I have a pretty hefty 9wk old and people are telling me to stop feeding him on demand. If he is awake, he wants to eat every hour. This has been happening since a month old or so. He's 15lbs now, so I don't think it would hurt him. I have been trying to calm him down when he wants food and making him wait a little, but is it a bit harsh to not feed him when he wants it? Some say that feeding him everytime he wants it lets him know all he has to do is cry and he'll get food. I don't want a fat kid, but I am not worried about his weight at the moment. He's cute and soft. lol

What does your pediatrician think? I am curious about this subject too. My DS is only three weeks but he will eat and eat until he vomits sometimes. (We're not talking spit up here) I can't just cut him off when I think he's had too much!!

what we were told and what we did and it worked out great is to when he was hungry, try and hold him off, even for 10-15 minutes each time, and try to get just a little more into him each time. Before you knew it, we were doing 4 oz every 3 hours, now we are up to 6 oz every 3-4 hours, night time he takes 6 oz at about 9pm, sleeps til 2-3am, another 6 oz, sleep til about 7am. this is what our doctor told us to do and within a few days, we had him eating more at each feeding, but going longer in between.

now you said your ds eats every hour when awake, but you are not saying how much each hour he eats, if it is only 2 oz, then that is normal, if he is eating say 4 oz or so, that is alot, every baby is different and you have to go with your instinct, or what doctors tells you, I still feed my son when he wants to be fed, its kinda something you will always do lol, good luck

I breastfeed, so I don't know how much he eats each time. I know if I pump, he can take 6oz easily, but he sleeps longer. If I am breastfeeding him, I can't tell how much he is getting so I can't make him eat more. I try to keep him eating as long as I can when he wants to eat, but I still have no clue how much he gets.

I breastfed my ds til he was 4 1/2 months, and I miss it terribly, so my only suggestion would still be to try and hold him off a little at a time, and then feed him, if he normally eats for 10 minutes, then I would try to get 15 minutes out of him, with a burp in between, or to ask your doc and see what he thinks, good luck

No you shouldn't. Regardless of what people say you cannot overfeed a breastfed baby. Keep up the good work and let him nurse when he wants! Ignore the comments.

Regardless of what people say you cannot overfeed a breastfed baby.

I breastfeed my DS and he vomits when he overeats! Or at least that's what my pediatrician said...

I'd say unless the doctor mentions his weight you should probably keep going the way you are. We did what other's mentioned and tried to hold DS off a little at a time, feeding was the last resort. There's more factors to weight and they're all different. DS is actually pretty light, he's only 14 lbs at 4 months but he's also very short. He has two short parents so it looks like the poor kid is doomed on that count. He's barely on the height graph. They told us it's not really the weight that matters, it's that they are proportionate. It wouldn't be healthy for DS to be at the bottom of the height percentile but the top of the weight one. I'm sure alot is going to melt right off when they get big enough to run around. I don't think you can spoil a baby that young with food.

I BF my son on demand and he wanted to nurse every hour for a long time. He eventually tapered off on his own. I just read an article about BFing and weight. They are finding that BF babies end up having less weight issues as adults. One school of thought is that it's becasue they learn to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. Thus a lifetime of only eating when hungry and stopping when full.

I agree with mom22 great kids. He will go longer when he is ready. My son ate like that for a few months, but eventually went longer.

Oh, and I should say that his weight and height are in the 91st percentile. He is not growing out of proportion as someone mentioned earlier.

My doctor said that up to a year, they can eat as much as they want, without worrying too much about it. Just be thankful you have a healthy baby who loves to eat!

My son ate constantly for the first few months as well. I am a firm believer in feeding on demand. It will taper off, trust me. DS was 16 pounds at 10 weeks, so sounds like they are pretty close. He is now (at 6 months) slightly off the charts with height and weight, but he is proportional, that's what counts. He is not fat at all. Some babies are just destined to be big and they need to eat more.

My DS has been above 97th percentile, so he is also pretty big. I agree w/ what last couple of people mentioned. Your son is not fat, he is just big (tall/long). A breastfed baby cannot overeat, so if he eats he obviously needs it. Just make sure that you always offer both breasts and when it looks like he is finished, burp him and offer more. I find w/ my son that he will eat for 5min and stop, but if I burp him and offer second breast he will often eat more and not be hungary so quickly.

Eating often also makes your breasts produce more milk as he continues to grow.

Please don't stop nursing on demand. I nursed both my daughters on demand and despite the fact that they were chubby little babies (and sooo cute) they are now slim adults with no food issues.

My personal feeling is that babies nurse not only for nutrition, but also to get their emotional bonding needs met. I can't imagine denying a baby nursing because he's getting a little chubby.

I don't deny him food. I have been waiting 10 minutes or so when he wants to eat. Of course, I don't do this when he's starving. If I fed him an hour ago or less and he wants to eat, I give him a bit of time. I keep him occupied with other things then I feed him. Its a pain in the kisser feeding every hour. Its always around dinner time too, so going to friends' houses for dinner is a waist of time.