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December 2015 Moms
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Food seeking

kdoak2015kdoak2015 member
in December 2015 Moms
Hi everyone,

My DD is 5 weeks and seems to always be food seeking while she's awake. She's BF and supplemented with 2oZ of formula(not every feed but aprx 6 or so a day). She eats on demand aprx every 3hrs with a 4hr stretch at night. My problem is after she's "finished" she continues to food seek and if we give her more she spits up, after she spits up she continues to food seek until I put her back on the breast or we give her a soothers she goes to sleep. It's causing me a lot of confusion because I don't know when she's full, I don't know how much she's getting from the breast and how much formula she actually needs. We are trying to ween from formula but it's hard when she's always food seeking. Any experience/suggestions?
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Re: Food seeking

  • Gingermom15Gingermom15 member
    edited January 2016
    Have you tried a pacifier when she is done with breastfeeding? She may be getting all she needs from you and the formula could be over filling her. Babies do a lot of sucking to sooth themselves and root and show hunger cues until they find something to put in their mouths.

    ETA if she is spitting up it is very likely she is full. Ask her ped for guidance on this, but I would say if she isn't spitting out the pacifier, has appropriate wet and dirty diapers and is gaining weight then she probably just needs non-nutritive sucking
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  • pupsicle23pupsicle23 member
    ^^^ I second this. My daughter does the same thing, and the pacifier is a game changer.
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  • kdoak2015kdoak2015 member
    Thanks I agree, she will take her paci and not spit it out so I think she's getting enough and she definitely has wet diapers but usually does poo for a few days.(been this way since two weeks). I think it's just mind over matter for me. When I see her searching for food while we try to have play time it bugs me and I feel bad. She has been gaining well, we have an apt Tuesday so I'll bring it up.
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  • kelseyofannekelseyofanne member
    Sounds like you don't need to supplement, but check with your pediatrician. It's also normal for babies to spit up a bunch at the beginning.
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  • pupsicle23pupsicle23 member
    I completely understand and sometimes get nervous about whether she should have the pacifier or eat more. I'm going to a lactation group that will weigh her before and after she eats. It can be really deflating; breastfeeding is hard enough, and then you feel like you're letting your LO down by not providing enough food. I hope that you can get some peace of mind Tuesday. Please share any tidbits of wisdom!
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  • myliitlefairygardenmyliitlefairygarden member
    My daughter does the same. Its hard because she lost a lot of weight in the begining so I'm a little paranoid now. I asked my.Ped about it and she said yes baby's will overeat. She is gaining weight and peeing plenty so we have stopped formula with her approval. It is also normal for breastfeed babies to only poop every few days.
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  • groovylocksgroovylocks member
    I came here for the same thing.. During parts of the day ( usually early evening to bedtime) she wants to nurse every half hour. It's exhausting.
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  • Gingermom15Gingermom15 member
    I know all babies are different but if I give mine a pacifier when he is hungry he spits it out and screams like a banshee. There is no fooling the kid. He knows when he isn't getting a bottle or breast when that's what he needs.
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  • kdoak2015kdoak2015 member
    Thanks everyone all great advice. I'm hoping she grows out of it so that playtime can be more fun and mommy doesn't stress that she's hungry.

    When your feeding around people do they make comments like "oh your baby still seems hungry?" my sister especially pushes us to give her more when she sees her "food seeking" which usually ends up with her tossing her cookies.
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  • thatgirlree24thatgirlree24 member
    My son does the same thing. He barely sleeps during the day bc he always wants to eat. It gets tiring but I've heard it's probably a growth spurt. I'm going to talk to his pediatrician about it on his next visit.
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  • amye02amye02 member
    My son has days like this, he is full but wanted the comfort of nursing. Although my lactation consultant wanted me to wait to give him a pacifier, I caved and it has worked out for us. Also, she did suggest that my SO do skin to skin every day.
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  • kdoak2015kdoak2015 member
    Bombmom3 said:



    When your feeding around people do they make comments like "oh your baby still seems hungry?" my sister especially pushes us to give her more when she sees her "food seeking" which usually ends up with her tossing her cookies.
    ^^This is one of the most harmful "well meaning" comments a BFing mom can hear. As pp have said, as long as your baby has the appropriate wet and soiled diapers daily (or at least every seven days for soiled with EBF babies) then they are getting the correct amount of food. When they want non-nutritive sucking they change the way they latch and pull off the breast (as pp mentioned, they know when they want to eat vs just get comfort). You need to go off of your gut feelings, not someone's misplaced concern (regardless that it comes from a place of love and support). If your little is spitting up that much and they do not have an underlying medical condition that causes it then they are over eating. Gently but firmly tell people who make comments like that that your baby is thriving/gaining weight and that sometimes they root for comfort as well as a meal and that while you know their comments come from a place of concern and love that they totally stress you out and make you second guess your instincts. Then you can offer the breast or a paci again to the baby as you see fit.

    Breastfeeding is not as easy as anyone makes it seem. It is also hard mentally - hang in there, you're doing a great job.

    Thanks! Best advice yet!
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  • redfallonredfallon member
    DS does this, too. I think it's the smell of me that makes him do it. If DH feeds him, and he's done, then he's fine. If I feed him, and he's done, it depends on how I'm holding him. If I hold him near my boobs (even if he was bottle fed formula) or even up on my shoulder by my neck sometimes, he will still food seek. If I hold him on my legs with them pulled up so that he's not near my chest, then he's fine. 

    Jamie


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  • kelseyofannekelseyofanne member
    The comfort nursing is helpful though since it helps build up supply so don't feel you need to use a pacifier for those moments necessarily.
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  • kdoak2015kdoak2015 member
    Thanks we have been doing a lot of comfort nursing.
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  • missphilmissphil member
    My son does the same- he seems to want food all the time and he's rejected the pacifier every time. I know he is getting more than enough milk though. My midwife suggested using your finger- I use my pinky nail side down, skin side up and it works when I'm in a bind
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