"You can't over-feed a breastfed baby" - is this evidence-based??

[onthefly]

Breastfed babies will naturally reduce their intake of milk over time - even if they feed just as frequently - after they start eating other foods.

I'm not sure that maternal diet has that much impact on the sugar/fat content of milk I understand it's all pretty much the same regardless of diet.

[*EJ*]

I've often wondered about the mother/baby weight depending on diet while breastfeeding also.

DS1 was my big chunky boy and i was so concious of my diet while feeding him (especially in the first 6 months), i ate bowls of veg a lot.

I didn't do this so much with DS2 and DD, if anything i think i treated myself to a few more sweets and they are my petite ones.

It's an interesting topic

[kelebek]

I think part of the reason they say you can't over feed a bf baby is because they regulate how much they get and have to work at it. Maybe look at the ABA site? There is probably an article on there.

[Loveinamist]

Yeah I think it is that breastfed babies can control the flow somewhat and you cannot force a baby to suck on a breast (don't I know it after all my problems with DS's latch in the early days!) Whereas a bottle will flow regardless of baby's effort.

Firstly, bottle fed infants receive a later satiated cue than their breastfed counterparts. Breastmilk isn’t released in one constant stream like a bottle, mum has multiple let-downs during a feed, resulting in regular pauses. These “breaks” slow the feed down, and allow baby to recognise satiety and stop feeding, long before the stomach is over full. As soon as a breastfed baby stops sucking, milk ceases immediately.

In a bottle fed baby, the feed is more parent led – once the bottle is upturned, milk is released and each suck swallow pattern causes the teat to refill and more milk to be released. Baby can have finished the bottle, long before their system has had chance to recognise they are full. Link here Bottle feeders – please stop twisting it – from Analytical Armadillo |