It is completely natural for newborn babies to breastfeed all the time. Even if they are full, babies will continually ask to be fed from time to time. Because of this, some mothers find it very difficult to know when to continue or stop breastfeeding.

However, this is a trait that all new mothers should develop, as overfeeding their babies can lead to a host of problems. So if you need help, here are some of the most common baby overfeeding symptoms to watch out for in your babies.

One of the most obvious symptoms of a baby’s overfeeding is an unusually frequent bowel movement. Babies one month or older usually have a bowel movement twice a day. Those who do it more often than this could be overfed. Some overweight babies may have six or more bowel movements a day. Other than that, green, watery, and explosive stools are also very common signs of overeating.

Naturally, an overfed baby tends to be overweight. Normally, babies can gain one pound of body weight per week. Gaining weight beyond this can be a possible sign of overeating. So keep this in mind every time you go for your routine medical checkup. Or better yet, make it a habit to check your baby’s weight at home as often as possible.

The mother’s milk supply can also be used as an indicator to tell if the baby is overfed or not. Mothers with too abundant a milk supply are very likely to overfeed their babies. These mothers often have a very strong letdown reflex and may expel milk in larger amounts than normal. This can cause the baby to choke and swallow air, which can eventually lead to stomach aches and colic. A good way to test for oversupply of milk is to express your milk with a breast pump. However, the type of breast pump used and the time of day the milk is taken can greatly affect the volume expressed.

Frequent crying and short temper are also common symptoms of overfeeding in the baby. An overfed baby is often cranky and will steadily gain weight in a very short period of time. They are also very irritable and may have trouble sleeping. Babies normally love to be breastfed by their mothers. However, overfeeding can be very unpleasant for babies. So be very aware of your baby’s attitude when she breastfeeds. If you continue to ignore these baby overfeeding symptoms, your baby may spend less and less time nursing and only do so when she is very hungry. Babies who reach this stage can become dangerously dehydrated and can lose weight drastically. As a result, mothers may be forced to wean their children at a very young age.

One of the best ways to prevent your baby from overfeeding is to simply reduce your milk supply. However, it is very important to do it very gradually. You can start nursing your baby with only one breast per feeding session.

Feeding the baby with only one breast per feeding session gives more final milk. Rear milk is the last milk that comes out of the mother’s breast, which has very high amounts of fat and calories. Reducing the amount of milk per feeding session also prevents bloating and colic. In this way, the milk passes through the baby’s digestive system at a regular rate and most of the nutrients are absorbed by the body.

If the method mentioned above doesn’t work, you can reduce the feeding amounts even further. No matter how often your baby asks to be fed, she should only feed him once every three hours. But first, make sure your baby has been diagnosed by a certified medical professional as being overweight and overfed before adapting to this type of routine.