Is My Baby Eating Too Much Formula

Hi X.,

There are a lot of "lactavists" out there who are firmly against formula, and it sounds as if you encountered one the first time.

I formula fed my daughter from 6 wks on (she's now 2) and was never told that they would overeat formula. I fact my own pediatrician said that babies in general know when they've had enough and will stop eating, whether breast or bottle.

It's hard enough that you have to go back to work without being confused and guilty if you can't breastfeed. I hope my comments have helped.

If your baby is eating too much you'll know. She'll either throw up or have other health problems. If she's healthy, and growing, I'd say that she's fine. Listen to her signals.

Beyond that I've nursed and bottle fed (health issues in later pregnancy's). My oldest was nursed and she drank too much from BREAST MILK. For god's sake, it's not like their's something in formula that messes with their appetite or something. Some babies just don't know when to stop.

Feed her as much formula as she wants. Is your lactation specialist suggesting that you DON'T feed her if she's hungry? That sounds silly to me. I highly doubt you are going to end up with an overweight baby! If a baby is hungry you feed it, formula or breast milk what ever the baby is used to. If you aren't breast feeding you don't need to bother with a lactation specialist anyway. It sounds like that person is just making you feel bad. Breast feeding doesn't work out for every one that's just a fact of life. That's why they used to have wet nurses. There are plenty of healthy kids in the world who were given formula as babies.

Hi X.! I breastfed my daughter until she was 8 weeks old until we found out she was severely lactose intolerant. She couldn't even tolerate my breast milk even though I gave up dairy. Anyway, we had to switch her to nondairy formula. She took a bottle every two hours up until she turned a year old and I took her off the bottle. I think when babies are breast fed first, they tend to stay on similar feeding schedules. I think she started taking 6oz bottles around 4 months too so she was eating frequently and not small portions either. My daughter has been super chunky, but since she has been walking, she had burned a bunch of it off. My pediatrician told me that I could not overfeed her, even with formula. He said starting around 18 months they can begin to overeat, so don't worry about giving your daughter too much formula right now. (plus chunky babies are the cutest babies!) My daughter is 17 months now and weights around 26 lbs! Everyone comments on how healthy she looks. Hope that helps.

Hi,
I am a mother of an 8 month old girl, and boy does she LOVE food! This is what my pediatrician told me as far as feeding (as I really had no guidelines for how much formula to give her). She said to give her what I think she should be eating, and when she has had enough, she will most likely stop eating. If you have a motherly instinct that she is eating too much, maybe cut out an ounce here and there. But, honestly, babies grow alot their first 6 months of life. My little girl eats like a horse - she has always been like that and my pediatrician is happy that she has such a good appetite. She's not overweight or anything - she just likes food. Anyway, hope this gives you a little insight. Every baby is different! Also, if she is throwing up or spitting up alot after she eats, this may be a sign that she is eating too much. Good luck on the journey of motherhood!

Hi X. S,
I had a really hard time with breast feeding and I also had a lactation specialist come and see me. I'm bottle feeding my little one now too. I breaks my heart that breast feeding didn't work out. Babies do know when to stop. I have an 8 week old and she eats 3 to 3 1/2 oz at each feeding. Not sure where you had your baby , but Swedish Hospital has a baby hotline and the nurses there will let you know exactly how much formula your baby needs. Good luck.

B.

hmmm, i'm not sure either, i asked the same question but my son is 2 months old and when he's full he grabs the bottle and pulls it away from his face so i think they know when they are full

Ok, first of all, lactation specialists sometimes piss me off with their advice. They try to push so hard on breastfeeding and try to make you feel bad about switching to formula. They did this to my sister too!

Anyway, if babies can't stop with formula, then they can't stop with breastmilk, what the heck is the difference in that case?

Anyway, I could not breastfeed, complication issues, and although I was pushed to, I had to switch to formula pretty much right away...At 8 weeks, I would say to feed her every 4 hours (give or takee 30 minutes) and 6 oz per feeding, or as much as she will comfortably take (she might want a little more). Formula stays with them longer so they shouldn't be hungry as early as with breastfeeding. I know it's hard to tell at this young of an age...but they are not always hungry, if she just ate 6 oz of formula an hour ago but is acting hungry...then something else is wrong...gas, tired, maybe even just wants to suck, if she will take a binky, but she can't really be hungry that soon after a big bottle.

