Q for FF moms

abj22

Do you try to get DC to finish a bottle or just let it go if he/she doesn't want to take it all? Avery will eat anywhere from 2-4 ounces. I try to keep it going until she at least takes 3.5 ounces. But I've noticed her cheeks are really starting to fatten up in the last week or so and now I'm actually worried that I've been overfeeding her. Is that possible?

CJinMD

if andrew doesnt want to eat anymore, he will let me know by pushing the bottle away. andrew right now is eating anywhere from 3.5-4 oz per feeding, which is usually every 2.5-3 hours during the day. he is getting to be a big boy!

Jamie.L.Craig

If Indy doesn't want it I will give it up.  He eats about 3-4oz per feeding every 2-3hours during the day, 3.5-5 hours at night.

abj22

I should add that DD has been a "lazy" eater since day 1 and will often fall asleep after only having 1/2 ounce or so. She had a lot of trouble gaining in the beginning but she clearly isn't having any trouble anymore -- her cheeks are FAT!! ?Maybe I need to just let her be lazy now?

caymanbride

In the beginning, Aidan would usually just fall asleep when he was done. Now he usually eats 6-10 oz at a time. He's definitely a chubby baby, and is in the 95th percentile for height and weight. They say it's not really possible to overfeed babies, if you do, they'll spit it all up and you'll know it. I've only done that twice.

mlf625

If he stops actively eating or starts playing around with the bottle nipple, we quit, no matter how much is left.  But he usually sucks down his 4oz bottle and then wants another, LOL!

Ditto cayman- if you're overfeeding, you'll know.  They'll spit it back up.

melsie

at this age you can't over feed, they will refuse it if they are truly full. I don't force formula on DD, i do repeatedly offer it to her and if she continues to refuse i back off... no point in creating a negative association with the bottle/sippy cup.

chubby cheeks are a great sign tho! the fatter the better! lol 

FredsNey

We used to encourage Kate to finish a bottle, but once she stopped passing out at mealtime and was gaining appropriately, we stopped that.  We break Kate's feedings up into smaller amounts...she likes to eat small, frequent meals with the reflux.  We still write down what she eats and when and I pay more attention to the number of ounces per day rather than per feeding. 

We start with 2 ounces and then offer another ounce or two depending on how hungry she seems...she needs to burp anyway and we don't like to waste the formula or BM.  Every time I think I know how much she will eat and start with a bigger bottle, she gets full and I have to throw the formula out.   

When we put Kate back on formula, she was gaining a pound a week!  Even after that leveled off, she definitely plumped up between one and two months--she looked like a different baby!  I think the "plumping" phase started around 6 weeks or so.....

kelly&marty

You can't overfeed. They'll refuse or spit it back up.

Embrace the chubby cheeks! Oliver has them (he had them in utero, we noticed at our last 3d growth u/s), even though he's still in the 50th percentile for his weight.