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

[Santosha]

DS is ENORMOUS! He's breastfed on demand and he demands every 2-3 hours during the day. I suspect he gets more than he needs over night, as he doesn't actually seem that hungry on most wakings, but it's easiest for me to feed back to sleep when he's still waking every 2ish hours.

I love having a chubby bubby. Especially after having a little string-bean in DD. He's just so cuddly! But I do find myself wondering whether he is 'too big'. He's got multiple chins, boobs and folds everywhere. Looks like one of those sharpei puppies! Aesthetically, it's not an issue of course. He's just gorgeous. But he's so heavy, I wonder whether his weight will interfere with him being able to crawl etc. and I've had a couple of people (my Dad mainly ) say that being big will set him up for weight problems in the future.

So I'm just wondering... where does this saying 'you can't over-feed a breastfed baby' come from? Is there evidence to support this? Is there any bearing on motor development or future weight issues?
Anyone else had a giant baby - do you think it affected their mobility, ability to sit etc?

[PumpkinZulu]

There is evidence, I don't have it off the top of my head though. I actually believe I read that on average, breastfed babies are generally leaner than formula fed babies, because the milk is better digested and processed, and that not all of the formula chub is necessary. Do even though a BF bub can be super chubby, it's not 'bad' chub and not 'over' fed itms?

DD is still exclusively BF, she feeds 1-2 hours around the clock and I don't think I'd class her as particularly big. Her daddy is tall and skinny so she may just be taking after him?

[Rowellen]

I'm not sure about the evidence. My DD had rolls upon rolls all over like you described but now that she is crawling, she is slimming down a little (just a little haha!) She hasn't lost weight, just lengthened and the weight gain has slowed right down. Her rolls haven't stopped her from moving. She has done things at a similar rate to DS who was more long & slim with a pot belly.

[~ Mylitta ~]

I've sometimes wondered if that saying is evidence based as well. It hasn't stopped me from being guided by it though, and I love feeding on demand.

Shayla was a pretty chubby bub to begin with. Her weight started out just above the 75th percentile for quite a while. Since crawling and now walking (running!) her weight has dropped off dramatically. In fact, she had her nurse checkup today and while her head circumference is still in the 75th percentile, and her length is still the 50th percentile, her weight is actually now in the 25th percentile. The nurse questioned it a little and wants to check it again in a couple of months, but I'm not worried at all because she is still breastfed and also eats like a horse through the day, lol! She's just an active growing little girl!

[onthefly]

He sounds adorable!

[kelebek]

Sounds just like my DS. He was at the top of all the charts (after being very normal at birth) he sat up early and crawled early. He was walking at 12 mnths. He is now in proportion and not overweight. He is tall and 'big' for his age but you wouldn't think he was overweight (he is in size 4/5 and won't be 4 til march)

He runs and plays just like the other kids.

[Arcadia]

Breast milk is made from the child's demand. Babies won't drink more than they 'need' ie what they're biologically programmed to require for their growth. You're setting them up for life here. If he grew to be 6 foot 5 tall, it would all make sense.

My ds was born at 3.5 kg and then has been off the charts ever since. He was putting on a kilo in under two weeks and was in size zero at five months. Now at ten months he is growing out of size one and is over twelve kg. Yes he is heavy, but he crawls and furntu surfs and does everything normally.

The only thing that you need to worry about are your arms breaking from carrying him. I use a sling wherever possible.

Enjoy the cuddles!

[sloane]

he sounds a lot like my DS as well - he fed on demand round the clock & was around 90-95% on the growth charts. he was still pretty big when he started crawling but between probably 8 months (after he started crawling) & 12 months (when he started walking) he really dropped alot of the extra weight & at 2.5 looks fairly lean. he's still above 50% on the growth charts but nowhere near the top end any more - he's sort of stretched out. not that i put heaps of emphasis on the growth charts, it's just as an example.

i figured that he was stocking up because he is such an active little boy that he needed the extra weight to cope with both growth & activity. no basis to this, just my guess!

i don't think it hindered his ability to crawl, sit or walk - i can't remember when he sat but he was crawling before 8 months & walked 2 weeks after he turned 1. there's a pic of him in my photo album when he was about 6 months.

[Nai]

My DD1 was a skinny minny and DD2 very chubby - she had rolls and a big fat tummy. It didn't stop her moving and she crawled and walked about the same age as DD1 did. She also slimmed right down once she stared running everywhere and is now tracking only slightly heavier than her sister at the same age (although she is a completely different build).

[Jellyfish]

My DD1 was so tiny compared to DD2. They are fed the same way! DD1 was 2.9kg at birth, barely put on 80g a week and is still little... not that we have ever worried. DD2 was 3.8kg at birth, she was 5kg by 3 weeks! Part of it is genetics, I think as I'm small (165cm, 55kg before DD2s pregnancy) and DD1s Dad is a rake whereas DD2s Dad is not overweight but a more solid build, broad shoulders etc.

The main reason I think you can't overfeed them is because when I'm lazy and would rather DD2 just have a quiet feed for a bit or feed to sleep instead of rocking, she refuses. She only wants to feed when she wants to. Not sure how it would be different if they formula fed as I have no experience. How could you really restrict them anyway, it is pretty impossible so I just go with it and enjoy my chubby bubby!

DD2 already seems more active though! At 5w she is pushing up on her arms and legs with such strength, she basically came out holding up her head...5 chins and all hehe.

