2 Month Old Eating a Lot & Very Fussy

While it could be a growth spurt that sounds like an awful lot of formula. Take that with a grain of salt since I only nursed mine but it sounds like a lot. Make sure you are only using a slow flow nipple. I'm thinking at his age it should be somewhere around 3 oz max per feeding but hopefully some formula moms can offer up better info on that.

also, why would you think you couldn't keep up with him? Because he was nursing often maybe? That's what breastfed babies do. Especially in the first 6 weeks. It gets your supply built and regulated to what baby needs. If you want to continue to offer him breastmilk. Nursing every 1.5-3 hours is well within normal range. And you start timing once you *start* the nursing session not once you finish. It can seem as though some babies want to nurse all the time in the beginning and to someone who may not know they automatically think baby isn't getting enough. I highly recommend putting baby to breast when you are with him-morning before work, once you get home, anytime he needs to nurse at night and on the weekends. That way you'll keep a supply going for this next year since baby is best at getting and stimulating breast milk production. Congratulations on the baby!

Just always, nurse on-demand.
Babies also do what is called "cluster feeding" in which they even need to nurse every single hour. It is normal. They are growing so much....

My son had a GINORMOUS appetite.... I nursed, seemingly always and constant. He grew like a weed and is very healthy. I nursed him from both breasts each session and he drank me dry.
I nursed my kids on-demand, 24/7, day and night.
They are newborn... they need to.

Eating every 3 hours... is typical. BUT... it will OFTEN need to be more frequently than that... always feed on-demand... NEVER by a schedule... because, otherwise, baby will not be getting what they need and per their growth-spurts and needs for cluster-feeding, which you cannot predict.
Appetites... are never static.... and everyday, you need to go by your baby's hunger cues....

To me, him eating 5 oz. every 3 hours, is not much.
My kids, 'ate' more than that and more often.

Stop giving bottles and let him build up your milk supply - which is why he's eating a lot and so often. GROWTH SPURT = Cluster feeding.

You are sabotaging your own milk supply... the constant suckling, feeding and rooting is priming your body to make what your son needs, but you aren't letting that happen.

I hope you are pumping, pumping, pumping and stockpiling your breastmilk!! In about 2 months your ability to pump will diminish to almost nothing! Also, never think what you can pump is what baby is getting. The pump at best, can only get close to 1/4 of what is actually there. The baby's suckling is like a tornado vs the machine's being just a vacuum.

Even when you return to work - - you can breastfeed whenever home (which will calm and help baby) and give expressed milk to caregiver, with the option to supplement with formula is the breastmilk given for the day isn't enough.

Could just be a growth spurt. They usually have one at about 6 weeks, but he just might be sooner. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just make sure he's burped well and not retaining gas.

I would talk to your pediatrician and see what they say. I can't remember what the normal child ate at 2 months, but it does seem to be a lot.

I know my daughter used to eat and eat until she got sick and/or fussy. He might be eating too much or he just might be gassy or many other reasons why he is fussy.

Your pediatrician should give you a good idea of what to do.

I wouldn't cut back on feeding him. That seems cruel. Call his doctor and have a reflux study done. There is a chance he may have "silent reflux" where when his stomach is full the contents splash up and burn his esophagus. You wouldn't even know unless a study is done at one of the local hospitals. Check with his doctor. Also you may consider switching to a bottle like the playtex drop ins.. they seem really old school but you can squeeze the extra air out of the bag and it is more like a breastfeeding experience (all milk/no air).
Hope this helps.

Hi! If this is your first baby, I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in too. I know SO MANY moms who have quit breastfeeding or started to supplement because they think they aren't making enough milk. I do not know any moms who have continued to breastfeed after starting the breastmilk/formula combo (but I saw an article in Parenting magazine about that in the last six months or so, so it seems like some succeed).

With my first, I felt like I was nursing constantly. He ate every 2-3 hours, usually for 40 minutes. Sometimes he ate more. That is normal. Don't feel like a baby who wants to nurse all of the time isn't getting enough to eat -- they are just doing what babies do (and establishing milk supply, etc). Btw, also felt like I was nursing constantly with the second -- I was just more prepared!

I don't want to lecture, and I hope this doesn't come off that way. I just feel like there is not a lot of general support out there for moms who are breastfeeding -- you have to go to certain places to get the info that real nursing moms know. You might find that your baby is less fussy when he is just nursing on demand, which may mean that he eats for 20 mins, sleeps for 20 mins, and then wants to eat again.

Also, it is good to know that this phase passes, he probably is just having a growth spurt; and, depending on how long you've been doing formula, the change might be what's causing the fussing.

Good luck! I had a really hard time nursing my first, and I continued worrying about how much/what he ate after I went back to work!! Who knew feeding a ten pound baby could be that hard!