Is He Eating Too Much?

HI
I started feeding my son cereal and formula at 2 months, and from then on, every bottle had a good amount of cereal in it until he got off the bottle...
its soo normal, for me anyway.... i am huge on feeding children if they are hungry...
good luck

I would NOT start him on any kind of baby food until at least 6-8 months old. Studies have shown it to cause children to have increased food allerigies. Call your ped and ask if this is typical for his age/weight/size, etc. Good luck!

Wow, that seems like a lot. My son is 5 mos and doesnt get that much. Are you breastfeeding or formula? I know that the breast feed baby takes abou 25 oz of breast milk in a 24 hour period, so thats about 1 oz an hour. If my son has gone 2 hours then i give him a 2 oz bottle, 3 hours 3 oz bottle. When my husband feeds him a bottle he cries when its finished because he likes to suck, so he gives him a pacifier and he is happy. I believe there is a growth spurt around 3 months. When my son hit his he was nursing non stop.

Definitely talk to your pediatrician about introducing anything but breast milk or formula so young. Most pediatricians recommend waiting until almost 6 months to start solids.

Hi, H.!

We have 7 children - all ours by birth! (Yes, I am proud of that!) 2 years after our youngest child was born, our 2 oldest grandchildren were born. Now, we have 7 grandchildren, all living nearby. Our chilren & grandbabies are just one big happy family. So, I feel like I have a little info to offer you. I just hope it HELPS!!

I'd say that you're bottle-feeding your baby, as opposed to breastfeeding, otherwise you wouldn't be telling us that he eats 8-11 oz!! :) I've found that when babies want to eat so much, sometimes it's really just that they need to suck, in order to satisfy the sucking instinct that God designed babies to have, so that they will have inborn knowledge of how to receive nourishment. Have you tried a pacifier? I know some people don't want to get that started. On the other hand, neither do you want to get obesity started, and research is showing that it begins 'way, 'way back in childhood, perhaps right after birth? I'm not saying this is a problem in your case...who would know!!! But, it's "food for thought."

How much did your boy weigh at birth? It might be, that if he was a bigger birth-weight baby, he needs more nutrition than others his age.

Another thing to consider is, does he often spit up after feedings? This is not uncommon. But, does it seem excessive? If so, that may be a sign that he's eating more than he can hold in his little tummy. So, therefore, probably more than he needs.

As for eating baby foods, I know there's a "schedule" that doctors recommend at what age to begin baby foods. It differs for those who use bottles and those who breastfeed. It does seem that it isn't usually 2+ months old, tho'. I'd definitely ask your family dr. or pediatrician. Have the little guy checked over top to bottom. I'm sure you'll feel a lot better after hearing from your medical people, that he's healthy as a colt. (The saying is: "healthy as a horse", but in this case he's just a little colt!)

I didn't like the idea of canned, jarred baby food for my babies, so I bought a wonderful gadget that can be found anywhere. It's a little white babyfood grinder. You put veggies/fruits into the cylinder, fit the grinder on the top, and turn it a several times, the puree comes out into the top bowl, and you can feed him right out of that. When he's older, even meat & potatoes will grind up like a charm. Add a little moisture (water, formula, etc) if needed for consistency, and voila! The healthiest babyfood in town, in a fraction of a minute. Just about 6"-8" tall, and slim enough that it fits into the diaperbag without a prob. When you're traveling, just slip it into a zip-lock baggie, so that when you're finished using it, things will stay clean in your d-bag.

I also used my blender to make batches of babyfood. Using fresh or frozen veggies, fruits, etc.: cook them 'til done, cool in refrig. Then fill either ice cube trays, or tiny bowls with air-tight lids, with the puree of food you've made, and put into freezer. Later, when they're solid, you can separate, if you wish, and put them into smaller freezer baggies, to take out one, two, three... cubes of food, as needed. VERY HANDY when in a hurry - which usually means "all of the time!!" I hope this doesn't sound like a lot of work, because it's soooooooo much better for babies than jars of babyfood, that have enough preservatives to last on grocery shelves for a long, long time. You'll be so very glad you chose to do this. Again, thinking ahead to childhood obesity, you'll be teaching your baby to eat fresh and healthy foods, not tempting his taste buds with lots of salt, sugar, etc.

Sorry, this is sooooo long. You might guess that one of my passions is children. :)
B.

I started cereal when my baby was about 4 mo. old and then started with baby food. When they start on baby food try one food at a time like after they eat that one food for 3 to 4 days and have no allergies or reaction to it, you can start them on another food.It does help them sleep through the night, not unless their belly is hurting or something is bothering them.I HAVE ALWAYS heard a baby can start baby food when they start holding their head up pretty well. My baby was premature she was born at 31 weeks. So when i see that your baby eats 8-11 oz. that is alot for me. My baby when i did get to see her after 2 days she only ate 4cc. of milk and had to increase every day and what she did not drink they tube feed her. Dr's said she was doing well because she had not developed the sucking reflex yet. Well i hope i helped you out. If i can help you with anyting else just let me know.
T.

That sounds like WAY to much. Please talk to your pediatrician. You/he are possibly using food as comfort not just nurishment. That was also very young to have started cereal. Please get some expert advice.

