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Can you overfeed baby?

krystalansteykrystalanstey
in Breastfeeding
I mostly breastfeed but recently I've started pumping once-in-a-while so that I can leave the baby with my husband for a few hours or take a bottle if I'm going out and it's more convenient than Bfing. The only thing is, since I can't tell how much she's getting from my breasts, it's hard to know how much to feed her from the bottle. She is almost 5 weeks old and the other day she drank about 6 oz. When my husband mentioned that to a colleague he said that seemed like a lot and that his baby who's quite a bit older only drinks 4 oz at a time...does anyone know if it's possible to overfeed a baby at this age or should I continue offering her food until she pushes me away?
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Re: Can you overfeed baby?

  • Temp6313048411121614Temp6313048411121614 member
    That seems like quite a bit.  My twins are 5.5 months old and we JUST started giving them 6oz of formula in the last week or so.  I normally give them around the same amount for BM, but I know BM in general has more calories than formula.  I think around your DD's age they were getting around 3 or 4 ounces.  I guess if she handeled it and didn't get sick from it she's fine, but I wouldn't expect this to be regular (and ask her pedi at your next appt).
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  • OsgirlOsgirl

    IMO, 6oz is way too much for a 5 week old. BF babies will eat more from a bottle than they need, so yes, they can overeat from a bottle.

    My 4 month old drinks 4oz (and sometimes less than that) out of a bottle. My DS was BFed until 13 months, and he never took more than 4-5oz from a bottle while I was at work.

    For a 5 week old I'd go with 3oz. Then if your baby still seems hungry after 3oz I'd give 1oz, but no more than 4oz.

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  • ToraniTorani member
    It's easy for them to overfeed when taking a bottle, because they like to suck even after they are full.  You have to watch her for her full cues.  When I was pumping, DS would take 4oz from me, but my mom would give him 5-6oz since that was what was in the bottle.  He'd end up spitting a bunch of it up.  If she spits ups a lot (not just a dribble here and there, but enough that you have to change her clothes) then she's taking too much.  Some babies to drink more than others though, so if it's not that common that she gets a bottle, I wouldn't worry about it.  She probably just isn't used to the flow so she drank more than a baby that gets a bottle all the time.
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  • krystalansteykrystalanstey
    Good to know, thanks everyone!
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  • oflower1oflower1

    They can usually take more ounces from the bottle because it has a continuous flow.

    With DS#1, when he took pumped bottles, we would frequently give him burp breaks to let the milk settle before offering him more (he would suck down a bottle very quickly).  Giving him breaks and trying to prolong the feeding a little bit worked for us and helped him realize when he was full (at least it seemed like it - he wasn't able to tell us, of course :-) ). 

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  • LuckyBride06LuckyBride06 member
    My DS takes 4oz at most. As pp said, it's easy to overfeed when they drink from a bottle b/c they just suck it down. BM isn't like formula too...it changes as the baby grows, so you don't have to increase the amount as as they grow up like you have to with formula. My LC said my DS will never need more than 4- 5oz of bm.
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  • dusk42dusk42
    We still offer 2 ounces at a time.  If she wants more, it is easy to tell, and then we don't force more on her or waste it.
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  • Mrs_D_in_KYMrs_D_in_KY member

    That does sound like quite a bit for your LO. DS was at 4 oz by time he hit 1 month old, and has hovered around 4-5 oz per feeding since then. While he's going through a growth spurt he may drink 6 oz one time a day, but that's about it.

    We use slow flow nipples and keep an eye on him for his full cues. I can always tell when he's sucking just to suck. I usually make the switch quickly, where I pop his bottle out and put the pacifier in.

    DS #1 born January 2010. DS #2 due June 2014.

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