Is it possible to overfeed a breastfed baby?

[imanaunty]

Hi,

My perfect darling three week old nephew is breastfed, and he is doing really well, and is already a breastfed champ, but he feeds all the time. In two weeks he has put on 900 grams - I was under the impression that weight gain of 200g per week was "acceptable", but his is more than double that.

I know what it's like to have a baby that's "small for age" but this baby is a breastfeeding monster and my sister feeds him all the time (even when he seems quite content and not actually hungry). She is happy, she loves feeding and he is a darling, both are obviously thriving. This is her first baby, so just loves the closeness that bf brings (I remember it too).

This is all fine, isn't it? Is it true that it's not possible to overfeed a bf baby?

Thanks,

That's right. Oh and both mine shot off the top of the weight charts and are now very healthy weights so just say well done to his mummy!

don't know but my b/f monster likes to feed every 2-3 hours and put on 7ozs in 6 days. Was very proud of the weight gain

Not sure what that is in new money though...

should have added my b/f monster is 12 days old.

Fine, fine, fine.

DD started as an average baby and was off the top of the charts within a couple of weeks. She stayed there too and is a tall, lean, strong, muscular 2yr old.

Well done to his mummy.

I was told it wasn't possible to overfeed, and my son was on the 99th centile and fat as anything. He's slimmed down now (he's 4). In fact he slimmed down as soon as he started to move. Doesn't sound like there's a problem to me, but I'm probably biased...

can I just check I've got that right

900grams?

Just found a weight conversion chart and that is 1.98lbs in 2 weeks???

here

please forgive if I've got that wrong, I've just had a baby you know

It sounds like your sister is doing everything right. What's wrong with bf even if the baby is not starving? My mum once asked me why I was feeding DS2 because "he's not screaming"

In the UK, I think we (as a society, perhaps not so on this forum) tend to see bf as nutrition only - whereas in other countries they recognise the importance of bf as a means of comfort or indeed the way in which a baby bonds with it's mother.

I'm not trying to say the ff babies don't bond with their mothers so don't flame me, just saying how women I know who are from other countries have described bf their children.

My babies used to gain 1lb per week from exclusive BF at the beginning, so I don't think that gain is unusual. (it won't continue indefinitely )

both my boys went from average birth weights to the 98th centile in a matter of weeks, I had so many jokes about having "gold top" milk

sounds like she is doing really well.

When both dd and ds were that small they were putting on 1lb a week +
I got loads of remarks from HV and MW about me producing Jersey gold top as well.
It did settle down and the weight gain did even out and stop going up so much so fast.
Sounds like she is doing brilliantly.

Yup, 1lb+ a week here too!

Yes, it was 900 grams in two weeks!

I am actually really pleased for her, and him.

I have two of my own I breastfed. I loved it especially with DS1 (did not go so well with DS2) but I do remember how exhausting it was, and people commenting to me that it seemed like I was feeding him all the time.

I did read tonight that around 3 weeks they go through a growth spurt anyway, so maybe that is partly it too.

Her stuff must be better than gold!

Baby Godzilla's happen I'm expecting mine to eat Cheshire any day now

DS went from 5lb 11oz to 13lb 8oz in 12 weeks - mommies boobies do good work

WonderingHowToExplainDSAteCheshireToThePoliceTiggaxx