can a baby overeat?

[PoppyPainting]

A friends lo is just turned 6 months and has been traditionally weaned. He is really enjoying his food. However she's concerned coz sometimes he eats too much and he's sick (not a lot, just a bit). So she wants to know whether its possible for a baby to overeat or should she limit his intake?

 

[Leeloo]

i cant speak to solid foods but my LO spit up a lot when she was EBFing at 2 - 3 months old. My mom said she was eating too much and I should limit her intake; so I tried and it was not fun. Poor LO cried when she would have usually eaten. So I stopped and just let her eat whenever and for however long she wanted. She would spit up but it didn't seem to bother her and her weight was fine. It was gross for me but I'd rather have that. So I personally would let my LO figure out on her own that it was making her sick, even if it was with solid foods.

 

[PoppyPainting]

bump

 

[sillysapling]

Sick in what way? We had to limit how much LO ate and build it up gradually after one hellish night of tummy troubles following the first day of getting really into solids. If her baby just has a cold and it's not likely caused by the food- look for signs of problems (throwing up, digestive problems, etc), but her baby just might really like solids. She should talk to her baby's doctor if she's really concerned.

 

[HKateH]

Reflux baby here! Throwing up has lessened with solids but still happens, particularly after he's been rolling around. The sick is so much worse when it's half digested food!

I didn't think a baby could over eat but I'm not sure whether that applies to TW. I know one of the benefits to BLW is that they learn appetite control early. My LO is BLW and is a right pig though. I just make sure what he's eating is nutritional and varied and that he's getting enough milk. I think some babies just have bigger appetites! Like I said though, I don't know how it applies to TW.

 

[missk1989]

We started with tw and to start with I would limit his intake until i could identify whether or not he was having issuess digesting it and after a few weeks would just feed until he stopped willingly opening his mouth. I was told they wont overeat but im not convinced. I know that my lo ate until he was sick more than once.

 

[sillysapling]

The problem with both is that, at first, their stomach can sometimes hold more than it can handle.

There are BLW babies who eat until they throw up and go back for more. BLW won't prevent this.

Frankly, the BLW vs TW sounds like the BF vs FF. Yes, some people will shove food down their baby's throat- pinching the poor kid's nose when the baby refuses to open their mouth. Some babies will open their mouth for every spoonful even when they're full. But that's not true of everyone. My baby says very clearly whether or not they want another bite- I can offer the spoon a dozen times and they won't take it if they don't want it. At the same time, a BLW baby who decides food is the bomb can self-feed even when they aren't hungry just because they enjoy the taste and texture and stuff, resulting in throwing up and as many problems.

TW may make it easier for babies to overeat because it's easier to force a kid to swallow purees than to chew and swallow a biscuit- but it's fully possible for a TW kid to self-regulate and for a BLW kid to overeat.

 

[HKateH]

I wonder if the ability to recognise fullness is inherent in some people regardless of how they were weaned.. I was TW as was my husband but, although I adore food, I dislike feeling very full so I stop around 80% full. My husband stops eating because he worries that he might explode. Some people can eat past the point of being full, whereas others can't. I imagine it's the same for babies. Although I'm sure other factors play a part too!