includes the formula used to make cereal. He was clearly still hungry so the solids did fill him up. Doctors give you guidelines, but never worry about overfeeding. My doc promised me I wasn;t going to make my baby "fat". I was simply giving him solids to curb his appetite.
Best of luck!

I went through the same thing. What i did because i didnt listen to my doc either i fallowed my family upbringing. I didnt wait until 6 months i started at 3 months and just gave her half of what i would make if it was just formula.