Overfeeding Your Baby
Overfeeding Your Baby
Updated September 16, 2015.
Many parents worry that their babies aren't getting enough to eat and wonder if they are growing well.
They may be especially concerned if they are at the lower end of the growth charts.
Occasionally, parents of a big baby will worry that they are feeding their baby too much and wonder if they need to put their baby on a diet.
Is it possible to overfeed a baby at this age?
Sure, it is possible, but not common unless you are really going out of your way to try and overfeed your baby.
This would include giving your baby extra calories, especially juice, or putting a lot of cereal in his bottles.
If you are solely breastfeeding or giving your baby an iron-fortified infant formula, then it is unlikely that you will overfeed your baby. Most babies will stop eating or will spit up once they have had enough to eat.
If your baby is drinking much more or less than that amount of formula at this age -- about 32 to 40 ounces a day -- then you may be overfeeding him.
Growth Spurts
Updated September 16, 2015.
If you view your baby's growth chart and see her growth curve, it may seem like she is growing in a smooth and predictable way. While it may seem like she is gaining a half ounce per day, more typically, she may go several days without gaining any weight at all. But then she may gain several ounces at once. This averages out to the usual weight gain of about one and a half to two pounds per month for a three-month-old baby.
These are the baby's that have the classic growth spurts that actually affects their eating and sleeping habits. A breastfed baby going through a growth spurt, for example, may go from three hour feedings to wanting to nurse every two hours. If you keep up with this extra demand by breastfeeding your baby more often, you will likely quickly build up your breast milk supply so that your baby gets more milk at each feeding. She should then go back to her usual nursing schedule after a few days.
If your formula-fed baby is going through a growth spurt, you should usually offer more formula at each feeding. So if he was drinking five ounces of formula every three hours and began getting hungry after two hours, then you might try giving six ounces at each feeding.
Week Eleven Q&A - Car Seat Position
Updated September 16, 2015.
There are actually no specific recommendations about where to put your baby's car seat, besides the general advice that you should put your baby's rear facing car seat in the back seat.
Many people choose the middle seat because they figure that it is the furthest spot if the car gets hit from the side. It can be inconvenient to get an infant carrier type car seat out of that position versus a window seat though, especially if you have more than one car seat in the car at the same time.
Also, infant car seats don't always fit well in the middle position.
When choosing a window seat, some go with the driver's side rear window for convenience. Some experts think that the passenger side is a little less likely to be hit in a crash though, so may be safer.
The presence of side air bags may also influence your choice of positioning your baby's car seat, since the American Academy of Pediatrics states that "children who are seated near a side air bag may be at risk for serious injury."
More important than where you put your child's car seat in the back seat, to keep her safe, it is likely much more important that you have the car seat correctly installed and that you are using the car seat correctly.
Visiting a Child Passenger Safety Inspection Station can help ensure you have your baby's car seat correctly installed in a safe spot in your car.
Sources:
2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey: Child Car Seat Report.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2007.
Week Eleven Care Tip - Diaper Rash Creams
Updated September 16, 2015.
Making the decision of which diaper rash cream or ointment to use can be confusing.
These ingredients, which may be present alone or in combination with each other, can include:
Many diaper rash creams and ointments also include a number of inactive ingredients, such as aloe vera, vitamin E, and shea butter, that are supposed to help them work better. Boudreaux's Butt Paste, for example, contains petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin wax, peruvian balsam, in addition to zinc oxide. Triple Paste medicated ointment, also contains zinc oxide, plus corn starch, lanolin, beeswax, and glycerine.
If the diaper rash cream you are using isn't working, then consider switching to another with a different ingredient or higher concentrations of the same ingredient. You might also call your pediatrician to make sure your baby's lingering diaper rash hasn't turned into a yeast diaper rash.
Updated September 16, 2015.
Parents are often used to the fact that their babies are going to have less than perfect skin by now, what with baby acne, diaper rashes, cradle cap, etc.
They aren't always prepared for the first time that their baby gets a heat rash though, as they often confuse heat rashes with an allergy, infection, or other baby skin rashes.
The inflamed sweat ducts look like small bumps with a red halo around them and can usually be found grouped together under a baby's clothing and inside the folds of her skin.
Affected areas typically include a baby's neck, armpits, and groin. Babies who wear a hat may also get a heat rash on their forehead and scalp.
Updated September 16, 2015.
