Do you think it's easier to over feed / create an obese baby when you use a bottle to feed them?

One of my students has a five-month-old baby. My student is a BIG BIG guy, and getting bigger every day. His wife is big. Their baby is of average length, but has more weight than average for that age. He was telling us how his daughter throws up a BUNCH after every feeding. My first thought was, “Maybe you’re feeding her more than she wants or needs….?” Which got me to thinking…

When you feed a baby from a bottle, invariably the parent notes exactly how many ounces the baby ate at that feeding. When you breast feed, you have no clue as to how much they ate. When you have the option of comparing ounces, though, it’s possible to run into “She only ate three ounces this time, when she usually has five! That can’t be good!” and try to get them to take two more ounces.

Some also have this mentality that one should clean one’s plate for whatever reason. One may be that formula is expensive and it would be ‘wasteful’ to throw any out. Or one may just feel that it’s important to eat all of one’s food.

Also, it’s much easier to use a bottle / food as a comforter. Baby cries, stick a bottle in his or her mouth. Can’t really do that as conveniently with a breast.

This is not an issue of formula vs breast milk. You can pump breast milk and convey it to the baby with a bottle and run into the same kinds of problems, I think.

What are your thoughts on this?