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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Is it an old wives tale that bf babies cannot be overfed - as my ds is an absolute bruiser!

75 replies

hotmama · 01/04/2009 12:54

Bizarre that I'm posting this as I used to worry about babies not putting on weight as my dd's were very slow gainers.

Ds1 is 15 weeks and is 15lbs was 7lbs at birth. Is exclusively bf on demand - I assume that a bf can't be forced to feed - so if he is taking the milk it is because he is hungry.

Ds1 is a happy little soul so I have no worries but am I wrong (contrary to what I have read) that you can overfeed a bf baby (question mark!!!)

Any views gratefully taken.

OP posts:
Lizzylou · 01/04/2009 12:57

DS1 was huge on BM alone.
He started off at 2lbs lighter than DS2 (still a hefty 8lb 13oz though) and at 8 weeks he weighed more than DS2. Always on 99th centile.
He was in 6-9mths clothes at 3mths.
People thought he was a year old at 7mths......

Gorgeous chunky thigh rolls...aaah

Sorry, where were we?
I believed that they couldn't be overfed, yes.

fymmumoftwo · 01/04/2009 12:59

another exclusive bf baby on the 98th centile here mind you he was 10lb 5 at brith...

Lizzylou · 01/04/2009 13:02

I am ridiculously broody, can you tell?
I love them all squishy and chubby when they get to 3mths....

Everyone, hide your chubby babies!

smurfette15 · 01/04/2009 13:10

DS exclusively BF....16 wks & 17lbs

goingnowherefast · 01/04/2009 13:10

IME bf babies often gain quickly and then slow down at around 5 or 6 months - this happened to dd anyway. People used to comment on how "chunky" che was at about 15 weeks, and now they say she's small.. actually, she's on the 50th centile now!

ShowOfHands · 01/04/2009 13:12

DD only 7lbs 12ozs at birth. Soon was off the charts and has stayed there at 22 months.

Turns out she's tall and is off the charts for height too. As a baby she was the chubbiest little thing but she wasn't burning it off was she?

Ah, chubby babies...

StarlightMcKenzie · 01/04/2009 13:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

allytjd · 01/04/2009 13:18

Yes I had a buddha baby on breastmilk alone, 95th for weight but 70th% for height, he is still, at 4, a bit chunkier than I would like and is definitely a bit greedy, especially for sweet things. He has slimmed down a bit but it has been very gradual (his two brothers are skinny). My Dad ,who is a retired GP, used to annoy me by remarking on his weight unfavourably.

Original poster
hotmama · 01/04/2009 13:24

Ah, thank you ladies - I couldn't really see how I could force feed a bf baby - but he is sooo chunky ( but absolutely lovely with it).

Perhaps he will slow down when he starts moving about a bit.

Thanks for your posts - and for putting my mind at rest!

OP posts:
lowrib · 01/04/2009 13:27

My exclusively BF baby is off the chart! (Just above the 100th percentile).

He weighs 19lb exactly at 15 weeks. We have to go and get his blood checked to make sure he doesn't have any strange growth related illnesses, but the Dr said this was only routine because of his size and my instinct says he's fine. He's happy, alert and very strong, and his growth has been steady at the 101st percentile since a few weeks old. (He was 9lb 4oz at birth, epidural didn't work but that's a different story!).

Even in these circumstances the Dr said to continue BFing on demand, and that I mustn't worry about overfeeding.

Lizzylou · 01/04/2009 13:28

Enjoy it!
DS1 is now a strip of nothing at age 5! Tall and slim.

I do miss the cuddly baby stage, they are so munchy.

Where do you live?
D'you need an hour off???

Tillyscoutsmum · 01/04/2009 13:32

DD was another chunky monkey. 9lb 12 oz born, exclusively bf'd and then off the charts until I stopped taking her when she was about 9 months (HV was crap and suggested she was over eating )

She's tall now and pretty "solid" but I do miss the chubby little legs (and arms, and everything else )

lowrib · 01/04/2009 14:19

Oops I wrote that wrong

I should have written 19lb at 13 weeks!

Anglepoise · 01/04/2009 14:34

Lizzylou, I'm in Warrington, take mine! - though this thread is making her sound positively skinny (6 months and about 18 lb).

Lizzylou · 01/04/2009 14:37

Oooh, Anglepoise, not far!
I am in East Lancs.....

IwishIwasmorechocolatey · 01/04/2009 14:39

Both of my boys have been bf and on 98th percentile!

At 3.5 ds1 s now between 50th and 75th.

DS2 is nearly 10 months old and in 12-18 clothes! I love the extra rolls on his arms and legs and his dimply bum!

Keep up bf to demand - they only take what they need!

madwomanintheattic · 01/04/2009 14:41

11 weeks and 16lbs. even the paed called him fatso.
but then the little porker screamed blue murder if he didn't get fed every 2 hours 24/7, so i'm not that surprised really...

he's 7 now and a skinny, muscley little chap. we get the pics out and tease him a little if we're bored.

themildmanneredjanitor · 01/04/2009 14:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Anglepoise · 01/04/2009 14:45

Lizzylou, I'm about to go to the shops so will pop her on a train

CMOTdibbler · 01/04/2009 14:46

DS was on the 99.8th percentile from a couple of weeks after he was born (prem)and stayed there till he was at least one mum who didn't have him weighed from 1 till 2 emoticon

He's two, and although still very tall, has slimmed right down as he is always on the move. Still eats like a horse though

Chocolatebunnyrabbit · 01/04/2009 14:55

Me too. DS2 chunky as they come. Even DS1 calls him chunky monkey.

BF till 6 months.

Same weight at 8 weeks as DS1 was at 16 weeks. Is nearly 1 now and has come down to 91st percentile for weight and height.

He is completley divied up, and DS1 keeps track.

Chunky thighs are mummy's
Chunky toes are DS1's
Chunky rump is Daddy's
Tummy is split between Nanny and Grandma.

But evertime I go to eat him I get told we have to baste him first!!

MMmmmm chunky baby.....

BR

PatTheHammer · 01/04/2009 14:55

My Ds is also 16lb @ 11 weeks (only 7lb 10oz at birth). I'm getting used to all the faces whenever I divulge his weight. The HV at the clinic must be an alright one because she was very impressed and told me to keep it up
I was worried about him becoming obese after some unhelpful comments from family memebers, but she reassured me and told me they need the reserves at this stage.
Dd was also a bit of a porker when excl Bf until 4 months, but not on this scale. he is starting to fit into 6-9 month clothes so hoping he starts to slow down soon (otherwise what size will he be wearing when he finally manages to shift his bulk and start crawling??)

Glad of the similar stories on this thread, was starting to think I was some sort of weirdo whose norks produced double cream or something

xfabba · 01/04/2009 15:40

I have 2 ds, both were bf til about 15 months. ds 1 was always on the 2nd to 6th percentile and they were always hassling me to "top up" with formula (I did for a while as fell for it, grr, made no difference at all). He is now a short and fairly chunky little 5 year old, perfectly happy and healthy. His brother however was always 75th percentile plus although I offered them equal access to the boob and he is now a very chunky, but much taller 18m old.

I personally feel that eventual adult height might be much more of a determiner of baby-chunkiness. (I am short, DP tall so I guess I have one of each).

Lizzylou · 01/04/2009 15:58

Anglepoise, done!

TMMJ, DS1 always put on a lb a week, I was once told by HV that they should "bottle my breastmilk"
But am not feeling nearly so special now, with all these similar stories

pistachio · 01/04/2009 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.