Having a baby can be one of the happiest events in a woman's life. While days and nights with a new baby can be thrilling and rewarding, it can also have it's hard and stressful moments.
These changes can leave new mothers feeling sad, anxious, afraid, or confused. For many women, these feelings (called the baby blues) go away within a few days or weeks. But when these feelings do not go away or get worse, a woman may have postpartum depression.
This is a serious condition that requires quick treatment from a healthcare provider.
Unfortunately, many people don't think about postpartum depression when the symptoms begin later, such as when a baby is three or four months old. It is important to keep in mind that postpartum depression can begin anytime within the first year after a baby is born though.
And because some new mothers don't recognize when they have symptoms of postpartum depression, it is important for everyone around her to be watchful for those symptoms. This includes her husband or partner, other family members and friends, and her pediatrician.
Updated September 16, 2015.
Many parents worry that their babies aren't getting enough to eat and wonder if they are growing well.
They may be especially concerned if they are at the lower end of the growth charts.
Occasionally, parents of a big baby will worry that they are feeding their baby too much and wonder if they need to put their baby on a diet.
Is it possible to overfeed a baby at this age?
Sure, it is possible, but not common unless you are really going out of your way to try and overfeed your baby.
This would include giving your baby extra calories, especially juice, or putting a lot of cereal in his bottles.
If you are solely breastfeeding or giving your baby an iron-fortified infant formula, then it is unlikely that you will overfeed your baby. Most babies will stop eating or will spit up once they have had enough to eat.
Amount of Formula Feedings
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in the book Your Baby's First Year, states that "Most babies are satisfied with 3 to 4 ounces per feeding during the first month, and increase that amount by 1 ounce per month until reaching 8 ounces." Although not an absolute rule, as a general guideline, that would mean that a baby would be drinking about 4 to 5 ounces per feeding during his second month. By three months, he might be drinking about 5 to 6 ounces at a time.If your baby is drinking much more or less than that amount of formula at this age -- about 32 to 40 ounces a day -- then you may be overfeeding him.
Growth Spurts
Updated September 16, 2015.
If you view your baby's growth chart and see her growth curve, it may seem like she is growing in a smooth and predictable way. While it may seem like she is gaining a half ounce per day, more typically, she may go several days without gaining any weight at all. But then she may gain several ounces at once. This averages out to the usual weight gain of about one and a half to two pounds per month for a three-month-old baby.
Growth Spurts
Some babies seem to grow in more obvious growth spurts, in which they don't gain any weight for a week or two and then gain a lot of weight over a few days.These are the baby's that have the classic growth spurts that actually affects their eating and sleeping habits. A breastfed baby going through a growth spurt, for example, may go from three hour feedings to wanting to nurse every two hours. If you keep up with this extra demand by breastfeeding your baby more often, you will likely quickly build up your breast milk supply so that your baby gets more milk at each feeding. She should then go back to her usual nursing schedule after a few days.
If your formula-fed baby is going through a growth spurt, you should usually offer more formula at each feeding. So if he was drinking five ounces of formula every three hours and began getting hungry after two hours, then you might try giving six ounces at each feeding.
Week Eleven Q&A - Car Seat Position
Updated September 16, 2015.
Q. Where is the safest place in the car for my baby to ride?
According to a National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration survey, 42% of parents put their child's car seat behind the front passenger seat, 29% in the middle, and 29% behind the driver. So which is the best place for your baby's car seat?There are actually no specific recommendations about where to put your baby's car seat, besides the general advice that you should put your baby's rear facing car seat in the back seat.
Many people choose the middle seat because they figure that it is the furthest spot if the car gets hit from the side. It can be inconvenient to get an infant carrier type car seat out of that position versus a window seat though, especially if you have more than one car seat in the car at the same time.
Also, infant car seats don't always fit well in the middle position.
When choosing a window seat, some go with the driver's side rear window for convenience. Some experts think that the passenger side is a little less likely to be hit in a crash though, so may be safer.
The presence of side air bags may also influence your choice of positioning your baby's car seat, since the American Academy of Pediatrics states that "children who are seated near a side air bag may be at risk for serious injury."
More important than where you put your child's car seat in the back seat, to keep her safe, it is likely much more important that you have the car seat correctly installed and that you are using the car seat correctly.
Visiting a Child Passenger Safety Inspection Station can help ensure you have your baby's car seat correctly installed in a safe spot in your car.
Sources:
2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey: Child Car Seat Report.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2007.
