People telling you that you’re breastfeeding too much

[BlueMoon33]

Does anyone else get this?

I have a large (90th centile) 12 week old DS who has always been a good feeder, he will happily be on the boob most of the day. I don’t count or time the feeds as there’s no real pattern and I’m not concerned. Often though, when I’m with friends and family, I will go to feed the baby and they will say things like oh he can’t be hungry again surely, and I get other comments that suggest I’m feeding him too much...

Does/did anyone else get this when breastfeeding their baby??

Tell them to bugger off. You're demand feeding. There is nothing better than that.

Ignore them

Ignore. Breastfeeding is completely different to formula. You do it whenever baby needs. They will only feed if hungry and cannot be overfed. Enjoy it and well done 👍🏻

Yes I had that constantly. Ignore- you're doing a great job!

I had / have this all the time with my DS (who has jumped up the centiles) even from people who had breastfed - I think they either 1) don’t know what it is to bf or 2) have forgotten how much feeding is actually involved.

It bothered me at first but now (at 4 months) I’m just happily ignoring.

Ignore! This link might be useful
kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-toomuch/

Definitely ignore them. It sounds like you’re doing a great job.

I'm formula feeding, but I get the same. My girl sometimes has a full bottle every 2 hours. Totally normal. When I was breast feeding it was every hour!

Ignore everyone else, no one knows your baby better than you!

Yeah I got that. A cafe worker literally took me off him when I went to feed him once and told me he should be fed every 4 hours and doesn't need any more. He was weeks old and I was insecure so didn't say anything. Would be a whole different story now!

Thank you! I’m glad to know I’m not alone, it can be disheartening, breastfeeding is hard enough some days without people making you feel like you’re doing it wrong.

I think a lot of it is done out of love, and I think they think I need a break - I’d just rather be given a cup of tea than a comment!

And same with formula feeding, just having a baby is hard enough without people telling you you’re wrong when you know different!

@8DaysAWeek That’s outrageous!!

My DS was just the same, he went from 25th centriole at birth to 90th venture at six weeks because he wasn’t always on the boob. Luckily for me the health visitors were really encouraging because my family certainly wasn’t.

I remember just staring open mouthed at DM when she saw DS feeding again and she said (with concerned tilted head) “What do you think is it about your milk that just isn’t satisfying DS?”. I really didn’t know what to say back, he was obviously thriving, but because we were fed every four hours and stuck in the garden as children she couldn’t understand any other way.

If he wasn’t hungry he wouldn’t be feeding.

Yes i had this loads with both babies who were almost constantly on the breast in the early months. My little girl is 7 months old now and can go 5/6 hours between feeds if I'm out now so rest assured it does change!

It's a shame some people still peddle this myth that babies should only be fed every 4 hours.. it's just a made up idea that was introduced in a couple of textbooks written in the 40s and 50s and then made more popular when formula feeding became all the rage.

Pretty much everywhere in the developing world where formula isn't available, women bf on demand, with very frequent feeds.

I ff. I couldn't bf but i did for a few weeks and its hard work.. Tell them to do one. My sil successfully bf and her parents would tell her similar. I'd be bloody livid. Keep it up, you're doing fine!

Yes! My DD is 12 weeks old and all I heard from the get go was comments from friends and family 'not hungry again!?' Or 'she's permanently on you!' Or 'do you ever get a break?!'
Not helpful when I hadn't ever bf before with my other 2 DDs (unable to)
And my supply was low to start with for 5 - 6 weeks so the lactation nurses advised I put her to th boob and expressed as much as I could...this worked and I'm now producing enough to feed a small continent!
Listen to your baby and your heat, OP XXX

I have a one year old who has 4-6 feeds a day, people definitely tell me I’m feeding her too much 🤣

Sod them, you know best!!

Ha I'm the one making these comments to my baby! DS will feed, nap for five mins and feed again and I have to admit to pointing out (while latching him!) that he can't possibly be hungry again!

MIL just can’t grasp feeding on demand, that side of the family are bemused by breast feeding.
They constantly ask;
When is she next due for a feed?
Didn’t you just feed her?
Why are you feeding again?
Can’t I have a cuddle?( whilst feeding!)
Just leave her with us until next feed!

They appear to think I’m very odd. EvenDP regularly asks when she will need a feed and how long will she feed for? I tell him I’m not the bloody oracle ask the baby!

I go withfeeding as often as she likes! That seems the right frequency to mex

I got this a fair amount and DD was a big baby too. Centile wise, she went from 90th to off the charts by 12 weeks. People would say "she's not hungry again is she?!" And I could see the look on their faces wondering if this child would ever stop growing (she hasn't) . HV was happy with her because she was perfectly in proportion, just huge!

From 6 months onwards it turns into "you're not still feeding them are you?"

I still breastfeed my nearly 3yo ds on demand. Now that attracts some funny comments and looks 🙄

What a load of nonsense! Your child drinks what it needs. Ignore them.

Thanks everyone x it’s nice that I’m not on my own with this and it’s lovely to hear that you’re doing a good job - that’s what you want to hear from the people round you!

Ignore them all, it sounds like you're doing exactly what your baby needs! Some people just can't seem to resist commenting. Feeding is about comfort and closeness as well as calories.