There are so many challenges that first-time parents face. They get overwhelmed with the responsibility of newborn care. While everyone knows that feeding a baby at regular intervals is essential, what some people don’t know is that overfeeding a child can cause health issues. Excess of anything is bad and feeding a baby more than they need is also bad. This possibly arises because parents fail to understand the demand of child and they mistake any other issue for hunger. It is a generalized notion that a crying baby is hungry whereas, he might be having gas or pain. In this article, we explain about signs of overfeeding that parents should know.
Signs of Overfeeding A Baby
Here are some signals to notice in your child that he/she is being overfed:
- Increased weight- If your baby seems to be gaining weight unusually, it is a sign of overconsumption of milk.
- Excessive urination- if the child is urinating more than usual
- If the baby is having frequent bowel movements in short intervals, then you may be feeding him too much milk
- If the baby is no longer drinking milk even when you try to feed him, it indicates that he is full
- Crying while drinking milk is also a sign of overfeeding
- Baby is expelling milk from the mouth while drinking milk
- Unwilling to be fed is also a sign that he has consumed more milk and is full already
Why you should not overfeed the baby?
First-time parents don’t understand the above-mentioned signs of overfeeding. In order to not keep the child hungry, they keep on feeding the child more than what is needed. This does no good but cause side-effects in the long run. Here are some disadvantages of overfeeding babies:
- Bottle-fed babies sometimes swallow too much air. This can cause flatulence in them.
- Overconsumption of milk can cause gas or abdominal pain babies.
- Due to excessive intake of milk, the baby may need to have frequent bowel movements. This would eventually make him feel weak.
- Overfeeding can cause abrupt weight gain in babies which can cause several health problems.
Tips for Parents
Here are some tips for parents to prevent overfeeding babies:
- Fix time for feeding. It is best to set a timer every 2-3 hours or as suggested by pediatrician to feed babies. Along with that, fix the amount of milk to be given.
- If your baby is not drinking or rejecting feed, don’t feed him then.
- Do not force feed the baby. If he/she is not drinking enough milk, consult a pediatrician instead. There could be some problem.
- Do not use a large-sized bottle for feeding. Use a small or midsize bottle instead to prevent overfeeding.
Overfeeding is a problem that most parents ignore. It is important to understand the need of your child and then feed. Every child has different needs.