Overfeeding 11 week old?

[violagal]

Hi all,

Our DS is 11 weeks tomorrow but feels like he has the appetite of a 12 month old!
He was quite happily taking 4-5oz each feed in 5 feeds during the day (7am, 10am, 1pm, 4-4.30pm, 6.30-7pm) then one at 11pm ish then one or two feeds in the night or about 3/4oz each. However on reading The Baby Whisperer solves all your problem I wrote down how much he was taking over 2 weeks and averaged out the night feeds and then added that to the day feeds to try and get him to sleep longer at night (he has never slept longer than 4hrs 45mins at one time).
However since doing that his appetite appears to have gone through the roof but his sleeping has not got any better! He now takes between 6-7oz and in fact a couple of days ago took a full 8oz bottle but only slept 4.5 hours after that!
Last night was the worst, was like he went back to being a newborn! He took 25oz during the day before bed then woke at 10.30pm and took 4.5ozs, 1.45am and took 6ozs, 4am and took 2 ozs!
I feel like by offering him more in the daytime feeds I'm just increasing his appetite to take more at night...?

[*Kara*]

Growth spurt at 3 months   And there is another at 4 months...

[Lolly]

I agree with Kara - sounds like a growth spurt to me!

A 4.5 hour stretch at this age really isn't bad, it's actually reaaly good - it's more than a lot of babies are able to do! Keep doing what you are, offering more during the day, it won't be making him hungrier at night. He's still too little to go too long in the night without food so it's just a case of waiting it out until he is ready to drop feeds by himself. What we found is that after 3 months the feed that was around midnight (no DF here, they woke naturally) started creeping later which pushed the next feed to wake up time.

Laura

[violagal]

Thanks both - wow now I know what a growth spurt feels like! I got him weighed today just to put my mind at rest and he's 12lbs12 / 5.8kg which is between the 9th and 25th percentile which is where he has been all along so that's good.
Yes we tried waking him for the dreamfeed but it never seemed to make much difference as he'd still only go 3 hrs or so after it so we're letting him wake naturally now to try and get him used to sleeping more.
So a couple of questions, how long does a growth spurt normally last? And will his appetite stay at this level now or will it go back down again?

[*Kara*]

Yes we tried waking him for the dreamfeed

This could be part of the issue - you don't wake baby for the DF   You just pick them up gently and rub the bottle nipple on their lip to get them to open up.. most babies will eat while asleep   Since they are very calm for the DF, no burp needed just put back down...

As for the GS - generally last a few days up to a week... appetite will come down a bit but I always found that it was a touch more than it had been before the GS started

Also, my DD was 12lbs 12 ozs at her 3 month check up

[KathG]

Hi Violagal
What you have experienced is EXACTLY what I am experiencing.  My 12 wo DS just wants more and more bottle, is putting on weight by the day.. and isnt lasting the longer stretches at night that he used to.  I was getting most concerned til I ready your post and the replies.   My once attempt at dreamfeed didnt work - he still woke up at 2am, 3 hours later!

I am also hoping he won't continue to want such high volumes of milk and that it can go down a bit as I feel he is taking in too much for this young age. if he is taking in 27 ounces now, what will he be taking in at 5 months! 
I also dont want him to be a really fat baby and at the rate he is going, that could be the case.

My DS used to sleep from 6pm til 2am but is now waking at 11pm for his feed which means he gets in a whole extra feed per 24 hours than normal.
I am hoping all this will settle as I feel like he is just blowing up before my eyes and his nights getting so restless.

[Lolly]

Babies do stack the weight on in the first few months but it does settle down. They don't continue adding more and more oz they get to a level and stay there until solids for the most part. What seems like a huge volume of a tiny baby doesn't really get much bigger and most babies are taking around 32oz a day at 6 months when they start solids.

There is so much growth in these early months they do need the calories!

Laura

[violagal]

Well it looks like the growth spurt may be over... Yesterday he took only 4-5 oz per feed and fed only twice at 10.45pm and 3.30am so hopefully things have calmed down - kathg it is scary isn't it! I was thinking exactly the same - if he's taking an 8oz bottle now what will he be taking in a few more weeks!
Regarding the df maybe we just need more practice but he's either in a light sleep and so wakes up to eat or he's in such a deep sleep that he just won't suck - we can wiggle the teat in but he's so zonked he won't suck!
So if we are feeding 7 times in a 24hr period should each feed be equal or should the 2/3 night feeds be less?

[Lolly]

You should just offer a full feed at each feed at this age. You need to be offering slightly more than he will take so that he can stop feeding when he is full and not because the bottleis empty - there should be a bit left in the bottle at the end of a feed.

The only time you would limit a night feed is if it's too close to the first morning feed and stops them being hungry first thing.

Laura

[violagal]

Thanks Laura, will continue making up 6-7oz bottles and hopefully know whats going on when the 4month one hits!!

[*Kara*]

Hugs ladies - those two spurts at 3 and 4 months are big ones!

My DD was up to a 4 oz bottle at a week of age... settled at 5-6 ozs until she was about 4 months (after that GS - she was taking 7-8 during a spurt!)... and was up to 7ozs at 5 months and had just gotten to 8ozs (32 a day) when we started solids at just over 5 months

[KathG]

Hi again
DS (now exactly 3 months old) is taking in 31 - 32 oz per day and drains each bottle!  He has seven 5 oz feeds per 24 hours.
This seems too much for his age? if others are writing that this is the max taken in by the time the babies start on solids.

The growth spurt started over a week ago and he's not settling down and asking for a little less as Violagal's LO did after his growth spurt. MY DS seems to just want more and more each day.

Is 32 Oz not too much for just 3 months of age?

[Lolly]

If he is showing hungry cues and keeping all his milk down then it's fine. If he is draining bottles you need to add another oz to each one.

Laura

[*Kara*]

Agree with Laura - so long as he seems settled, keep feeding

If he is unsettled and wants to each really frequently, it could be a sign of reflux... though this often manifests with snacking frequently.

[KathG]

ah ha... could be reflux!  I must give him his medication which I got for reflux but thought it had subsided. thank you, that may be the problem!