Am I overfeeding my baby?

Question

I have a five month old baby whom eats every 3 to 4 hours and she will eat 4 to 6 ounce per feeding. I have tried rice but she hates it and I even tried to mix in baby food so that the taste isn't so bland for her. Please help.

Answer 1

at 5 months your baby is NOT ready for solids (he can digest only formula or breast milk)

amount he should be eating is dependent on weight

weight of infant in kg X 108 = total daily calories
total daily calories / 20 = total ounces needed each day



The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many other health organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or other foods) for the first 6 months of life. Some doctors may recommend delaying solids for the first year if there is a family history of allergies. I'm not going into the many health benefits of delaying solids here

Solids readiness depends on both the maturity of baby’s digestive tract and baby’s developmental readiness for solids. Although the maturity of baby’s digestive system is not something that we can readily observe, research indicates that 6 months appears to be ideal for avoiding the allergies and other health risks of too-early solids. After this point, different babies are ready for solids at different times -- developmental readiness for solids cannot be determined using a calendar. Most babies are developmentally ready for solids somewhere between 6 and 8 months.

Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

* Baby can sit up well without support.
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
* Baby is ready and willing to chew.
* Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness.

Four- to five-month-old babies are sometimes very eager to participate at mealtime, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are ready to eat solids - more often it's just the normal developmental urge to do what everyone else is doing. Research studies tell us that there are many health advantages to delaying solids for about 6 months for all babies, not just the babies who are not yet interested in mealtime.

for when your baby is digestively ready to start solids:
Stage 1 (6-9 months)

At 6 months solid foods can be introduced but the weaning process should not be hurried if baby is content with breast milk alone. Pay attention to the signals baby gives out e.g. baby will probably be ready for solid food if they cry after breast-feedings or chew on the nipple. Even then, breastfeeding should be continued (alongside the introduction of solids) for as long as is comfortable for mother and baby.

The best time to introduce solid foods to baby is just before breast or bottle-feeding. Starting solids is a very gradual process so be patient and go slowly. The classic 'first food' is mashed banana, which is very digestible, sweet and a good introduction to foods. Suitable first foods are baby rice or pureed vegetables. Fruits are usually introduced after vegetables in order to allow acceptance of vegetables before the sweet tastes of fruits is experienced. Other popular first foods are carrot, sweet potatoes, parsnip, apples, bananas and pears. When they have had enough babies will turn away their head, clamp their mouth shut or spit the food out! These are signs that they have had enough.

When introducing solids to baby offer one type of food only and then observe how well it is tolerated. Start with around 1-2 tsp of food and gradually increase up to 6 tsp. How is fed to baby depends entirely on how much they will eat. A rough guide might be a quarter of a very ripe mushy banana for a few days (or for a week) and the following week another soft fruit such as apple sauce. This gives the baby's digestive system time to get used to each new food before the introduction of additional ones. If two or more foods are introduced at the same time and baby has diarrhoea, colic or other digestive problems, it will be difficult to identify the culprit. The foods during this first stage should be bland with a smooth consistency.

If the baby is not interested the first few times solids are introduced it is advised to try again in another week. When baby is ready they will let you know. Baby might be hungry at any time of the day or night. Babies cannot tell the time but they know what they need.

Prepare cooked vegetables plainly, do not add salt, sugar or spices. Good introductory vegetables are parsnips, sweet potatoes, yams and carrots. Still start feeds with breast or bottle but now very gradually increase the amount of solid food given afterwards. Solids should only be given by spoon or hand and never added to a bottle of feed.

Typical feed for one day at stage 1 (6-9 months)


* 1st feed - breast or bottle
* 2nd feed - breast or bottle
* 3rd feed - 1-2 tsp baby rice mixed with 1 tbs milk from feed or 1-2 tsp unsweetened fruit puree
* 4th feed - breast or bottle
* 5th feed - breast or bottle

Answer 2

You should not start to introduce rice until the end of the 5th month. I was told by my doc that doing so will introduce all kinds of other problems. If you are breast feeding your child will nurse more often b-cause the milk is absorbed more quickly and easily into there system and therefore they fell hungry more often. An advantage to bottle feeding is that you know exactly how many ounces they are getting at each feeding. I do not think that you are feeding to often. You are paying attention to your babies cues and doing what you think is right. If you were feeding every 1/2 hour that may be excessive. Your baby knows exactly what she needs so just follow her! If you were feeding too much your doc should tell you that her weight is not matching up w/ other factors (like height). I hope this helps....enjoy that age I remember it being so much fun.

Answer 3

It doesn't sound like too much at all! My son is 10 months and still eats every 2-3 hours. He is breastfed, so it's hard to tell how much, but when I pump and DH bottle feeds, it's usually 4+ oz per feeding.

Don't rush the solids. She should be sitting up, showing an interest in food, no longer have a gag reflex, and have teeth before starting solids... it might not happen until 9 months! If she is showing interest, start with something like avocado or yams. Have you tasted rice cereal? yuck. I wouldn't like it either!

You are doing just fine by letting your baby lead how much she needs to eat. You are not overfeeding her at all.

Answer 4

Well, I remember reading on the side of a baby cereal box that it can take children up to 15 tries to adjust to new foods. Being that she is only 5 months old, I wouldn't worry about it yet because I know the recommended age to start foods is six months. If she's not spitting up or fussing because she's hungry, then just continue trying the plain rice after a few weeks, as her digestive system may better be able to handle it and she'll like it then. Good luck!

Answer 5

Your baby is probably ready for something more substantial - it isn't the blandness your baby doesn't like its probably the change in texture - don't try feeding your baby solids when she is very hungry - instead offer her very milky baby rice/rusk after half a feed when the milk has taken the edge off her appetite. alternatively, you could offer this in between feeds. have you put her on bottle milk for the hungrier baby? She could be just going through a growth spurt and feels extra hungry right now - it will work itself out - don't worry.

Answer 6

my baby is also 5 months and has 3 meals a day plus 4 6oz bottles,
she has this because she's hungry. i would say if your baby is satisfied with what he/she is getting then thats fine just leave things the way they are. if you feel your baby is hungry but doesn't seem to like baby rice, then why not try a little rusk mixed with milk or one of the heinz powdered baby breakfasts, i did that with my baby and my older daughter and had no problems. imo you are definitely not overfeeding your little one, just remember you know your baby best. hth

Answer 7

at 5 months old the baby can eat how ever much they want, and every month you can increase what you give them by an ounce.

Answer 8

a 5 month old should only be drinking, not eating yet.

Push off the rice and baby food for another month or so.

When the baby is hungry, they will eat.

Answer 9

i personally think she eats too much. i have a nephew who used to eat as much as her and he was so overweight he had a hard time learning how to walk. he is 16 months old and he weighs over 30lbs.
ask your doctor because he/she will know what is best for her

Answer 10

Have you tried giving her baby food by itself? Try giving her baby oatmeal. Alot of babies like this mixed with baby food fruit such as applesauce.

Answer 11

You should ask your pediatrician these kinds of questions. Don't add things if she is still eating the same pace. She will gain too much weight. But don't deprive her either.