I think DCP is overfeeding - opinions please - Page 2

[GuildJenn]

Originally Posted by texmati

it is. especially with a primarily breastfed baby being fed by people who are used to formula feeding.

A bf baby is used to being able comfort suck at teh breast, and to them the sucking==momma is nearby==I'm safe, warm and comfy association is very strong.

My parents used to feed my son so much that he would vomit (not spit up, but actually vomit). This never happened at any other time.

Wow, I didn't know that. Good to know. OP, sorry about that.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

Wow, I didn't know that. Good to know. OP, sorry about that.

sorry... I'm really overly touchy about this one issue. Breastfeeding made my life as a working mom so much better. (I know that now that ds has weaned.) and supportive care provider and education about how to handle bottle feeding the breastfed baby can really make or break that relationship.

[Minxie]

Originally Posted by neonalee

In the beginning I didn't tell her how much to feed him because I didn't know. Her notes since then show all feedings at 2 - 3 oz (note that most of those bottles are filled herself, not set by me) and there were days she sent some milk home. So how do we suddenly get to 4+ oz bottles?

There is a growth spurt at two months; could this be part of the problem? If so, you should also plan on one at four months, six months, nine months, and one year.

[RaeDyCo]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating but I didn't see the links to Kellymom.com about bottlefeeding the breastfed baby on here:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

and the milk calculator:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

One thing I would be worried about is what will happen if your baby starts getting used to such big bottles (5-6 oz bottles are huge for a little baby who has a stomach the size of his fist). He will get used to the overly full feeling and may not be satisfied with a smaller bottle. Right now you may be able to pump more than enough but eventually your supply will regulate and you may not continue to be a "super-pumper".

If a baby takes in 19-30 per 24 hours and he is getting almost all of that in a 8-10 hour time frame, I do believe he is being overfed. However, there may be a growth spurt where some additional milk may be needed but I don't think it is necessary to give as much as your DCP is asking.

** Also, remember that breast milk changes over time to meet the needs of an older baby. They don't need more milk, the composition of BM has adjusted. This is different from formula which never changes.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by RaeDyCo

If a baby takes in 19-30 per 24 hours and he is getting almost all of that in a 8-10 hour time frame, I do believe he is being overfed. However, there may be a growth spurt where some additional milk may be needed but I don't think it is necessary to give as much as your DCP is asking.

** Also, remember that breast milk changes over time to meet the needs of an older baby. They don't need more milk, the composition of BM has adjusted. This is different from formula which never changes.

But some of this depends on how well the baby sleeps at night. My son reverse cycled on his own b/c he hated bottles with a passion, but then he nursed all.night.long to make up for it. OP, how many times a night does baby wake to nurse?

It's important to remember that these numbers are averages, all babies are different. Some babies will need more than 19-30oz in a day. Some babies drink more milk and gain weight faster, and some babies drink less and don't gain as fast. OP, you might want to think about that too - is your baby big? small? average? Has he been gaining like mad, or is he gaining about average? He's only 2 months, and my ds ate a LOT at that age. He was mostly BF, with few bottles, but no one would ever tell me (at least not on MDC) to stop BF'ing him after x amt of ounces b/c his tummy was too small. And I know that he was taking 5-6oz/feeding from the breast (he was a bit of a piglet).

And, does BM change to meet the needs in such a way that more milk isn't necessary? I really don't think thats true - since whenever my ds went through a growth spurt he would be latched all day to bring in more milk. I'd like to see source for that statement.

[neonalee]

So, update. I asked her to not feed more than 3 oz per hour. And then the daily page always said 2 oz next to each feeding. Which was strange since I supplied two 3 oz bottles to start the day with. I also noticed that the amounts she wrote down as having been eaten didn't add up to what was supplied/returned for the day Then today she tells me he was very hungry and ate all the milk I provided.

DP does bottle feed him sometimes. 3 oz seems to be the usual amount. Second most often is 2oz, and very occasionally a 4 oz, but almost never is that one finished. Last week he had DS for more than half the day while I was at work and he ate around 10 oz for the whole time I was away. I'm not really sure how often he wakes to eat. I'm so used to it now that I only wake fully if he's fussy.

This DCP isn't working out for other reasons anyway and we are changing at the start of next month. She's very nice, just not the right match for us. Thanks for all the discussion and opinions on this!

[Quinalla]

Glad you are going to find someone who is a better match. It can be challenging finding that right amount to feed a breastfed baby and then growth spurts will throw it off for a few days and all that, but this care provider just doesn't sound like she is getting it, if she can't even properly track how much he is eating. My daycare was very good about working with me to figure it out, I started off with 3oz bottles, moved up to 4oz and later up to 5oz bottles. Luckily, they have had lots of experience with bottle feeding breastmilk and were always careful not to overfeed all the babies, so I could really trust them when they told me they thought she wanted larger bottles spaced out more. And I know when they dip into the frozen stash I gave them it is because she really was extra hungry that day, not just because they weren't going to bother trying to soothe her with anything but a bottle.

I hope you can find a caregiver that you can really trust and work with on things like this. It makes it all so much better! Oh, and if he doesn't have one yet, you might encourage a lovey of some kind that he can take one of to daycare. That has been a very nice thing for my DD to have at her daycare, especially since she doesn't like pacifiers.