Weigh in for 7 weekers?
How long is your 7 week old?
How much does your 7 week old weigh?
My pediatrician told me that my son was too heavy (8lbs 5oz at that time) and eating too much (3 oz every 2 hours at that time) for his age (5.5 weeks at that time) and length (20 1/4" at that time.)
Now he is 7.5 weeks old, 9lbs 10oz, eating 4 oz every 3-4 hours (mostly 4), he is still 20 1/4 inches (as far as I know lol), and I'm terrified that she is going to say he is just too big and eating too much again on the 8th for his 2 month well and first set of vaccinations. My fiance and I are obese so I try and watch when and how much our son eats VERY, VERY carefully because of that and she made me feel like a total failure anyway. What do you other moms think who have babies my son's age?
Re: Weigh in for 7 weekers?
Good luck! Maybe ask her why she thinks that? Maybe it's a misunderstanding?
Are you feeding breastmilk or formula? I am feeding my LO expressed breastmilk and he takes between 25 to 30 ounces a day at 6 weeks. But formula and breastmilk are very different...
From what I've read about formula feeders, it does seem your LO's diet is a bit heavy. Are you demand feeding?
ETA. My oldest doubled her birth weight in 2 months. She was 5 lbs 1 oz at birth and 10 lbs 10 oz at her 2 month.
We absolutely do NOT demand feed him and we have a baby that will cry 12+ hours a day and has since he was 3 weeks old. So, feeding him every 4 hours is an absolute NIGHTMARE because between feedings he is ANGRY and screaming (dr says nothing is wrong with him at every visit he's had.) We time his feedings VERY carefully and measure out his ounces VERY carefully as well. If he does not eat at LEAST 3 oz (never more than 4) he gets blue and purple and screams so hard he can't open his eyes because they get goopy with tears and other eye goobers and will NOT stop for 4 hours until his next feeding.
Reading this makes me sad! Please do not let your doctor make you feel like you need to have your infant on a diet or be so exact with his feedings, that's insane. DD2 is EBF and is currently fed on demand, but DD1 was FF and we fed her at least every 3 hours and she took 4 oz at a time by 2 months of age. She was born at 4 lbs 12 oz and doubled her weight by 2 months and quadrupled it by one year. Our pediatrician explained that they gain quickly in the first 3 months and then it slows down from 3-6 months, slows down further from 6-9 months and again from 9-12 months. Normal weight gain for babies whether FF or BF is 1/2 oz to 1 oz per day. So in 2 months, that would be approximately 60 ounces, or 3.75 pounds, which would put your LO at close to 10 pounds, so he is perfect right now. Most pediatricians just want baby to stay on a good growth curve where they stay close to the same percentile. Honestly your pedi sounds like a bit of a jerk and I think I'd be looking for a new one!
Eta: He is the happiest baby and sleeps well so I wouldn't change any of it.
I feed about half expresses breast milk, half formula. LO eats 4 to 5 oz every 3 hours or so, with a cluster feed of slightly smaller amounts in the evening. If we fed him less milk or less often, I'm pretty sure he'd think he was starving.
Neither the pedi nor the public health nurse that weighs him in between appts seem concerned.
I hope your appt goes well and you're able to relax a little bit moving forward!
ETA: LO's weight gain since 4 weeks has equaled about 2.25 oz per day. That's higher than average, but again, the pedi doesn't seem concerned.
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DH and I are also overweight, but I think the issue come in to play when older and establishing healthy eating habits like fruits and veggies vs cookies and soda.
I'm sorry it's so tough for you right now, but big LO is crying because he's hungry, feed him!!
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Maybe that's the problem? Everything I have read and been told is NOT to feed a newborn on a schedule, but rather to demand feed. This is how I feed my LO.
You seem angry at my response. I thought you were seeking actual opinions, not just reassurance that nothing is wrong...
Edit: Also, yesterday was a weird feeding day for LO. He ate about every 3060 min, but only .25 to . 50 at most feedings. He still ended up at his 30 ounces for the day. They r very good at regulating themselves.
This. Plus at this stage important things are growing, like LO's brain.
My LO was 6 lbs 14 oz and 20.5 inches at birth. At her two week checkup she was up to 8 lbs 9 oz and they didn't say anything.
I EBF so its a little different but my LO would be so VERY unhappy if she had to wait 4 hours between feedings. She eats whenever she is hungry.
Also, as PP mentioned, what about growth spurts? They need to eat more during those.
I agree with others that I'd be looking for a new pedi if yours is making you feel like you need to limit feedings.
This.
There is no way I could pay more attention to the clock rather than my baby to know when it's time to feed her. Especially if she screamed all day.
Dd is 6 weeks old and FF mostly. She weighed 8 lbs at birth and now weighs 10lbs 10 oz. dh and I are both obese and there is no way that I would be limiting DD at this early age. If your baby is crying all day it is because he is starving. DD eats on demand. At night she will go five hours and during the day it is sometimes hourly. We feed her 2 oz at a time and more if she wants it. What baby weighs now has nothing to do with being obese later. It's healthy eating habits as they grow up that will help in the long run.
this is my pedi's view also. my son gained 18 oz in the 6 days between his 1 week and 2 week appointments. he's in the 95th percentile across the board and the pedi is very happy with his growth. I'd look for a 2nd opinion or a new dr. if I were you, OP.
this is my pedi's view also. my son gained 18 oz in the 6 days between his 1 week and 2 week appointments. he's in the 95th percentile across the board and the pedi is very happy with his growth. I'd look for a 2nd opinion or a new dr. if I were you, OP.
