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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Is it possible to overfeed a breastfed baby?

33 replies

claraenglish · 28/11/2007 17:58

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
beautifuldays · 28/11/2007 18:03

i was also told by my hv that i was overfeeding my baby, because he used to put on a pound and a half every week, but it is bollocks. you can't over feed a breastfed baby - if they don't want the milk then they won't drink it. health visitors are well known for being bonkers - the same HV that told me i was overfeeding my ds also told me to wean him at 11 weeks cos apparently he was hungry...

just ignore her you are clearly doing a fab job

annwoo · 28/11/2007 18:07

My dd possetted alot from time she was born approx 4-5 months. Gained weight no problems was advised to try and feed her 'upright' not easy to bf a baby whilst keeping them straight. Didn't make any difference to be honest. Problem seems to have sorted itself out.
Still co-sleep with her she is nearly 6 months- I think most people who co-sleep with their child is careful. To be honest I have stopped asking hv for advice.

moondog · 28/11/2007 18:07

Yes,she is talking shit.
Honestly, the very people who should be bigging new mothers up seem to do little else but rip their confidence to shreds.

It infuriates me.

Good on you-obviosly gold top milk you have!!

monkeybird · 28/11/2007 18:08

ClaraE, I think there's a lot of debate about this. In the 'old' days (of claire Verity style advice, women were advised only to feed every 4 hours because of 'overfeeding'. This led to lots of unhappy mums and babies.

these days, the best BF advice is to feed when the baby is showing signs of hunger and so the idea of 'overfeeding' is rejected.

But - and Kellymom has some info on this - there can be an issue I think with oversupply - if women have a fast letdown reflex or is sucking all the time (to create an oversupply of milk). Indeed I think I have had all of these things. but the symptoms certainly weren't just posseting more than normal - but lots of gas, pain/colic, writhing, explosive, green poos every hour which were very acidic.

We solved this with a spacing out strategy - only feeding every 2.5-3 hours, using a dummy inbetween and feeding only from one breast for any 3 or 6 hour period.

I think your HV has got her knickers in a twist perhaps - unless there are other indications. And even if you do have an oversupply issue, then you can easily solve it by feeding on one side only for a while which will keep your baby happyish.

SenoraPostrophe · 28/11/2007 18:08

I don't think you can overfeed as such, but you can feed too oftenm - it can make them windy.

Plus I think the latest advice is actually not to co-sleep under 6 months? or maybe 6 weeks, can't remember. with or without pillows.

monkeybird · 28/11/2007 18:10

Doh! baby is sucking all the time, not woman...

Just to be clear what I'm saying, i suspect your hv is working with an old fashioned view of spacing out feeds rather than dealing with actual problems - you clearly don't have an actual problem since posseting is not necessarily a problem...

moondog · 28/11/2007 18:11

I don't think that is true Senora.

Co-sleeping also fine as long as your or the father is not pissed/drugged/completely knackered.

S1ur · 28/11/2007 18:11

Oh poor you! your hv sounds a bit horrible really and not at all supportive of your decisions.

I don't think you can overfeed a bf baby, what they don't need will just pass through them.
What are her poos like? if you don't mind me asking

She's gaining weight and happy. no problem I say! co-sleeping a rod for your own back - mm sounds like something someone else once said sod her, your family, your choice, no extra risk imo and there's research to agree with this.

Possetting, my dd did a lot and I didn't really see it as a problem because she was otherwise happy,in other words - it wasn't reflux, no stomach pains, crying etc I did have an overactive let down but that was another issue probably unrelated, just mention it in case gulping lots of milk quickly was contributing to possetting?

choolie · 28/11/2007 18:12

Whilst we shouldn't have to hide things, it's a lot easier to not tell dis-believers about co-sleeping (don't worry, Santa won't be visiting your HV this Christmas if she doesn't believe!).

My son was very sicky as a newborn, he would bring up what seemed like a complete feed, then be head banging my chest as soon as I'd changed him for another feed. - BF babies feed as much as they need and if they take too much it's perfectly normal for them to bring some up - not wrong as your HV seems to think. My HV told me not to worry, they regulate their own intake, their bellies are the size of their fist, so they may well take too much sometimes - so unless you're holding his head in place and forcing the sucking action, i doubt very much you're feeding him too much. Sounds like she's not a HV who has breast-fed - anybody who can make a baby take a BF they don't want would be pretty inventive IMO .

and well done on the 12oz - how old is your LO? DS was sick for the first couple of months, usually twice a day, massive amounts, I was always convinced it was a full-feed, as he would then have another full-feed straight after emptying himself, so apart from being exhausting with the changing and having to give another BF, I wouldn't worry too much, sounds like you're doing really well! -

Don't forget to put your feet up with extra choc cake to compensate for the extra feeding

S1ur · 28/11/2007 18:13

crikey, this was unanswered when I started my post!
teach me to type while bfing!

