Am I 'overfeeding' my breastfed 4-month-old?

[justanothermummy2b]

My four-month-old has been vomiting quite a lot recently and I wondered if it might be because I'm feeding him too often?

He is sleeping through the night (usually 7.30pm to 4/5am). During the day, I put him to the breast every 2 to 2.5 hours and he feeds for around 5min before refusing any more. If he does take more he vomits up what seems like the entire feed.

He doesn't seem too bothered by the vomiting and is generally a really happy baby. He doesn't have a temperature so its not due to illness, he is a really good weight (a proper chunky little monkey actually!) and has lots of wet nappies with one big poo per day.

The doctor told me he has reflux so has prescribed ranitidine but I'm not convinced this is the case as it doesn't seem to make a blind bit of difference and I'm reluctant to be shoving meds down his throat. Most other people I know feed their babies every 3 to 4 hours and so I just wondered if maybe I'm feeding my LO too often? I just worry that because he is sleeping through he isn't getting enough food otherwise and he certainly seems hungry when I feed him. Anyone have any advice?

[ElphabaTheGreen]

Seems absolutely fine to me - DS1 was feeding way more often than this at four months. If the vomiting isn't due to an illness as you've said and doesn't appear to be affecting his weight, then I'd say if it ain't broke...

The friends of yours feeding every three to four hours - are they also EBF or are they combi feeding? Three to four hours sounds long between feeds to me for an EBF baby. Feeding every 2-2.5 hours sounds more normal.

[leedy]

Sounds perfectly normal to me as well. Some babies are just happy pukers (as my doctor said, "it's not a medical problem, it's a laundry problem") - DS2 was a champion spitter upper and I spent much of his first six months mopping up urp.

[PuppyMummy]

mine feeds every 2 - 2.5hrs. he is almost 4 months. he also does short feeds and can be sick, some days quite a lot others not at all.

if yours is putting weight on I wouldn't worry.

the being sick could be because of guzzling. I have a very fast let down and baby has to really gobble it down to keep up, this sometimes is why he is sick.

[StillPukin]

I think one of the hardest things about bf-ing is sitting back and trusting our babies to manage their own appetite. If he didn't want it he wouldn't take it - hence he only takes a bit at a time but quite often, its what he wants, even if it is you that is putting him to the breast he ultimately has the final say :)