Breastfeeding/overfeeding

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Expert: - 6/9/2006


Question
i have a 4 month old and she was 9lbs 1ounce when she was born. she is currently 18wks and 13lbs 3ounces. i feed her on demand and she has acid reflux and takes zantac. she went from eating every 2hrs to every 4 hrs and now back to every 2hrs maybe 1hr and a half. if we are out and about she can go 3-4 and a half hrs. immediatly after eating she throws up alot and it is undigested. She recently started rice cereal but still wants to breastfeed afterwards.I want to try and stop her from what i think is overeating and maybe get her to eat every three hrs but i don't want to starve her is there any way to get her on a different feeding schedual and make sure she's eating enough?

Answer
Dear Vanessa,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

Since I am not a physician, I can't comment on your baby's problems with acid reflux, throwing up after eating, and taking Zantac. I assume that you keep your pediatrician informed of all developments like this and that she/he is monitoring your daughter's health.

As far as her feeding schedule, you're right -- she probably does not need to eat every two hours at this age, and whatever you can do to distract her to get her onto a 3-4 hour feeding schedule sounds appropriate. This could involve bringing her into a room with you and talking or singing to her, putting her in a swing seat (which most babies love), taking her for a carriage ride outside (good exercise for you, too!), etc. I have some other suggestions in my book (see below).

She is a good big baby, but then she was a good-sized baby at birth, and I don't know her length, so don't know whether her weight is inappropriate. In general, you can't overfeed a breastfed baby, so unless she is eating huge amounts of cereal, she is probably okay. Again, I would consult your pediatrician about this.

Good luck!

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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