I would call your pediatrician and ask. I was told not to give my daughter cereal until she was 4 months old because of the chance of her developing allergies, but different pediatricians will tell you different things. I would probably not introduce any foods yet and just stick with cereal for a while because of the chance for developing allergies, but I think you know your child better than anyone and need to do what you feel is right. Just make sure that your pediatrician at least knows whats going on in case he/she has advice or if anything pops up in the future.

y son was the same way he ate 8-11 oz then his doctor told me to put him on cereal he was allergic to the ceral so she told me to put him on baby food by six months he was eating mostly table foods now he is a healthy 33pd 17months big boy wears clothes anywhere from a 3t to 5t depends on the make good luck

With my 1st baby, I did everything like the doctors said to, and at times things were very rough, because like you, I felt like she wasn't getting satisfied. So I decided that with my son, I would play it by ear. I started giving him cereal at 7 weeks old and he honestly started eating food about 2 weeks later. Each baby is different and I think that as a mom, you know what your baby needs and wants. Both of my kids are just fine, as a matter of fact my daughter is really skinny and my son is healthly(not chubby), so do what you think your baby needs!

I, like you, bucked the addage of no cereal until 6 months. If a child is hungry,then feed him! I actually started my son on foods at 4 months I think. He hardly ate baby food;he just didn't like it. He's very healthy as is my daughter. Follow your mommy instincts!

He is to young for cereal. the APA recommends waiting until 6 months (at least four) before introducing any solids (including cereal). My pediatrician said that it is not good to mix cereal in the bottle. This might cause tummy problems and, in general, just is noth healthy. This might mean that it takes your little one a bit longer to sleep through, but normally if he is just waking for a feeding it really doesn't take that long.

I would ask your doctor the next time you go in for a check-up. It sounds like plenty to me. I didn't start foods until 4 months old with all 4 of mine (including cereal) and they ate every 3 hours at 11 weeks...bumped to every 4 hours and only 4 feedings per day by about 4-5 months. They probably ate around 6oz per feeding. When they go through growth spurts, they'll want more and then it will go back down again. Sounds like you're doing great!

My son is also 11 wks and hes got quite the appetite already too. However the new health advice is to not give them cereal until they are 6 months old. I guess a bunch of Dr's got together and figured out that somehow giving babies cereal to young casues obesity, and many other health problems when they get older. My opinion, and long as its not super chunky with cereal in his bottle, just enough to thicken it a little it should be ok. Also since hes eating 8-11 oz you might want to ask your Dr. about that. My son eats between 5-7 right now.

we started cereal at 4 months and baby food about 2 weeks later. it does sound like he is eating a lot, if you feel he isn't satisfied, i would suggest talking to your dr. and getting suggestions from them.

Way to early for baby food. Starting him on the cereal was a little early too. Babies digestive tracts are not ready for that. He is on the smaller side. If he seems still hungry, try feeding him more often or increase formula amount.
Children have way too many allergies today. You want to wait for his digestive tract to be ready. There are too many people who start to early only to find out later there childrn have allergies or stomach problems.
I have a Child Development Degree. I am not a pediatrician. Some pediatrician's may differ from my educated opinion.

Your baby might also have gas which you may be mistaking for not being satisfied.

My son was exactly the same way. He was born a big boy with an appetite to match- he has always been in the 75th percentile for weight since birth! All babies are different. When my son started whining after finishing off his 8-9 oz bottle around 12 weeks, I started giving him cereal with a spoon mixed very thin. I did this gradually making sure there were no allergies, and to get him used to eating with a spoon. I even tried giving him a pacifier thinking it was a sucking need, and he just squalled his little head off! So, I knew he needed more than just what he was getting from a bottle. When I mentioned to my pediatrician at his 3-month checkup that I had given him cereal, he didn't seem concerned at all, and said I could even introduce stage 1 foods in a couple of weeks once we got the cereal down pat. Today, at 8 1/2 mos he eats with us most of the time, and doesn't even like baby food in jars. I just make sure to give him his formula before giving him his solid foods so I know he is getting his liquids. He is 21.5 lbs and is as strong as an ox- he is chubby like a baby should be- not overly fat or obese at all. When he is full, he is full, and won't eat another bite, so I never worry about overfeeding.
It is so interesting how baby nutrition and feeding changes with the times. When my mom hears what the recommendations are for babies and feeding now, she always says jokingly "It's a wonder how you even survived when you were a baby." :)
Raising babies is pretty much a judgement call, and as a mother, you are well equipped to make the best decisions. You know instinctually what your baby is trying to tell you, so don't worry if your baby is not going "by the books".

When my son was that age he was eating alot. When he was 3 months old I wanted to see if he would eat mashed potatoes and gravy and he did. My son is now 8 1/2 months old and he is now eating more table food then he is eating baby food. And he wants to drink reg. milk. He is already drinking juice and everything. But he was also 8 lbs. 15 oz. when he was born. So, he was born to eat. He is about 21 lbs now.

Jenn

I nursed my daughter so she ate every two-3hours at your son's age. At 4 months, we started cereal off a spoon,,she did great. And just so you know, she has never had any food allergies whatsoever. We started her on cereal because I had low milk production issues. At 5 months, she started on organic baby food (fruit) to mix with the cereal. She LOVED it. If your baby is normal weight, there is nothing wrong with feeding him when he is hungary. If he is not ready for the food off a spoon, he will let you know by not being interested in it,,,not opening his mouth when he sees the spoon coming :-) The best thing to do is ask your Pediatrician if he is the right weight...if he is...you do what you feel is right as his Mommy...and take ques from your son...and you will be doing the right thing. I had to learn the hard way that Mommy DOES know what to do with her baby....trust yourself. :-)