Are bottle-fed babies generally bigger/heavier than breastfed babies?

[birthofawoman]

I met a 6-month-old very cute, very chunky baby the other day (my DS's cousin) - much chunkier than I imagine my 6-week-old will be at 6 months (although me not being able to imagine it doesn't mean he won't be). My DS has always been on the smaller side... I carried and measured small during pregnancy, and he weight 6 lbs 10 oz at birth. Currently, he's gaining weight perfectly but is still considered a more petit baby.

The 6-month-old baby is formula fed, and it got me thinking (just out of curiosity) whether bottle fed babies (whether fed breastmilk or formula) generally gain more weight than breastfed babies? If that were the case, I imagine it'd be because they're made the finish a bottle (someone else's idea of how much they should feed), whereas breastfed babies take exactly as much as they wish/need and stop once they're satisfied that they've reached that point? I could be completely off the mark here, I'm just curious!

Or could it be to do with what's in formula? When I told my mum about the chunky baby, her first comment was "He'a on formula, isn't he?".

Would love to hear your responses! It's 4am and my curiosity has gotten the better of me tonight!

No my breastfed dd1 quickly turned into a superchub Buddha of a baby ( only 7lb 7 born) whereas my bottlefed twins ( both born 6lb something so not far behind) never became as chubby, one in particular has always been light and slight.

In fact my ebf put on a lb a week from day one for the first 5 weeks of her life! Maybe it was all the chocolate I was eating??

If you have a very chubby bottle fed baby the health visitor will often suggest you put them in a diet.

@Iwasjustabouttosaythat Really? I have never heard of a baby on a diet, I thought it was because they have 'brown' fat which isn't considered unhealthy. What do you base this on?

My first had a HUGE appetite and went from 50th percentile to the 91st, now an active pre-schooler he is back to the 50th percentile.

My second does not have a huge appetite which is great as she's actually a much more contented baby, any attempt to make her finish an extra bit of the bottle results in projectile vomiting.

It’s genetics. I was 9 lbs 7 at birth and formula fed, I stayed chunky as a baby. My DC were all 10lb+ and breastfed, they also stayed chunky as babies.

differentnameforthis steeley13 londonloves all of you seem to have taken offence to my comment about bottle-fed babies being 'made' to finish a bottle', and I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry if my comment made you feel rubbish or judged for bottle-feeding/ff - that was not my intention, at all! I actually mentioned in a comment way above that the misconception in question was based on my own ignorance - the fact that I breastfeed and thus know very little about bottle-feeding and how it works!

I would also like to add that I'm definitely not one of those women who look down on women who bottle-feed/ff. I have endured a poor latch at the start, painfully sore and cracked nipples that would make me dread every feed, a sometimes fussy baby who refused to feed (resulting in stress and tears), painful engorgement (coupled with the embarrassment of walking around with clothes drenched from the nipple downwards), more tears... did I mention tears? To me, it is insanity to put yourself through this as I did (and continue to do, at 6 weeks in, as our breastfeeding relationship still requires some work - still isn't perfect). I have wanted to quit on several occasions. Fact is, breastfeeding is HARD (although it gets easier, and I know that all this stress will eventually end and it'll be lovely). I totally understand why women don't do bf. I couldn't possibly look down on a woman for not doing it, or want to make her feel bad.

Again, terribly sorry for the way my ignorant comment made you feel!

Women don't bf*

I am a feminist, and I breastfed my children. I was not shackled to them 24/7 (or indeed at all), but I did offer them comfort in the way that worked best for us (with the breast).
I’m not sure how you could have a problem with that, or surmise from that information that I’m a martyr, or that I did it for my own benefit rather than theirs.

And which part of ‘my children wouldn’t take a dummy’ is difficult to understand?

I have a 3 year old and 8 month old. 3 year old was breastfed until 1 (ebf until 6 months then food introduced but still bf), thé plan is to do the same with my 8 month old. My 3 year old has always been long and lean, we had some issues with feeding in the early days but when that resolved itself she followed the 9th percentile really well. She just s still really slim. My 8 month old is just the total opposite- a little chunky ball, I think she is between the 50th and 75th percentile (although not been weighed as regularly as the older one). Literally no difference in approach- the children are different.

