Am I feeding her too much?

[Natnee]

Belle will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. Already today she has had 4 x 120ml bottles of Aptamil. These feeds were at 01:00, 04:40, 08:00 and last one at 11:00, so has gone 3 hours between each one. Thing is now (according the packet instructions) for her age she should only be due 1 more bottle of this amount, and I can hardly see her just having 1 more bottle in the next 11 and a half hours (it's 12:30pm now) At this rate she will be wanting another 3 before the day's out! She is approx 9lbs in weight, and was 8lb 10oz when she was born. She lost 12.5% of her birth weight on her 5 day weigh but obviously now has made up the weight plus more. I know the instructions on the packet are just a guide, but how far out from them can you go? She does sometimes not really settle, we wonder if she is suffering from reflux (or silent reflux) so I am worried I am just shoving a bottle in her mouth to try and get her to settle, but she seems to want to eat it all. She's not been sick today, just the odd dribble after a feed. Or could this be a growth spurt or just having an extra hungry day? Looking back over my records of her feeds over the past 3/4 days she has had approx 5 x bottles although not always in one go, they have been less each time, if that makes sense? Argghhh why is this so confusing!

 

[purpledaisy2]

It could possibly be a growth spurt hun but I think feeding every 3 hours is very normal.

My LO was on 6/7 5oz bottles at 4 weeks old.

I ignored the instructions box completely, if he was still unsettled after a feed or draining the bottles I just upped them an oz. You won't overfeed her hun, she will only take what she needs. If she does take too much she will bring it back up anyway.

If theres one thing I've learned its not to get hung up counting oz's / bottles as every baby is different and they only take what they need.

 

[Claire788]

I agree, ditch the box guidelines!! Luke didnt follow the feeding guidelines at all, and he was a 9lb'er at birth too. Like purpledaisy said, she will puke it up if she's had too much, they will only take what they need! Feed away

 

[Mynx]

I wouldnt worry about what the box says and just feed when LO wants it. Every baby has different appetite, just like us adults so the guidelines are really just a loose guide.

Your LO will take what she wants and what she needs, and if she happens to take too much then she'll just throw up what she doesnt need, or what wont fit in her tummy