Breastfeeding newborn?

Question

Is it possible to over feed a breastfeed a infant?

Answer 1

No!

A breastfed baby has the ablitly to suck without taking anything. So even if you force a baby to keep the nipple in their mouth 24/7 they will still only take what they want (ummm of course you can't actually do that)

Bottle fed babies do not have that control. Bottles tend to drip constantly, and when the swallow, or even just move their gums it can cause even more milk to come out. This is why even a full baby will sometimes take more than they want from a bottle and then spit it up everywhere.

Which isn't to say that a breastfed baby won't eat so much that when you sit them up he/she spits up. But that is usually a sign that they are going through a growth spurt and will be eating again in an hour, because their caloric needs are greater than their stomach can hold if they are fed on a schedule. Otherwise they will just keep eating constantly and get the right amount of calories in the end.

Answer 2

No,Breast feeding is a supply and demand thing. It is not like bottle feeding where it is measured in ounces. The amount that is actually stored in your breast is very little.when the baby sucks the milk is let down from your milk glands. This stops when the baby lets go of their latch. The baby will stop when full or satisfied. Also because breast milk digests much easier than formula it will digest faster thus causing the baby to want to eat more often.If you are breast feeding exclusively then I would suggest not trying to put the baby on a schedule but nursing on demand. Then you are sure the baby is eating because it is hungry and not because you clock says it is time to.Do not forget that breast fed baby's also nurse for comfort. So there may be times when the baby wants to only nurse for a few minits. Hope this helps some.Congratulations on your new baby.

Answer 3

No. You can't over feed a newborn.

My kid breastfed every 2 hours for the frist 6 weeks. There were times when I would sit with her breastfeeding for hours at a time because that's what she wanted. The concept of a breastfeeding newborn eating every 3-4 hours is a complete fallacy as far as I'm concerned.

Answer 4

No, it's not. Breastfed infants are pretty much self-regulating. They have to suck properly at the breast to get the milk to come out. (But with a bottle it would just drip out.) Newborns also need to feed A LOT. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes, so nursing at least every 2 hours is normal. Some babies need to nurse more often early on, especially at growth spurt times. Remember their tummies are the size of their tiny fist. Follow baby's lead!

Answer 5

harrisnish is correct.

YOu cannot overfed a newborn. let alone any young child. THEY will let you know when their full.

MY daughter used to take 45 minutes the first 2 months to breast fed. SHe would take little naps while drinking. and would fed just about every 2 hours as well. SO by the time we were done BFing I would get maybe 1 hour nap before we were doing all over again.

I had many people tell me to wake her, but I tried everything. ON COLD nights I would strip her down so she would not be so warm but shes a napper. Took almost 2 months to get her out of napping while BFing. THEN once that changed she could get all she wanted in 20 minutes tops

Answer 6

In my son's case it was perfectly normal. As a newborn he would almost "empty" both sides (which a newborn should not be able to do when you are engorged). Then he would throw most of it back up (didn't find any allergies for them to be culprits). After throwing up, he would be happy again. He never complained about pain, just got rid of the extra and went on with his day (so to speak). It would depend on the baby really. But overall, babies tend to stop when they are full, which helps them not overeat in majority of cases!

Answer 7

i breastfed my 3 children and never had a problem but with my third child it seemed like he was forever feeding a when i asked the dr he told me it was probably because i was'nt eating good enough to provide enough nutrition for my son. dieting is not a good idea when breastfeeding.

Answer 8

Yes and no.

If you're worried about a baby eating too often--that is not the source of the problem. You CAN'T nurse too often--you CAN nurse too little. It is normal for newborns to nurse every 45 minutes to ever 2-3 hours. They have tiny stomachs (only about the size if their little fists) and breast milk is fully digested in approximately 90 minutes!

Infants, thrive best when allowed to feed as they indicate their needs. NURSE ON DEMAND!! At the very least, this should be every two to three hours during the day and every four to five hours at night for a total of eight to 12 feedings every 24 hours. Calculate the time between feedings from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next. Most feedings usually last 20 to 40 minutes, but do not watch the clock during the feeding. When your baby is a newborn nursing sessions can sometimes seem to last so long that you barely have any time to get anything done before the next session begins. This is normal and it will not last forever.

