Infant Feeding

[Toni's Tots]

I have a question about the infant that I watch, he eats about every 15 mins to half an hour, is there a way to break him of this and just have him eat one average size bottle every 2 hours or so? When he does it he only has about an oz. or so but when I try to continue to give him his bottle he turns his head. This may be normal for some babies but I guess all the ones that I've watched before and my own weren't like this unless they were going through a growth spurt. Any suggestions?

[renodeb]

First of all how old is this baby? I have a 3 1/2 m/o and she was eatting every hour and 1/2(when she first started here) and now shes eatting every 2-2 1/2 hours and eatting a bit more at a time so she stays full longer. Maybe try a paci imbetween feedings to occupy the child. Until babies get a bit older I dont really start putting them on a schedule, there tummies are a good enough clock for now.

[cheerfuldom]

I would put him on a feeding schedule. Do not offer the bottle when its not time to eat. Theres no reason to be offering food every hour

[AnneCordelia]

I had to do this with my own son when he was 3 months old. I put him on a 2 hour schedule then, as appropriate for his age, and would bounce/sling/distract until it was time or very close to time. It only took a day until he got the idea and was so much happier for it.

[laundrymom]

How old? Bottle or breast?

[Toni's Tots]

he's three months old and it's breastmilk. His mom told me that they have been putting rice cereal in his bottle since he was about a month old because he was always hungry. He's a big boy so you can tell he eats a lot(almost 19 lbs).

[cheerfuldom]

3 months and 19lbs already?!?! yikes.

[Toni's Tots]

Exactly! I also have a three month old and he usually eats about once every 2-3 hours and he's only 13lbs. I'm not really into eating schedules but I think I might have to try something for this little guy. But if I do, do I talk with the parents so that they can work on it at home too?

[nannyde]

he's three months old and it's breastmilk. His mom told me that they have been putting rice cereal in his bottle since he was about a month old because he was always hungry. He's a big boy so you can tell he eats a lot(almost 19 lbs).

Oh lord

Is there NO training at all for newbie parents? Do they do ANYTHING at all the two days they have them in the hospital???????????

Ugh

He is HUGE

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over the heighest possible weight.

The average three month old boy weighs 13 pounds. He is the weight of the average eight month old. A baby in the 97th percentile at his age would be 16 pounds. He keeps at this rate and you are going to have a 30 pound eleven month old.

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2clinical/cj41l067.pdf

He should NOT be on ANY cereal or any food. He should wait another three to five months before he has another bite of food. My reccomendation would be to wait five.

He should be eating about 2-3 oz every 2.5 to 3 hours and that should be from the stop of the first bottle to the start of the next.

What is the doc saying about his weight? I would DEFINITELY be getting a doctors note telling me EXACTLY what he was supposed to have during the time he is with you and the frequency.

Sadly obesity is working it's way into the smallest most vulenerable populations. You are sitting on the front row of it today. Don't be bedazzled by words like "he's a big boy". Unless his parents are seven foot tall apeice and he is four inches taller than the average three month old he is eating WAY too much and having food WAY too early.

He must be a ball of misery. I can't imagine what's that's doing to his little GI tract and heart and lungs.

Ugh

[laundrymom]

Breastmilk is the perfect food for a human infant. I suggest having mom contact a breastfeeding support group, or to attend a training on it. BM isn't like formula. They don't drink much " more" of it as they age. The actual makeup of it changes to provide what they need. The cereal is probably the problem. The ONLY way he knows to get some comfort is momma milk. It digests, cereal doesn't as fast and he gets pain, so he nurses, then the cereal bogs him down again. It's a cycle.

[renodeb]

I agree with the others, he should eat about every 2- 2 1/2 hours. The cereal is definaetly not helping him. I have read that putting cereal in the bottle does absolutely nothing for the baby and that it is a myth that it actually helps. If he is always hungary then the cereal is not helping anyways. I awesome that you have other dckids in your care. Talk to the mom and suggest a feeding schedule based on research you have done. If he is always hungary then maybe she needs to give a little formula to suppliment. Does he take a paci? It sounds like maybe mommas milk is not keeping up with what he needs? Keep us posted on how its going.

[christinaskids]

He might just be doing it for the sucking. A pacifier may help wean him of eating constantly.

[christinaskids]

He might just be doing it for the sucking. A pacifier may help wean him of eating constantly.