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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Over feeding a breast fed baby? So confused!

47 replies

MissTwister · 27/08/2015 18:22

My 7 week old daughter has been packing on the weight, up to 12oz a week. Midwife and HV said this was great and you 'can't overfeed a breast fed baby.'

She feeds about 12+ times a day and La Leche League and Breast feeding cafe and people here said 'that's great feed whenever she wants' which is what I have been doing.

So today I saw a paediatrician at the hospital and he said all this was wrong. She has put on too much weight going up too many centiles and I have apparently overfed her and I should only be feeding her 6-8 times a day. He said rooting/ hands in mouth etc is not a good signifier of whether she is hungry or not and babies display the same behaviour when hungry or fall. He is an expert in his field.

I am so bloody confused by all this!

OP posts:

Wolpertinger · 27/08/2015 20:50

Paediatrician = expert

Paediatric surgeon = expert in surgery

Swannykazoo · 27/08/2015 20:51

What on earth does a physio do for engorgement?

TheOddity · 27/08/2015 20:55

Is he happy mostly?
Are his nappies normal and regular...wee and poo?
Is he growing?
Would you have been worried if you'd not weighed him?

If the answer is yes, yes, yes, no, keep doing what you're doing, those weight charts are all based on norms and stats.

There is only one expert in this field of your baby - YOU! Doesn't matter how many letters you have after your name or how qualified an expert you are. They see your baby via numbers/growth chart averages and a five min appointment. You see them all day and night, direct observation. If he looks normal and is happy, he is most likely just one of those children that don't grow along the expected lines! You may find this continues when they're in solids so I'd keep a food diary from early on.

villainousbroodmare · 27/08/2015 20:58

Ultrasound and massage, Puggle. Works well.

Swannykazoo · 27/08/2015 21:01

Thank goodness I was imagining something horrible

Pitapotamus · 27/08/2015 21:03

My experience is similar to Villanova. I definitely overfed ds1, he didn't gain a huge amount of weight but fed for 40 mins every 3 hours and projectile vomited it all up which would explain why he didn't become overweight. He had terrible colic and sores on his neck which I think we're cause by his skin constantly being in contact with sick. He cried all the time. All the health visitors and midwives said to feed on demand and that you couldn't overfeed a breastfed baby so I carried on. The health visitors and midwives only see you for a short time and give generic advice. In desperation I consulted a private maternity nurse who spent a whole day with us and was the first person to suggest I cut down the feeds. It didn't solve his sleep problems but he was visibly more comfortable and a lot more contented and less colicky.

I think it's difficult for any professional to give advice when they only see your baby for five or ten minutes. If your baby is otherwise completely happy I wouldn't worry too much about the weight gain for now. If there are other problems like colic or reflux you could always try reducing the feeds for a few days to see what happens. You're the only one with the full picture so take on board advice from professionals but where one professional's advice conflicts with another try and trust your own instincts.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 27/08/2015 21:06

DD is EBF, born at 8lbs 8oz and was 12lbs 12oz yesterday at her 6 week check. She's jumped the centiles. GP said 'fabulous weight gain, well done'. She's a content, smiley baby. If I limited her feeds to 6 a day she would be hungry and unhappy, and we'd all be miserable.

Pitapotamus · 27/08/2015 21:07

I meant villainous (autocorrect on my phone came up with Villanova!)

I also second what The Oddity said (cross posted!)

villainousbroodmare · 27/08/2015 21:09

What were you thinking, Puggle?

Agree with Pitapotamus. If Twisterbaby is then I'd certainly not panic.

Hackedabove · 28/08/2015 07:30

DS1 started on the 50th centile and jumped to the 98th by 10 weeks, he's now a tall skinny nearly ten year old. All will be fine.

petalsandstars · 28/08/2015 07:47

If baby is happy with that frequency - and not vomiting (a little with wind is normal) /in pain then carry on as you are. Especially as midwife/hv are supportive - surgeon although paediatric is not a feeding specialist

Original poster

MissTwister · 28/08/2015 07:59

Thanks all - he certainly seemed to think he was a specialist! Took great pleasure in telling me all the advice was wrong.

OP posts:

JassyRadlett · 28/08/2015 13:05

Thanks all - he certainly seemed to think he was a specialist! Took great pleasure in telling me all the advice was wrong.

He's a surgeon. They're conditioned to think that.

Original poster

MissTwister · 28/08/2015 19:00

Aren't they Jassy? He hated me even talking or asking questions - just wanted me to listen to him quietly like the surgeon God he is!

OP posts:

5madthings · 28/08/2015 19:10

All the madthings were like this, piled on the weight, they never lost weight in the first week like many babies do, gained from.the outset. They are now aged from 16 down to 4 years and once past the toddler years turned into skinny things, ds2 and ds3 especially.

Where you seeing paediatrician for any particular reason?

I think some babies can have sensitive tummies and issues with digestion, maybe some of these will be helped by more 'routine' feedings but in general it is not a good idea to limit a babies feeds,nor is it recommended to give them water,infact under six months the advice is not to give water as bmilk adjusts to give baby what is needed and too much water it not good for babies.

Original poster

MissTwister · 28/08/2015 19:15

It was just a tongue tie snip 5madthings

OP posts:

5madthings · 28/08/2015 19:24

So not for concerns re growth or health, that's good baby has been feeding so well in spite of tongue tie!

Bfeeding is about much more than nutrition, it's comfort and security and relaxing for baby. I would guess baby will settle down with weight gain, mine started to slow at four months Ish and then slimmed down once they were mobile.

Was baby early? And how big are you and dh? I would be more inclined to think she is finding her natural curve, some babies 'catch up' on the charts, others 'catch down'.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 28/08/2015 19:46

5madthings neither of mine lost any weight at the beginning either, both were above their birth weight at their 5 day weigh in!

5madthings · 28/08/2015 19:49

Yep so we're mine grobag ds1 was 8lb 7 at birth and 9lb by the five day check, the midwife kept re weighing him to check. The others were all the same, even Ds4 who was 10lb 13oz at birth had gained weight at first weigh in and everyone had said don't be surprised if he looses quite a bit because he was so big at birth etc, but he had put on 5oz!

helloelo · 28/08/2015 21:53

He's stupid, it's very well documented that babies with a tongue tie can gain weight very quickly in the beginning. See kellymom. If your baby is happy, keep doing what you're doing, weight gain should slow down soon anyway.

Original poster

MissTwister · 30/08/2015 16:57

Thanks all - she's been putting on loads of weight despite tongue tie, or perhaps because of it?

5madthings she was 4 weeks early, I am bigger my husband is normal sized.

OP posts:

Secondtimeround75 · 30/08/2015 17:14

My dd was a breastfed buster.
Never got anything but praise from my health professionals about it.

I wouldn't rate his opinion , his expertise isn't relevant to feeding quantitys just the mechanics of it.

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