Can a mama overfeed her babies?

[TinysMom]

Pow Wow is an awesome mama - but I caught hernursing her babies twice today....and that was after nursing themduring the middle of the night.

I think she knocks over her nestbox or something and they come crawlingout and looking around and she nurses them again. All I know is afterfeeding them during the night - she fed them again around noon today.

Then I was feeding later (suppertime) and heard some cooing sortof. She was chattering to her babies and calling them over toher - the nestbox was knocked over AGAIN and it had been in a corner soshe had to do it....

I'm just wondering if she nurses them so much 'cause she's bored...

(Sundae isn't doing as well and I'm thinking about adding one or two ofher babies to Pow Wow since Pow Wow is already fostering three from thelitter. They were born last Wednesday night orThursday....would she be able to handle more babies if they were added?I thought I might add one from Sundae's five (she lost one of herbabies). Sundae originally had nine babies....

Peg

 

[aurora369]

The foster mom that I have right now would feedher babies 4-5 times a day. Two where peanuts, but one livedto about three weeks old, and now it's just a singleton baby.

Tony is doing just fine at 5 weeks old now.

I've also see a very experienced momma with a singleton baby, and shewas just engorged with milk and the baby was so fat he wasround! But the baby grew up just fine.

I think there is only a danger of over feeding when you are handfeeding because the KMR is harder to digest, but momma's milk should befine.

I think putting more babies in now would be okay. Mom's milkwill respond to the demand, and if she's feeding frequently then sheshould increase her demand quite quickly.

--Dawn

 

[pamnock]

Overfeeding can result in health problems suchas carb overload leading to enterotoxemia and may also be acontributing factor to splay legs.

Bacterial infections are more likely due to the increased "output" of urine and feces in the nestbox.

Pam