Personally, I would find a new pediatrician, both because of the "too heavy" idea and to get a second opinion about the screaming.
I EFF my LO on demand. She's 5 weeks old and eats 2-5 oz. per sitting. I follow her hungry and full cues so the exact amount and the time between bottles varies throughout the day and night. FWIW, I asked my pediatrician if LO was eating enough and he laughed and said she has a healthy appetite.
I decided to feed on demand because I don't think that a healthy newborn will overeat unless someone is force-feeding them. I figure that they're so young, they haven't had time to learn to ignore their hungry/full cues. I myself tend to overeat and I don't want my LO to do it too. But instead of making food restricted in some way, I'm hoping that she'll learn to listen to her body. Just another approach.
my DD isn't even 4 weeks yet, and she's 9lbs and 21.5 inches and is breast fed. I know she's getting close to 4oz every 3 hours, and she'll do a 5-6 hour stretch at night. I think your numbers are perfectly normal. Some babies just have bigger growth spurts than others. Just feed on demand, and you'll be fine.
Sometimes DD doesn't realize she's full until 5 minutes later. When I know she's had enough, I pick her up, burp her, and hold her up. Gravity and the milk presses up against the stomach, and it sends a signal to the brain that it's full. I would also check to see if he's actually eating, and not pacifying. Once they're suckle is shallower and spread out, I would stop.
My first kid was almost those exact same stats the day she was born so I think your pediatrician is a nut.
ETA: After reading more of the thread I think you have some serious issues. Feed your baby when he/she shows you hunger signs/cues. Don't put him/her on a schedule because you are worried about obesity. That is effed up.
My LO is 8 weeks today, and from what I can tell from weighing her myself she weighs 12 lbs 14 oz. I understand your concern about being overweight and wanting to not pass that on to your baby....but I would think withholding food from a baby would make them more food obsessed. My parents grew up in the Great Depression and they were both obese later in life from their experiences of being denied food when they were children. They tended to overeat and "hoard" food after those experiences.
FYI...I also have a daughter who will be 15 yo in 2 weeks. She is 5 feet 4.5 inches and weighs 122 lbs. She's really athletic and wears a size 2. She was just as "heavy" as my new LO when she was a baby...if not even chubbier! Please feed your baby on demand....I think you'll both be happier in the long run. I'd also get a new ped. Mine always said in his eyes a baby could never be too big. He only worries about them being too small.
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I commented on this earlier in the day, but I've been thinking about this on and off all day, and it makes me so sad thinking about this poor baby getting blue and purple in the face because he's so hungry. Babies have tiny stomachs and can only hold so much food and have to eat more often than adults. And, I as an adult often am hungry more than every 4 hours and want a snack or something, and some days I'm just more hungry than others. In adults I know it is more healthy to eat smaller meals / snacks as you are hungry instead of a few big meals, so wouldn't that even be more true for your little one and his tiny stomach? I also agree with PP that scheduling feeding and limiting feeding is more likely to lead to obesity because you are training LO that he has to eat as much as possible at one time because it will be a long time before he is allowed to eat again.
Once LO is older you can start worrying about healthy weight. Not by restricting amount of food, but by having healthy meals, healthy snacks, avoiding sugary drinks and desserts, and encouraging playing outside instead of sitting and watching TV etc.
You should really do some research of your own on feeding a newborn. This is so very heartbreaking.
C'mon guys, this can't be a real post. What OP is saying is ridiculous. Everything from the baby's weight, which wasn't that big, to letting her infant cry for 12 hours when there could be an obvious resolution. I don't believe a word of this and I think she is just trying to start a nasty debate about baby diets and baby weights.
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Some of you ladies are *** high-horse bitches...seriously. I'm asking for SERIOUS ADVICE and I'm doing what my pedi TOLD ME TO DO with his feedings - ACTUALLY 4 different ones from the same office!!!!
esp you nykkybaby. get a life. get off your cps, life-ruining high-horse. you don't know *** about me or my son. my son has STEADILY gained weight EVERY WEEK of his life and is very healthy. so ** you, seriously.
i'm deleting my account.
I'm glad that I (and so many others) took the time out of their day to try and provide some real advice, and you respond like this. Why ask for advice if you aren't going to take it? Forty people basically said the same thing -- don't schedule / restrict the feedings, feed as the baby demands and your baby is not overweight (there is no such thing at that age). Either (a) this is made up (b) you didn't communicate clearly the situation or what the doctors recommended or (c) you should find a new doctor's office (all 4 of them are idiots).
I think we all gave you SERIOUS ADVICE! If you didn't want to hear a bunch of ladies tell you your baby is hungry and that screaming all day is NOT normal then why did you ask? It ACTUALLY sounds like you have a great team of pedis. Maybe keep asking THEM for advice instead of US since we're such biatches.
ByE nOw!