Week Eleven Care Tip - Diaper Rash Creams
Updated September 16, 2015.
Making the decision of which diaper rash cream or ointment to use can be confusing.
Diaper Rash Creams and Ointments
It can make it much easier if you understand that even with all of the different diaper rash treatments on store shelves, they actually only include a few different active ingredients.These ingredients, which may be present alone or in combination with each other, can include:
- Petrolatum
- Zinc Oxide
- Lanolin
Diaper Rash Cream Differences
In addition to having different ingredients, various diaper rash creams and ointments also may have the same ingredients in different concentrations. For example, Desitin Original Diaper Rash Ointment has 40% Zinc Oxide, whereas most other diaper rash creams, including Desitin Creamy, only have 10% Zinc Oxide.Many diaper rash creams and ointments also include a number of inactive ingredients, such as aloe vera, vitamin E, and shea butter, that are supposed to help them work better. Boudreaux's Butt Paste, for example, contains petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin wax, peruvian balsam, in addition to zinc oxide. Triple Paste medicated ointment, also contains zinc oxide, plus corn starch, lanolin, beeswax, and glycerine.
Choosing a Diaper Rash Cream
Understanding what is in each diaper rash cream won't necessarily help you in choosing a diaper rash cream for your baby. That is because there are no head-to-head studies showing that any one diaper rash cream is better than another. Therefore, you can likely just pick one that you like and that seems to work for you and your baby.If the diaper rash cream you are using isn't working, then consider switching to another with a different ingredient or higher concentrations of the same ingredient. You might also call your pediatrician to make sure your baby's lingering diaper rash hasn't turned into a yeast diaper rash.
Updated September 16, 2015.
Parents are often used to the fact that their babies are going to have less than perfect skin by now, what with baby acne, diaper rashes, cradle cap, etc.
They aren't always prepared for the first time that their baby gets a heat rash though, as they often confuse heat rashes with an allergy, infection, or other baby skin rashes.
Heat Rash Symptoms
With a typical heat rash, a baby's sweat ducts become red and inflamed, and may cause a "prickling" or stinging sensation, which may lead to mild itching.The inflamed sweat ducts look like small bumps with a red halo around them and can usually be found grouped together under a baby's clothing and inside the folds of her skin.
Affected areas typically include a baby's neck, armpits, and groin. Babies who wear a hat may also get a heat rash on their forehead and scalp.
Preventing Heat Rash
Most methods of preventing heat rash have the goal of not allowing your baby to get overheated and include:- dressing your baby in weather appropriate, loose fitting clothing, so that she doesn't get overheated.
- avoiding excessive heat and humidity when possible.
- avoiding thick occlusive ointments, including moisturizers, or oil based products on a baby's skin, which can block the sweat ducts.
Heat Rash Treatments
Although heat rash usually goes away on its own in a few days, some children do require treatment, which can include:- removing the child from the triggering environment, such as dressing in less clothing, moving inside to a cooler, air-conditioned environment
- mild strength topical steroids, although these usually aren't needed
- calamine lotion
- compresses with cool water
- antibiotics for secondary infections
Updated September 16, 2015.
Having a baby can be one of the happiest events in a woman's life. While days and nights with a new baby can be thrilling and rewarding, it can also have it's hard and stressful moments.
These changes can leave new mothers feeling sad, anxious, afraid, or confused. For many women, these feelings (called the baby blues) go away within a few days or weeks. But when these feelings do not go away or get worse, a woman may have postpartum depression.
This is a serious condition that requires quick treatment from a healthcare provider.
Unfortunately, many people don't think about postpartum depression when the symptoms begin later, such as when a baby is three or four months old. It is important to keep in mind that postpartum depression can begin anytime within the first year after a baby is born though.
And because some new mothers don't recognize when they have symptoms of postpartum depression, it is important for everyone around her to be watchful for those symptoms. This includes her husband or partner, other family members and friends, and her pediatrician.
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
Remember that according to The National Women's Health Information Center, symptoms of postpartum depression can include:- Feeling irritable or restless
- Feeling hopeless, sad, and overwhelmed
- Crying a lot
- Having no motivation or energy
- Eating too much or too little
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Having trouble making decisions, focusing, or remembering things
- Feeling guilty and worthless
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Having chronic symptoms, such as headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations, etc.
- Feeling afraid that you will your baby or yourself and not having any interest in your baby