Please reassure me my 4 month old BF DD doesn't need formula top ups?

[zazas]

My DD is 20 weeks and exclusively bf. She is now feeding more or less continuously day and night. She has always been fed on demand and has seldom goes past 3 hrs although she has managed the odd 6 hours at night. However she has been in hospital last week with an UTI and it could be she is making up for that time? Or maybe my milk is not satisfying her anymore as she has got bigger? Wasn't planning on solids yet but are concerned she needs more as she seems constantly hungry.

She seems to be gaining weight although dropped a few lines on the weight charts but I thought this was common in bf babies as time passes? Thanks for any thoughts on this.

No expert, but from reading MN I know it is common for babies around this age to have a growth spurt which means they feed more for a while and people misinterpret that as a need for solids. Dropping "a few lines" on the weight charts means nothing if she is otherwise healthy- few babies follow the same centile line throughout the first year.

she does not need topping up

the vast majority of babies , whether ff or bf, have a growth spurt around this time, which is why sometimes it seems like the right time to introduce solids

but a good extra milk feed is far more calorific , nutritious and filling than a spoon or two of puree

also, after being poorly , most babies, whether ff or bf, will make up for lost time as you say, and feed a lot more frequently

your milk can satisfy her now, and next week, and next month, and until she is ready to wean, if that is what you choose

losing weight especially after illness is not that much of a surprise, but also weight gain plateaus...

try not to worry and keep on doing what you are doing

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I felt that she was OK and so is my milk but I was having a wibble!!!!! I think having her sick last week and in hospital has sort of shaken my belief in my mothering skills a bit, if that makes sense?

The only thing that I feel is happening is that she is getting too much of the fore milk as she keeps wanting to feed and then once she has satisfied her thirst drops off the breast. I might try to make her wait a bit longer between feeds to encourage her to feed for longer.

Not to worry but that is what Mothers do!!!

zazas, please , please don;t worry about getting 'too much foremilk' - this is something that sorts itself out. Just feeding responsively will ensure she gets what she needs. It is pointless to make her wait between feeds any longer tham she wants, really....

OK - no waiting then - she is just frantic though with the need to feed - hourly at the moment. I am reassured though that it is a stage!