I would say you know your baby, and if you really think she's hungry/still hungry, feed her...I'm not sure if you're on a demand schedule or an hourly schedule...but in my case, I would give her atleast 36 oz. per day. Some kids just gain weight quickly and then even out later...I'm sure there is nothing wrong...

I hope that helps a little!

My baby is on formula due to complications - I stopped at six wks... I'm sorry but I greatly disagree that a baby would not know when to stop with formula - SO NOT TRUE... both my babies started at 6 wks and are just fine... they 'never' wanted more than their little bodies needed. If you find that your daughter is craving more than 'you' think is recomended consult your dr.
Here is a chart that I found useful...
Keep in mind, though, on any given day, the amount your child drinks may vary greatly. This chart offers approximate guidelines.
2 months - 5 to 8 feedings, varies in oz., 18-22 oz. per day
3 months - 5 to 6 feedings, 4 - 6 oz., 20-28 oz. per day
4 months - 5 to 6 feedings, 5 - 6 oz., 30-35 oz. per day
My baby is just turning 4 mo and is at about 28-30 oz. per day.
One good indicator that your baby is taking enough in is the amount he/she is putting out. The simplest rule of thumb; she should produce 6-8 wet diapers a day and have one or more bowel movements almost everyday (formula babies can go a day or two without one b/c of the iron). Your doc will also chart your baby's weight at every checkup... check with your doc if you have concerns.
Blessings,
S.

Hi There! I strongly beleive that babies will eat when they are hungry. If she is spitting up more than half of her feeding or having belly aches I would ask your doctor or cut back, but I just just feed her what she wants to eat. Otherwise you will be listening to a screaming baby all day. They go through spurts... they eat a ton all day and all night, then all of a sudden you will notice her sleep a ton and not eat as much, then she will go through a big growth spurt and start eating a ton again... Kendyl did that in cycles for a really long time. She ate like a hog and the doctor will tell you if they think the baby is gaining too much too fast, beleive me. Kendyl always ended up being just right. These are of course just suggestions. Others beleive totally different. I am a first time mom too and these were just my experiences with her and all kids are different. Really though, I think that if they are hungry, they should eat. Besides the fact that alot of babies are really chunky until they start being mobile, then they slow way down. Oh, I read some of the other comments and I do agree that it could be gas or something else. When their bellies hurt, alot of times they like to suck and they will keep eating and eating and their tummies will keep hurting... that happened to kendyl early on too... so that is something to think about as well.
C.

Hi X.,

First I would like to say Hi from a former "lactovist". I am a certified lactations consultant and former breastfeeding mom. I would like to appologize for any "bad" information or guilt you may have felt after talking with the lactation consultants.

I guess I might be a little different from other Lactation consultants. I had problems BF my first child and fed her with a medicine dropper for 3 plus weeks. Advice that I have given to other mothers but also include how hard it was for me. I never will judge a person again after my experiences. What I do try to do is educate people. It's my job to promote Breastfeeding. However, working with WIC its also my job to know about formula.
So, here goes.....

If the child was breastfeeding and taking breastmilk froma bottle and mom would want to know how much the child needed, we follow a plan. Your child should eat 2 1/2 times his/her weight. Usually at about 8 weeks most will be drinking from 32 to 50 oz. 50 oz. being the extreme end of normal. Some babies will drink 4 oz every 2 hours, others will eat 8oz every 4.
The research says that you can't overfeed a breastfed baby. Mostly that is true. When a baby is at the breast but is full they change thier sucking pattern that mimics a pacifier. So they do not pull the milk out of the breast. I know this is try because once I got my first to latch-on, she never let go.
She could have been attached 24 hours a day and still would have been a slow gainer.
How can we overfeed? (I like the term bottle-fed baby). You can still overfeed a baby that gets breastmilk in the bottle.
It all boils down to communication. Looking at the feeding cues of your infant. EX>>>> My baby usually drinks 6 oz at most feedings. This time he only drank 4, he must need to be burped, then continue to manipulate the child to "finish" the bottle. The truth is, most babies will throw up if they eat too much. Spitting up is normal (if it's less than a palm full, usually normal).

