You cannot overfeed a breastfed baby, and your baby will not become spoiled or demanding if you feed them whenever they're hungry or need comfort.
Sometimes your baby will seem to be hungry all the time because he's having a growth spurt (that's when he's growing more quickly so he needs to feed more often). The more milk your baby takes from the breasts, the more milk your breasts will make.
Like tiny teenagers, this is when they might be even more ravenous and want to feed more. This kind of feeding is called cluster feeding, and it's completely normal. True cluster feeding happens mostly in breastfed babies and helps signal mom's body to increase milk production.
After 3–4 days of making colostrum, your breasts will start to feel firmer. This is a sign that your milk supply is increasing and changing from colostrum to mature milk. Your milk may become whiter and creamier, but this varies between women. If your milk takes longer to come in, don't worry.
It's easy to overeat if you don't pay attention to how much you eat or how full you feel. Indeed, this common habit may lead to bloating, gas, nausea, excess body fat, and a higher risk of several illnesses.
The World Health Organization advises that infants feed exclusively on their mother's milk from birth until 6 months of age. Infants overfeeding on breast milk, to the extent that their digestive system cannot function effectively leading to discomfort and vomiting or burping up the milk, is called over breastfeeding.
Some babies may want to nurse every 30 minutes to an hour in the evenings. This is normal, and it does not mean your baby isn't getting enough milk.
An overfed baby could display slow or poor growth as a result of extreme milk regurgitation or vomiting. When an overfed baby throws up, the amount won't necessarily be limited to the excess. Once reflux or vomiting mechanisms are triggered, he could all but empty his stomach.
Duration. During the newborn period, most breastfeeding sessions take 20 to 45 minutes. However, because newborn babies are often sleepy, this length of time may require patience and persistence. Feed on the first side until your baby stops suckling, hands are no longer fisted, and your baby appears sleepy and relaxed.
For breastfed babies, gas might be caused by eating too fast, swallowing too much air or digesting certain foods. Babies have immature GI systems and can frequently experience gas because of this. Pains from gas can make your baby fussy, but intestinal gas is not harmful.
Babies' spit-up becomes curdled when milk from breastfeeding or formula mixes with the acidic stomach fluid. Time also plays a role here. Immediate spit-up after feeding will probably look like regular milk. If your little one spits up after some time as passed, it's more likely to look curdled milk.
Babies are actually very good at self-regulating their intake, meaning they eat when they're hungry and stop when they are full.
Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
Opt for protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils and seafood low in mercury. Choose a variety of whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of foods while breastfeeding will change the flavor of your breast milk.
“Almost all babies will find some baby gas relief by sucking on a pacifier,” O'Connor says, because the sucking action releases endorphins that will soothe them.
Garlic and onions - avoid veggies including garlic, onions, cabbage, turnips, broccoli, and beans as they are commonly associated with affecting a mother's breastmilk and can increase colic in a baby's tummy. Curries can be a problem too, if you didn't have them regularly while pregnant.
If your baby shows negative symptoms after drinking breast milk. Consider how your baby responds to breast milk after drinking it. If symptoms occur such as fussiness, irritability, crying, gas, increased spitting up and/or drawing their legs up due to tummy pain, write down everything you ate that day.
Be careful not to feed your baby every time she cries. Some babies cry because of a bloated stomach from overfeeding. Let your baby decide when she's had enough milk. (For example, she turns her head away.)
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years of age or longer.