[Disco]

I am sure that there have been studies showing that BF babies are protected against obesity more so than formula fed. Once he does start moving, even if it's a bit later, the weight will fall off! I have been amazed at the chubbiness of some of my friends bubs all exclusively BF but by 3 they have all trimmed down.

[SunnyRain]

This is a bit of a mystery to me as well because I breast feed my baby constantly but she's tiny. I ended up formula feeding my son after 5 months and he was never big, either, so clearly genetics has some impact. However....

Umm, OK I can't think how to write this without sounding a bit rude, and I don't know you, OP, so this is in no way pointed at you.

I'm just wondering if there is a different amount of fat content or sugar in milk from different women depending on their diet.

I've seen some enormous breast fed babies with larger mothers. I'm very thin and I have a very healthy diet. Is this why my baby is so little?



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[*EJ*]

DS1 was a big boy and exclusively fed breastmilk for the first 6 months. I often got the comments about him being a 'big boy'. The statement that you can't overfeed a breastfed bub was what i heard from my MCHN so i was never concerned.

DS2 and DD have had nothing different to my DS1 had but they are much more petite.

A friend of mine has a little boy who she too has breastfed and it sounds as though he is just like your son. He is one gorgeous little man too

Another friend FF her son and he was huge. I think there were sleeping and feeding issues and i think as a result a lot of weight was gained. I am not judging her or her bub in anyway but i was shocked when seeing the size of her gorgeous little man at his first birthday. He is now 3 and is one solid little man

Just thinking out loud here but with my first friend and her little man i didn't think anything of the size but then with the second friend i do. I think it is from being told that you can't over feed a breastfed baby but with formula it can be quite different

Just from a different perspective DD was 8.1kg at 12 months and the weight gain between appts was not huge. Up until then she was feeding 2-3 times a night and was on 3 meals day. While she isn't a big girl by any means i still feel she looks healthy and well and i am not concerned at all.

If you trust your little man is happy, healthy and doing everything expected in his growing process i would rest assured things are pretty good

[Santosha]

Thanks all for your replies. It's good to read about other chubby bubbas out there who achieved motor milestones fine. Allays my own fears. Just a shame there's not a specific study to throw back in my Dad's face - although I can't imagine what the measure for 'over-fed' would be.

I do think it has a fair bit to do with genetics. DD is a mini-me. I fed her just as much, but she's always been a long and lanky little thing, just like me and my family. DS is DH all over and he was a huge bubby too (though FF, which led me to wonder the difference) and his family tend to have slower metabolisms and put on weight more easily.

Kuraiza, you didn't offend me! I had wondered whether it might have a little to do with my diet too... not sure whether sugar and fat content of milk changes depending on maternal diet?? I have a super-fast metabolism and am eating huge ammounts of anything and everything (except dairy... siiiiigh) to keep up with what DS is taking out of me. I weigh 2kg less than pre-pregnancy - 60kgs and 6ft tall, I'm guessing the doc would not be thrilled with my BMI. To keep up... and coz I'm a bit greedy... I do eat a very high calorie diet and whilst there's lots of good stuff in there, there's also a fair bit of sugar in my tea, lollies and fish and chips!

If anyone does come across a study pertaining to this, can you post me a link. Not worried now, just quite interested.

Oh, and I agree Arcadia, the only thing that seems to be suffering are my arms and back. Got pretty impressive Mummy-muscles though!!

[Jellyfish]

I would say it is a lot more to do with genetics than diet. I've had the same diet for both of my DDs, I was 55kg before DD2s pregnancy (BMI of ~19) so a healthy weight. DD1 was 2.9kg at birth, gained slowly and is still tiny... DD2 however was 3.8kg at birth and has been putting on 400g a week! At 5 weeks she is the size DD1 was at 3 months.

My DD1 fed 2hrly around the clock basically right up to her 2nd Birthday too, even when she was consuming large amounts of solids which makes me think she just inherited a fast metabolism and small build. DD2 already goes 4hr stretches. From that experience I can't imagine it is easy to overfeed a breastfed baby because otherwise my DD1 would be huuuuuuuge (I always took the easy option of feeding back to sleep through the night, there were even stages it felt like she was attached all night as we co-slept) and as I mentioned, you can't exactly deny them food when they are asking or make them eat when they aren't interested so what is there to do but trust them?

Would also still be interested in seeing a study about it though too!

[Chrispe]

You can't over-feed I breastfed bub is referring to babies under 6 months & not on solids. If bub is eating solids & still BFing every 2 hrs I'd be concerned. But

All 3 of my bubs have fed 2-3hourly when they were under 6 months & put on weight like you wouldn't believe (rolls & rolls) after 6 months they stretched the feeds 3-4 hrly with solids (& they slept more at night) but they still gained heaps of weight. All of them were over 12kgs at 12months, but it never stopped them from being mobile. And the older 2 are in school now & are quite thin, healthy & active.

Plus look & see if your bubs height & weigh are in the same range- he just might be a big tall boy.



Chris
DS1
DD
DS2
#4 due Sep

[kelebek]

If bub is eating solids & still BFing every 2 hrs I'd be concerned.

I understand what you are saying but it certainly wasn't the case for my DS, he fed 2/3 hrly waaaaay past 12 mnths and would feed 3/4 times overnight. Like I said above he is in proportion and a normal size. He definitely 'slimmed' down once he started to walk at 12 mnths and has no problems keeping up with his peers.

he sounds adorable to me

[HotI]

My DD also fed 2 - 3 hourly til after 12 months while eating solids, and she was only 15th percentile for weight. i don't think there is any blanket rule.