S1ur · 28/11/2007 18:15

"That'll teach me to type while bfing"

not a request for additional mn classes

SenoraPostrophe · 28/11/2007 18:16

the latest SIDS prevention advice They only started advising against co-sleeping a few months ago. and it is for the first 6 months.

choolie · 28/11/2007 18:16

oh, and my HV did tell me to keep DS upright after a feed, not lay him straight on his back, so I'd hold him on my chest for half hour or so after a feed - it certainly helped reduce the vomiting, but has meant he got used to sleeping on me in the day, and now at 9m I still have problems getting him to take a nap .

moondog · 28/11/2007 18:21

Yes |Senora,it makes the points I did.

SenoraPostrophe · 28/11/2007 18:24

well, yes, but it also says "The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a cot in a room with you for the first six months ". There was a study last year, admiteddly only one study, that showed some increased risk of sids through co-sleeping regardless of alcohol/smoking etc.

I'm not against co-sleeping - I did it with ds1 and 2, but the hv in the op was right to say there is an increased risk of SIDS, that's all.

evenhope · 28/11/2007 18:33

My DD used to throw up what seemed to be a whole feed every time in her first few months.

I have co-slept with her since birth (she is now 8 months). DH sleeps on the settee so I have had stick about that. I didn't set out to co-sleep but had a CS so struggled to get in and out of bed, so it was for my benefit to start with.

Ignore the silly woman- she doesn't know what she's talking about.

Original poster
claraenglish · 28/11/2007 18:43

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
Original poster
claraenglish · 28/11/2007 18:46

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
moondog · 28/11/2007 18:52

Yes Clara,shocking that these women are so ill informed.Trust your instincts (oh and MN!)
Enjoy your baby. XX

ShowOfHands · 28/11/2007 18:54

Keep it up clara. I too co-sleep with my 28wk old dd and have always fed on demand. She used to possett an awful lot but stopped it completely at about 5 months if not a little before, probably in line with her gut maturing and closing properly. My dd is off the chart in terms of weight gain after being born on the 50th centile and is happy, healthy and doing just fine. Luckily I have a fab hv who is nothing but supportive. Yellow, seedy poo sounds perfect. Well, normal at least.

S1ur · 28/11/2007 18:55

Sounds to me like you're doing a great job, and your baby is healthy and happy and well-looked after.

Tell your hv that 'actually, having reviewed the advice and research I have decided to breastfeed my baby when she asks for milk and sleep with her in a safe and responsible way, I am not asking for your judgment on my decisions, just your advice on a specific issue - now sod off

S1ur · 28/11/2007 18:57

out of interest why is your dp on sofa?

I'd advise investing in king-size or bigger! bed, it will be money well spent and you will end up having kids visit you at some point for years to come And I think that's good btw, if my dd1 (3) is worried or has a nightmare she toddles in, snuggles down, goes back to sleep - job done

SenoraPostrophe · 28/11/2007 18:59

what I was trying to say in a roundabout way was that perhaps this woman is not ill-informed, but just lacking somewhat in communication skills. I think HVs are treated a bit unfairly sometimes on MN, but more importantly, I find that if I assume the best of the other person in an encounter like this, I get less stressed about it . sorry if that's patronising.

S1ur · 28/11/2007 19:00

Doh, sorry! your baby is of course a gorgeous baby boy

S1ur · 28/11/2007 19:05

Agree senorapostrophy, I don't know the hv or whether she was in a bad mood, poor communicator or in some way a bit prejudiced against bfers/co-sleepers who knows?

But, the op was made to feel horrible and that she put her son at risk, it is all about interpretation, so lots of posts basically say don't worry you sound like you're doing fine and therefore if your hv has made you feel like that - sod her, she's wrong.

I know hvs do get a hard time on mn, its partly because they can wield such power over parents - particularly first-timers and get a disagreeable one and you can feel crap.