Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

I don't know what to do anymore.

DS was born at 10.1lbs. He has always been a big eater but it has gotten insane. He is 6 weeks old and I feel like he is eating way too much. He drinks 5 oz every 3-4 hours. I feel like I am over feeding him but he keeps it all down and never spits up.

At night the first couple of times we have 5oz he slept 4-5 hours. Now we are back to every 3 hours he is screaming to eat.

I've tried the pacifier. Our ped told us to give him 1oz of water in between bottles but neither of them work!!! He always wants to eat.

What was your DC eating at 6 weeks?

Any suggestion of how to cut back his formula intake?

Should I just give him what he wants?

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

Absolutely give him what he wants! His body knows what he needs. I don't remember how much DD was eating at 6 weeks but I think it was around the same amount. What I have done in the past, when DD seems that she wants to eat, I would try the pacifier first. If she was still crying, and all of her other needs have been met, then I would feed her- even if it was 2 hours after the last feeding. I've never heard of a ped suggesting to give a newborn in an attempt to satiate hunger.

ETA: Is he definitely screaming because he's hungry or could he maybe have reflux? Ask your ped about putting some rice cereal in his bottle. HTH!

Message edited 7/4/2010 9:31:51 AM.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

double post

Message edited 7/4/2010 9:32:14 AM.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

Definitely feed him whatever he wants! My DS was eating close to 60 oz a day at one point when he was about 4 months old. He wasn't a fussy baby at all, so whenever he did fuss, we knew he was hungry. There were times when he would take 2 bottles in a span of like 2 hours, the little hog.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

I think give him what he wants..I felt like I was overfeeding DD at some points too but I chalked it up to growth spurts. He will refuse it or spit up if you give him too much

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

Message edited 7/4/2010 9:40:50 AM.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

Posted by scarletbegonia

Definitely feed him whatever he wants! My DS was eating close to 60 oz a day at one point when he was about 4 months old. He wasn't a fussy baby at all, so whenever he did fuss, we knew he was hungry. There were times when he would take 2 bottles in a span of like 2 hours, the little hog.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

Posted by DRMom

Posted by scarletbegonia

Definitely feed him whatever he wants! My DS was eating close to 60 oz a day at one point when he was about 4 months old. He wasn't a fussy baby at all, so whenever he did fuss, we knew he was hungry. There were times when he would take 2 bottles in a span of like 2 hours, the little hog.

I agree and same with my son. On the other side of the coin-sometimes reflux babies eat to soothe the reflux. Does he grunt after eating? Sound congested? reflux doesn't have to include spitting up.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

I had this same dilemma with both of my sons- huge eaters.

My DS is now 10 weeks. At 6 weeks, he was eating about 28-32 ounces a day. Think he was taking between 4-5 ounces at a time.

I think at 6 weeks they go through growth spurts so he may take in a little less in a week or two.

Now at 10 weeks, he is still eating around 30 a day.

I say feed on demand- if they don't spit up- it should be fine. I know it is hard because you want to make sure you are doing the right thing by feeding them.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

my kids were 10.2 and 10.8 and they both wanted to eat all of the time. I didn't use formula, but I know we were up to 32 oz of EBM/day pretty quickly. I never went over 32-40 though (on average - some days maybe a few here and there). (My sister overfed my nephew and he was terribly overweight as a infant, took longer to crawl/walk and is still overweight) My ped recommended water at 2 months as well. If he doesn't drink it add the tiniest bit of juice. (I think that we used a 5:1 ratio to get them started)

we never put cereal in the bottle, but we did start cereals as solids at 3.5 months.

Re: Big Baby Moms Feeding HELP

Do not cut back his intake, at this age it can be dangerous and cause dehydration.

DS was 8 lbs for the first 2 months I lost my mind BF him on several occasions. He was eating every 2 hours, 6 ounces at a time.

If your only FF, up to 3 months, typically, 2-2.5 oz for every pound of body weight, every day.

So if he's 10lbs now, he should get on average 25oz a day. But chances he's grown a lot since his last measurement, so it will likely be more!

see my previous post newborn feeding

Cereal makes babies get fat, its pure carbs, and babies that young aren't moving that much. You really want to give him formula if he's hungry.

If he has reflux or diarrhea, cereal is a gentle medicine at this age. You do not want to feed him medicine unless he needs it.

Message edited 7/4/2010 10:46:10 AM.