This may have already been said but I can't be bothered to read all the replies however with regards to ff babies finishing all the bottle, it's much easier and quicker to work our how much a baby requires for a feed when bottle feeding- if they empty a 4oz and cry for more you make a 5oz next time or if they always leave a 5oz you make a 4oz next time. I understand why that might appear as though babies are being made to finish the bottle but they're just being given what they require. I suppuse its similar to how breasts know how much milk to produce when BF. Supply and demand.

Clearly most of you come from small families otherwise you would have noticed if a baby doesn't want to eat they won't.

In regards to ff babies you can't force them to accept a bottle and you can't force them to finish one once they decide they are full. As a PP pointed out if they are too full after all that they will throw up on you.

And which part of ‘my children wouldn’t take a dummy’ is difficult to understand?

Agreed. I'd FAR rather my babies would take a dummy for comfort if they weren't actually hungry - I have no desire to 'martyr' myself () if it is unnecessary! I never had some weird deep seated 'need' to have my boob shoved in my babies' mouths at all times, other than my selfish desire to not listen to screaming.

Some babies love their dummies and are perfectly happy to be soothed with them. DS1 would never take a dummy, ever. And trust me, I persisted in trying to introduce one - but that just led to him screaming at the very sight of one eventually. DS2 would accept a dummy most of the time, but if he was really upset it would be spat straight out and he'd grab for my boobs. It would be pretty mean to refuse them comfort just so no one thought I was doing it 'for myself', surely?

Taking such an excessive volume of milk that they vomit clearly is overfeeding.

Do breast fed babies never vomit then?

Apparently not 🤨

‘Taking such an excessive volume of milk that they vomit clearly is overfeeding.’

A nurse did this to ds when he was in hospital, my milk hadn’t come in and I had to give formula as he was poorly. After one bottle I could see he’d has enough and she said babies will stop eating when full (total rubbish) and then insisted in giving him another. Poor little mite threw up everywhere. Breast feeding I found he would spit up (due to reflux) but not vomit and he sheer amount that came out of him that day in the hospital through that stupid nurse.

had*

The pp said you can't overfeed a baby, but if they do take too much they vomit.
Clearly then you can overfeed.

on*

DS was born on 25th centile. At 6 weeks he was putting on a lb a week and by 10 weeks was on 96th centile. He was exclusively breastfed. I’m a firm believe in babies having a natural size and they will follow that regardless (not counting latch issues, younger tie or allergies etc)

My reflux-y BF DD1 vomited all the time!

Like breastfed babies. FF babies comfort suck so if they swallow while comfort sucking they just posset like a breastfed baby would. It’s not difficult to understand and people who make harsh comments about FF mums making it they force feed their children are just goady. I’ve done all types of feeding with my kids and they all end up the same. It’s just genetics. The most overweight child in my dcs class was extended breastfeeding, he’s not overweight because of that, it’s because of his genetics.

If it's just genetics then why do bottle fed babies tend to be heavier? Is it just a coincidence?

Dd1 was a chunk. She was mostly bf but would happily take a bottle. Then I had ds1, who was an absolute beach ball. He was ebf - got RSV and double pneumonia at 10 weeks and the paed was ecstatic that he was so fat (she called him fatso) as it gave him a lot more leeway whilst he was ill. With being nebulised 5x a day, he developed a fear of anything plastic near his face, and was then completely bottle/ cup/ dummy phobic. It was a freaking nightmare but I then had no choice but to ebf anyway.
Dd2 was brain-damaged at birth and born with no suck/ gag reflex. She was ng fed to start with (I expressed). Scbu worked pretty hard to try to develop a suck (after I made a scene) and she was eventually able to bottle feed, but usually only at night (because her muscle tone was lower). So we were nocturnal.
All three total chunks. Even the brain-damaged one who struggled to feed at all was ‘the picture of health’ in weight terms (which I assume is therapist speak for ‘fat’).
Definitely genetic. I’ve not managed to have a lightweight skinny baby yet...

DD1 was mainly bottle and some breast fed. She was scrawny.

DD2 all breast, no formula at all. She was a chunk! Little blubbery cuddle monster.

DS1 was breast until 5 or 6 months then bottle. Slim and long but fine weight wise.

Depends on the kid really. All mine were very, very healthy and still are.