Overfeeding formula???

brandicj21 wrote: Hi you all,
I am a first time mommy to an 8 1/2 month old girl. I am scared she is drinking WAY too much formula.... probably about 36 - 40 ounces a day. I can usually only get her to eat 2 jars of stage 2 baby food a day.... sometimes less! She weighs 23 lbs and 5 ounces and I am worried that all this formula is making her too fat! She gets incredibly fussy if I dont give her a bottle and I just cant let her cry or go hungry. Would putting cereal in her bottle and less formula be better for her or worse? I hear all the time "what are you feeding that baby?" But she doesnt look too big to me. Maybe it is just because she is my baby! I am clueless. Any suggestions or comments would be so helpful. Thank you!
Brandi

ediep replied: I wouldn't put cereal in the bottle unless your ped reccommends it...it could cause major overeating issues later.
Have you tried giving her 3 meals a day of baby food or cereal, and giving 3 or 4 bottles in between the meals?
I would talk to the ped if you are worried, 40 ounces does sound like a lot to me, but my son was never a big eater... but every child is different.

brandicj21 replied: Thanks for replying!
I try baby food at LEAST 3 times a day.... I know it sounds crazy, but most of the time she just isnt interested... she is either too full from all the bottles, or too hungry for a bottle, to want anything to do with the babyfood. Her 9 month check up is coming up in a couple of weeks and I definitely plan on talking with the pediatrician about it.
Would it be ok to give her some bottles of water? I think part of the reason she is drinking so many bottles is the comforting effect it has... not just because she is hungry... and yes I have tried a pacifier and she throws it at me!
She is very active though... even to be chubby.... crawling around like crazy and pulling up on everything! She is very strong too!

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Sounds like my 2nd - except she drank that much formual AND ate 3 x a day!!!

I`d try giving her a bottle of water at meal times... chances are, she`ll reject it and go for the food....

I wouldn`t dwell on the fact that she`s little chunky...most babies are. They`re supposed to be chunky - don`t worry about it. If your baby was extremewmly obese, as in... 8 1/2 months old and couldn`t roll because she`s too fat, or couldn`t sit properly because of all the leg rolls...then I`d be worried.... but as far as being chunky, chunky babies are a lot cuter than scrawny babies!

What is your 'schedule' as far as eating?

Mine was: (edited to say that I THINK it was... I`d have to pull up old posts to be 100% sure of the amounts... but as far as I can remember it`s just aobut what I put...)

6 to 8 ounce bottle at wake up (7am)
cereal at 8am
6 to 8 ounce bottle at around 9:30 or 10
small nap (10 to 11:30)
about 3 or 4 ounces of formula if thirsty after nap
lunch (big jar and little jar) 12:00
6 to 8 ounce bottle
nap (2pm)
6 ounce bottle after nap (3:30pm)
dinner (big jar and little jar, and finger foods) (5:30pm)
6 to 8 ounce bottle before bed (7pm)
about 5 ounces during the night

So, about 38 - 48 ounces in a day, plus food.... it got expensive!!

brandicj21 replied: Thank you for the reply! It made me feel better!
To be honest at the moment we are unable to have a set schedule with our baby... for eating or sleeping... which may be part of the problem... I try to just follow her cues and give her all the love I can. We run our own business and our hours change every day! It is a very very hectic time for us right now! between having a VERY high needs baby and our own business, my husband and I both go days without any sleep at all.
If you dont mind me asking, do you remember how much your girl weighed at 8 months? I know I shouldnt put too much emphasis on her weight right now, but being a first time mom... I can't help but worry about EVERYTHING!

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
Oh geez - like 25 or 26 pounds! She was an energetic monkey too... still is!

and with the amount of food she shovels in her mouth at meal times... I`m surprised she isn`t MY size!

She`s 19 months now and weighs 31 pounds. She got taller, and leaner over the last 6 months or so... and her weight has stayed the same the last few months. She`s losing her baby cheekers!

huggybugboy replied: I really don't know anything about this topic but I thought Id put in my 2 cents. I asked my lactation consultant that question because I thought my baby was having too much breast milk in his bottle during the day. She told me that active babies eat more food. (makes sense) They need the extra calories because they are burning a lot more than babies who don't move as much. I really wouldn't worry too much about it. I would way rather have a baby who grows too fast than too slow.

Lynda836 replied: Has she always been big? I would say as long as she's following the usually curve of the growth chart that your doctor's been charting...that would be the important thing. Maybe she's just a big girl. You could try offering the baby food first at meals and holding off on the bottle until the end of the meal...that way she may not fill up on formula. I don't see any problem with trying to offer her water instead of formula between meals either. You may even be already doing both of these things. But if the wt question really is bothering you...ask your ped at the next appt.

Jenny_B replied: I just wanted to say I don't think 'cuteness' of babies has much to do with weight. My little boy has always been small, and is adorable as can be. My neighbor across the street has a chunkier baby girl who is absolutely precious, like a cherub. People always find the need to comment one way or another, "She's so BIG!", "He's too SMALL!"...try not to take it to heart. Every baby is different. Follow your baby's cues and your instincts, or if you're really concerned talk to your pediatrician.

<Hugs>

Jenny

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I've never worried that Wil had too much formula, just too little. So I would think your baby is fine. It's strange that she's not that interested in solids, but I believe she's getting enough calories from the formula alone. I wouldn't worry, but the best thing to do would probably discuss it with her ped.

NummyMommy replied: All my kids ate differently and weighed differently....thats 4 different stories to write so I'll just tell you a lil about my chunky monkey's My middle kids both were in the 95th+ percentile for weight and height as babies/toddlers...they really ate a lot, nursed a lot and packed on the pounds.....as soon as they became more active (as toddlers) they started to thin out....my Ped told me this is "Natures way" of insuring that babies have enough weight to get them through the toddler years when they typically dont eat as much and have growth spurts. My second youngest never stopped eatting as much and he is still active. He's tall for his age but thin (a healthy thin not overly skinny). My daughter has slowed down some but is still active and is only slightly above normal weight for her height now. She doesnt eat as much as she used to and thats fine, because shes a preschooler and thats normal too. My point is there is a wide variety of whats normal/healthy for young kids and unless your Ped is worried your DD is most likely perfect

brandicj21 replied: Thank you all for the wonderful replies! My sweetie has been doing a little bit better with her baby food the past couple of days. All of these posts made me feel so much better! As I am sure all of you know.... being a first time parent, you second guess EVERY THING you do or dont do! This site has some very nice and knowledgable mommys and daddys and I am VERY glad I came upon it! I will keep you all posted on how the solids are going... thanks again!
Brandi