Do babies eat too much if you let them?

[marsup]

I've just started feeding solids DS, 4.5 months, and he is wolfing it down. I was intending to aim for 2 teaspoons of baby rice mixed with milk, for example, and now we're up to 3 if that is all he is having (makes a lot of mush), or 1.5 plus 2 teaspoons carrot puree or equivalent balance rice/banana. This is after a reasonable b/feed. And yet he usually cries when it is finished, I think because he wants more (he forgets this 'hunger' almost instantly though). He is quite small for his age and his tummy gets so big I am worried he'll eat himself sick - do babies just eat until they pop, like goldfish???! Or should I just trust him and feed him as long as he keeps opening his mouth?

I think I'd be inclined to try it and see.

I think babies will eat too much, though. IME they interpret any feeling in their belly (eg indigestion, possibly also feeling full) as "hunger" and if your ds stops crying quickly then he's probably not still hungry. But as far as I know you won't do him any damage by feeding more!

At that age it is mostly enough to supplement the milk feeds, so if he strarts dropping milk striaght away then it might be not so great, but if he like it and isn;t turning away breastmilk because of it or sicking up afterwards then see who his weight gain goes and take it from there, my dd is a recent convert to being a gannet depsite being tiny, her tummy looks enormous while the rest of her is skin and bone, it is odd but I just let her eat and eat, sensibly though, being an earth mother and all LOL

ds2 (5 month) has been on solids for nearly 2 weeks and I'm giving him about 4 cubes/tblspns of veg at lunchtime and about 4 tsp baby rice plus 2 cubes fruit at tea time, both preceded by full breastfeed. He eats it all and would have more - I'm intending to start breakfast tomorrow. I think as long as he's not cutting back on milk its fine to gradually increase the quantities until he seems satisfied - you'll know if you've overdone it as he'll bring it back up! Or refuse to take any more.

I say let him eat as much as he wants. Obviously if he gets sick then you've got the answer to your question. He might be going through a growth spurt. Once he's a bit older you'll wish he'd eat as much as he does now! From what I've read it would appear that babies (like most animals and birds) only eat as much as they need of their own accord so you won't end up with a greedy or obese baby because they also use up a lot of the calories during the day. perhaps try and offer him 'fuller' purees (i.e. with potatoes, sweet potatoes, cereals, that sort of things taht feel you up but also provide a lot of energy)

I think you should let him eat as much as he want to, he will let you know when he is full up. When i started weaning my son onto solids i started with a couple of spoons full, then when i stopped feeding him after a couple of spoons full he would look at me thinking where is the rest of my food. at 4 months he was eating about 3-4 jars a day that was without the milk feeds. some babies have a better appetite than others, all babies are different. It also depends on there birth weight as well. hope this information helps you.

THanks for this feedback, everyone. Elliot, 4 tsp babyrice!!! I've been giving two mostly, because by the time you add milk it swells to an enormous looking bowlful. I'm still not sure, every meal - his tummy looks so big afterwards I feel I might be stuffing him too much, but he hasn't been sick yet. The worst is stewed pears - he gets all excited and when there is none left he sceams.

That should be screams, obviously!