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Mar 3, 2009

This One Goes to Eleven

I was dressing Colin for bed last night and it occurred to me that he looked a little thin. I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy, but he just seemed like he didn’t have the snuggly belly that he usually does and I didn’t remember ever being able to see his ribs before. I mean, you can’t see them when he’s just laying there on the bed, but he stretched out and arched his back and there they were. I was a little alarmed.

“Maybe we’re not feeding him enough. Maybe that’s why he was fussy today at day care.”

Patrick looked up from whatever he was doing and glanced over at Colin.

“Maybe.” He didn’t seem convinced or even concerned, so I went back to attacking the Colin’s feet with tickles.

Later, before Colin went to bed, we were sitting in the glider, having a bottle and taking about the day. Patrick had made him the usual 8 ounces, which seems like a lot of food. How big can the little guy’s stomach actually be, right? Colin chugged down the 8 ounces and SCREAMED for more. I called down to Patrick, who, incredulously, made 3 more ounces.

“Seriously? He’s still hungry?” Patrick handed me the bottle. As soon as it was in sight, Colin threw himself onto it with his mouth open. This took me by surprise and, well, Colin might have landed face first on my lap, bottle in hand and squirming around to get that bottle to his face.

“I guess so.”

That kid ate 11 ounces last night before bed. Oops. I guess he was hungry.

He’s eating rice cereal now almost every night (poor guy) and he still eats anywhere from 4 to 6 bottles a day at about 8 ounces each. How in the world are you supposed to know when to up his dose (so to speak)? Ideally, I wouldn’t wait until I can see his ribs to think that, huh, maybe he needs more to eat.

Help me out, Dear Readers!

4 Readers rock!:

amaurosis said...

So this is not evidence-based, but my grandma says that you're supposed to stay one ounce ahead of them on feedings, unless they're super reflux-y. In other words, increase the amount in each feeding until he's leaving about an ounce. Hope that helps!

amaurosis said...
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amaurosis said...
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Desire to show gratitude said...

If you were nursing him, you'd keep feeding him until he stopped, not even knowing how much he was getting. I'd do the same with bottlefeeding--if he finishes the bottle, make him a few more ounces. A full tummy=sleeping baby!