help with newborn feedings

okay guys i know this is a pregnancy board but i was wondering if someone could help me i have a three week old baby and she is allways wanting to eat we try everything with her but she will try to eat anything that comes around her she takes any where from 4 to 5 ozs every two -three hours is this too much i know she is growing but my first dd never ate like this. she dont spit up when we feed her and she drinks the bottle dry we give her a paci thinking she just wants to suck but that only makes her mad. im just afraid im over feeding her she is a happy baby as long as you dont take her bottle away.lol another question when can i start a work out program do i have to wait till 6 weeks? im stressing out my 4 yr old is running a fever and i am scared to death my baby is going to get sick from her. i m a mess huh? thanks for listening to me

[nurse12hr]

First, as always, for specific advice you should contact your pediatrician for advice.  They get calls like this all the time, and can offer you the best help, as they know your child and her particular health history.  There can be some problems such as reflux that can be contributing to the issue--so this is best left to your pediatrician.

As a GENERAL RULE,  A bottle-fed infant at 2 months will require about 4 to 5 ounces of formula at each feeding. By 3 months, she'll probably take another 1 or 2 ounces per feeding. At 4 months, 30 ounces of formula takes care of a baby's nutritional requirements for the day.  If your baby is already taking 30 ounces of formula a day and still seems hungry, you really do need to take it up with the doctor.  How is her weight?

Signs of overfeeding include vomiting (not just spitting up) after a feeding, and very frequent, loose watery stools.  Again, you should seek your doctors advice if this is happening.

Underfeeding may be evidenced by your daughter failing to gain weight, seeming to have a very thin face, and seeming to be hungry after a complete feeding.

Be sure that hunger is the reason for her cries, also.  Babies do cry for other reasons.  Change her, rock her, walk her, try a bouncy chair, etc.  Note whether she seems to be gassy, spitty, screaming in pain, etc.  Not all cries are hunger--don't automatically offer a bottle every time she cries  (not that you do--I just don't know).

So see or call your doctor for advice.


Most doctors do want you to wait until 6 weeks to work out, but gentle, nonstressful exercise can be undertaken when you feel ready and your bleeding has mostly stopped (wait for official word from your OB if you had a c/section, though).

[TONIA24]

she hardly ever cries that is what i was saying she is very happy baby she just takes 4 - 5 oz feedings every mostly 3 hr but sometimes two hrs we have tried everything and the ped nurse says as long as she is gaining weight and everything else looks good . we dont give her a bottle everytime she cries. she has normal bowel movements no vomiting not gassy not colicky very alert baby she just seems hungary all the time . maybe i need to get a new dr and get a second opionon . since she is already taking what a two month should and she is 3 weeks and 2 days old.

[TONIA24]

she weighed 7lbs 2 ozs at birth one week later 7 lbs 10 ozs and now she weighs 9lbs 12 ozs well that was almost half a week ago.

[nurse12hr]

Tonia
I would call again and talk to either the nurse or wait till her next well baby visit.  She sounds like she is taking way more than 30 ounces of formula a day.  

Another important thing is where is she on the growth curve?  Your ped should be mapping this out at every visit.  If she isn't crying or having any other symptoms, you could just wait til the next visit.  You just don't want her to head in the direction of childhood obesity, so watching where she is on the growth curve is important.

Some babies just plain eat lots and arent overweight at all.  She may fall into this category.  You sound like an excellent mom, so just keep watching her growth and development unless the doctor tells you there is a problem.

[shelbert6]

Just a thought, just in case.

If you are using powdered formula, make certain you are following the correct mixing instructions.  Usually it is one level scoop for every 2 ounces of warm water.  So, for 4 ounces of formula, use 2 level scoops of powdered mix.  

Regards,

Shelly

[Still_AndiJ]

It sounds like you are doing things right : ) Babies are excellent self regulators, so she may just need what you are feeding her. As Christie mentioned, as long as you aren't interpreting her cues for hunger if they aren't, you should be doing just fine. I know my son was a "snorker" as we used to put it and would nurse almost non-stop. By the time he was 10 days old, he was 2 lbs past his birthweight! He in time leveled off and is now a very healthy and active 2 year old.

Back in the day, our parents and grandparents were only told to feed us every 4 hours!! Could you imagine being told to let your baby wail even if they were hungry 2 hours after eating? Times have changed dramatically. The advice now for amounts of formula or breastmilk are approximate. As long as that is all you are feeding your baby (formula or breastmilk), things should be just fine. They grow more now during these precious times then they will ever grow again and they need that nutrition to do so.

Good luck!!

Andrea

[Danasel]

I have an 8 week old and had the same problem.  He had acid reflux.  I had to persist with the doctors that they do something about it.  They didn't want to put him on medication because he was gaining weight so well.

One doctor even told me I was overfeeding him which was making it worse...what guilt!!  Feeding him was the only thing I could do to pacify him, and believe me I tried everything.  I am breast-feeding so this was also physically painful for me.  I suggest you talk to your doctor and follow your instincts.  If I had been more persistent earlier on I would have saved my baby a lot of physical pain.  I would have saved myself physical and emotional pain.  Hine site is 20/20, but I hope others can learn from my experiences.  Good luck!

[Danasel]

I forgot to mention that since he has been medicated, my baby is sleeping so much better, and as happy as a clam.  He never slept more than 20 minutes at a time during the day before he was medicated.  He even slept through the night last night!

[TONIA24]

thank you guys for responding im guess i just worry to much

[Melissa Prevost]

My son is 5months old and when he was born he started out on 4 ozs he was always hungry and then we started feeding him 6ozs that worked for a lil while @ 2months we started him on cereal I know its not suppose to be until 4months when they get the cereal but he satisfied him and he loved it and now he is getting a bottel when he wakes up later a bowl of cereal with fruit in it and then later another bottel then later some veggies with some kinda fruit juice then later another bowl of cereal with more fruit in it with a 2oz bottel and the rest of the day when he is hungry he gets bottels he also has Reflux and on special medcaition for it well he eats alot but he waighs 14lbs 5ozs and 26.3 inches long he lost some waight but gained inches well hope everything is ok...

[kat7]

My son is 11 weeks old and he also has acid reflux and was hungry all of the time.  I had to fight with my first doc. who said I was feeding too much and then I switched doc. and was sent to a pediatric gastroentorologist who diagnosed him with acid reflux.  He told us to put cereal in his bottle and put him on Zantac and Mylanta.  He is a whole new baby now.  You should really press your doc. to look into the acid reflux and if he doesn't I would get a second opinion just to rule it out first.
Good luck with everything.