DO NOT TRY TO PUT YOUR BABY ON A FEEDING SCHEDULE. A study found “ that many women experience success in schedule feeding their breastfed babies during the first couple of months. However, these women have an unusually high rate of milk supply failure around 3-4 months”


During the 1st 6-8 weeks, he will perfect his nursing skills so that he will need less time to consume the same amount of milk. Keeping him near you at all times will help you to be aware of his early hunger cues (rooting, fussing, etc.) so that you can feed him without allowing him to work up into a hungry, stressful cry. Minimizing your baby's crying in this way will also be less stressful on you and the other members of your household.

Do not supplement with formula-this will make mom produce less milk!!
Don’t use a pacifier -a study has documented that pacifier use is associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding, while another study found that mothers who utilize pacifiers for their infants frequently exercise a higher degree of behavioral control while breastfeeding, often leading again to shorter duration of breastfeeding overall.



Also, if he is comfort nursing there is nothing wrong with that, that is part of breastfeeding, bonding and comforting your child. Babies also require nearly constant human contact for proper development. A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and the security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three. - Dr. Grantly Dick-Read

Under 6 weeks you are still building your supply, the non-nutritive sucking helps to make sure you have enough milk. Breastmilk is all about supply and demand. If you don’t let your newborn suck at the breast during the 2-3 growth spurts they have by the agr of 6 weeks, you will have problems with supply, a fussy baby, a frazzled mom and it will all lead to early weaning.

Newborns simply love to be touched and cuddled. The skin to skin touch helps you and your baby bond, comforts your baby when she is upset or uneasy with gas or colic problems. Hence, touch is a critical part of growth and development

DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS
Get plenty of rest
Eating oatmeal daily works for some woman
Fenugreek supplement 3 capsules 3 times per day

The time between feedings will eventually stretch out and feedings will become part of life rather than your whole life! ;) Your baby will establish more of a feeding pattern, which will make life more predictable. The patterns that he establishes, however, will be his patterns and will be appropriate to his unique emotional and physiological needs. And these patterns will change as he grows.

You can, however, have issues with oversupply.
When a mother has more milk than her baby can handle, the following behaviors may be common:

Baby cries a lot, and is often very irritable and/or restless
Baby may sometimes gulp, choke, sputter, or cough during feedings at breast
Baby may seem to bite or clamp down on the nipple while feeding
Milk sprays when baby comes off, especially at the beginning of a feeding
Mother may have sore nipples
Baby may arch and hold himself very stiffly, sometimes screaming
Feedings often seem like battles, with baby nursing fitfully on and off
Feedings may be short, lasting only 5 or 10 minutes total
Baby may seem to have a "love-hate" relationship with the breast
Baby may burp or pass gas frequently between feedings, tending to spit up a lot
Baby may have green, watery or foamy, explosive stools
Mother's breasts feel very full most of the time
Mother may have frequent plugged ducts, which can sometimes lead to mastitis (breast infection)
If many of these experiences seem familiar to you, it may be because you have an overabundant supply of milk, which can cause a forceful milk ejection (sometimes referred to as overactive let-down), and/or foremilk-hindmilk imbalance.

If you think this is the problem it can be fixed. This is the best answer I can give you without more info.

Have you seen a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader? (A LLL Leader will help for FREE and might be able to visit you at home.) WWW.LLL.ORG
Get advice from other breastfeeding mom at the LLL forums http://forums.llli.org/index.php

Answer 9

From:
10 myths about breastfeeding

#3. You can't overfeed a breastfed baby

FALSE:
Nursing mothers are frequently told "it's not possible to overfeed a breastfed baby" but again this is not entirely true in every situation. If your baby is healthy and content he's not overfeeding. He may be gaining large amounts of weight and/or spit up occasionally and this can be perfectly normal.

However... if your baby is gaining large amounts of weight and ALSO experiences gastric symptoms, such as tummy pains, excessive gas, greenish watery bowel movements or spitting up large amounts, he may be feeding too frequently. (See our article on gastro-esophageal reflux and lactose overload to discover why these conditions are often associated with overfeeding.)

Answer 10

Yes! If you find that she/he is just drinking and drinking all of the time and not feeling well/spitting up, etc, then take a break and try to feed in four hour intervals. Babies cry when they feel discomfort, and they know that feeding gives them comfort so they may cry for it, even when it is actually was it making them uncomfortable afterwards! Just try putting them in a swing to lull them to sleep or rocking them, etc, and go for the four hour feeding schedule. Otherwise there's nothing wrong with feeding the baby as often as he/she wants if they are normal and fine between and after feedings. They may just be going through a growth spurt where they need that feeding every two hours or so. Best wishes!