Do Newborns Overeat?

Newborns instinctively know when they've had enough to eat, so there's usually little need to worry that you̵7;ll accidentally overfeed your baby, explains the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, it can take a little time to understand your baby's signals indicating that he is full. For example, you may mistake your baby's sucking as a sign of hunger when in fact he's comforting himself. The risk of overfeeding is higher in bottle-fed babies than those who are breastfed.

  1. Breastfed Newborns

    • Breastfed newborns tend to eat more often than formula-fed babies, since they typically consume smaller amounts of milk at each feeding. Nursing mothers can plan on feeding their newborn every two to three hours. Most babies drink 90 percent of the accessible breast milk within the first ten minutes of nursing on each breast, notes the AAP. The time between feedings expands as an infant's tummy gets larger and is able to hold more milk. When a breastfed baby is full, she may give obvious clues such as fidgeting or turning away from the nipple.

    Formula-Fed Newborns

    • Formula-fed newborns take a bottle every three to four hours during the first month of life. Much like a breastfed newborn, a bottle-fed infant has probably had enough to eat when he seems distracted, turns his head away or zips his mouth shut. The possibility of overfeeding a formula-fed baby is greater that one who breastfeeds simply because there's less work involved in getting milk out of a bottle than a breast, points out KidsHealth.org. Make sure the bottle's nipple hole is small enough so the milk dispenses slowly. If a little formula remains in the bottle but your newborn seems full, don't encourage him to finish last few drops.

    Growth Spurts

    • The first of many growth spurts may increase your infant's appetite. More frequent breastfeeding encourages the mother's body to boost her milk supply to meet her baby's stepped-up hunger needs. Supply and demand are usually in sync within a couple of days. A bottle-fed baby is likely to crave more formula during periods of rapid growth. Formula-fed babies tend to be leaner than breast-fed babies from 4 to 6 months, but the opposite is usually true by 9 to 12 months, according to the AAP.

    Considerations

    • No book or article can tell you exactly how much formula or breast milk your newborn needs or how often she should be fed. Each baby has distinct feeding needs that you will come to know as you become more in tune with your infant. Talk to your health care provider if you have any specific concerns about your newborn's feeding habits.

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