The next barrier you will fall into is ...when do I start solids? Cereal? Juice? Should I do veggies before fruit or will they never eat veggies?

The american academy of pediatrics recommend starting infant cereal between 4-6 months. When is your baby ready? Everybody may be different. If you start at 3 1/2 months does that mean your a bad mother? If you don't offer other foods till 6 1/2 months are you depriving them? Please keep an open mind when getting advice. You know your child the best. Watch for feeding signs... fingers in the mouth, crying or creaming and try not to watch the clock. If your child is hungy, how much should I feed? Try 4 oz. and not satified offer another 4 oz. I would recommend maxing out at 8 oz. When should I offer the next feeding? When your infant is showing hunger cues. Thta could be 2-4 hours. Some babies will sleep thru the night and eat 8 oz every 2 hours while awake. Are they being overfed? Or just adjusting thier schedule to what works for them. (NOT US, THEM)

Almost all babies will go thru growth spurts. This is a period of growth over 2-3 days. Your child can grow as much as an inch over night during these growth spurts. The "typical" growth spurts happen at (APPROX) 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 6 months but can have any in between. You would have a baby that will either drink more per feeding or more often or even both. When your infant isn't sleeping (they don't do much of that during the growth spurt) or eating he/she will probably be cranky and crying. If this sounds like ehat has just happen, then follow your feeding cues. Feed more during thoses 2-3 days and it should taper off naturally. Some babues also will do what is called cluster feeding. IE>>> feed at 5 pm and 6 pm and 7 pm and 8 pm and then sleep for 5-8 hours. This is also normal. Time consuming for your part but normal. These babies are basically packing it in , so they will sleep longer. Some babies sleep thru the night at 7 weeks others at 2 years old. Both are normal.

I would only be concerned about the formula if....
1. You think your child is drinking more than 50 oz. of formula in 24 hrs.
2. You think your child does not tolerate the formula.
3. You think your child has a medical condition, requiring more or less of formula.
4. Your child should double birth weight by 4 months and triple by a year? If this sounds way off. Check with the doctor.
5. Did you know that formula fed babies gain more weight in the end of the first year, rather than breastfed babies gain quicker inthe first 6 months?

I hope some of this info helped. Just follow your gut feelings. If you are given advice and you don't agree or if you question it, get a third opinion. Expecially if the first 2 opinions differ from each other. And don't stop asking questions until you are satisfied with your answers!!!!

H. B.

Babies can't and won't "eat too much." Of course the lactation consultant told you that formula is bad...that's their job. I did breastfeed both my girls, but never made it to a full year, and they did wonderfully on formula. Babies stop eating when they're full, regardless of whether you're feeding them formula or breast milk.

Hi, yes feed your baby until he/she does not want any more. Even if they don't drink much at a time, they will not eat more than they can handle, if they do they they will probably throw it up when they burp. I hope this helps you.
Have a wonderful day..

D.

Congratulations on your bundle of Joy, it's been my experience that a baby will only eat until he/she is full. I'm sure that you daughter is healthy.

I was told, when my kids were little, that when a child eats like crazy, they are at a growing spurt. I watched my kids as they grew and it certainly seems true. There were time were they ate everything in site and then there were times where they didn't want to eat at all.

Hope my little advice is useful and have fun with your daughter.

Aloha, R.

Hi,
when my 13 year old was a baby i couldnt breastfeed, due to the fact that she was a preeme. I would go away for the day and pack up bottles of formula. They would be filled too 8 ounces she would always drink the whole thing and then throw up afterwards, I learned she was drinking too much. Thats because it was there she was going to drink it all.(So i believe that is true they dont know when to stop with formula) So then I started filling the bottles with only 6 ounces and then she stopped throwing up. I dont know if this will help but, Maybe only filling your bottles up with certain amount will help so that you baby wont over eat...

I feel as they say breast milk is best but your baby will do fine with formula. Sometimes you just cant breastfeed. The formulas are full of the nutritional value that your baby needs and they have all kinds so one will be just perfect for your little baby. My 13 year old girl is doing great and she is not having any problems she is healthy and normal. My now 5 years old was breast fed but then i only lasted 7 months with her so then i formula fed her. and again she is a normal happy healthy kid. I think you are doing a good job with your baby and you will take care of all his/her needs as they come up take care and good luck.. M.