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Weaning

8 month dev check......porker or sturdy boy?

11 replies

dandycandyjellybean · 02/07/2006 16:44

My lovely ds thoroughly enjoys his grub, and as he isn't crawling yet (loves his feet though and wants to bounce all the time - I have bigger muscles than Geoff Capes) he is well rounded, but I honestly don't think he's fat. At his check last week the hv commented on the fact that his head circ / height are all on the 50th centile, but his weight is on the 75th... and that I should keep an eye on it. Didn't ask me what he ate though, just said 'I assume he has a healthy diet'!!! I guess it has played on my mind as my mum has had an issue with weight all her life which led to me having bulimia as a teenager and into my 20's (she is now having counselling at an eating disorders clinic at 64!!!) and I don't want him to start life with a 'chubby' problem. Didn't think it was a problem before seeing hv (avoid 'em to be honest and this is probably only 3rd or 4th time he's been weighed since birth!!!), and lots of people comment on how beautiful he is and how nice it is to see a bonny baby. He weighs 22lbs. Typically has:
Either shredded wheat or weetabix with mashed banana for brekkie.
Lunch is cheesy pasta bake or similar / veggie cottage pie with lots of veg for lunch and fruit for pudding.
Dinner, finger foods - wholemeal bread and butter, cheese, tomato chunks, cucumber sticks, sweetcorn, any veggies really, and a yoghurt for pudding. Normal baby size portions in a baby bowl.
20oz of milk a day although sometimes leaves a litte.
Should I cut down what he has?

OP posts:

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trinityrhino · 02/07/2006 16:47

NO,don't cut down what he has
my dd1 was on the 90th centile until she was about 10 months now she is just a normal 6 year old weight
it's just baby fat, he's fine, I'm surprised that your HV said to keep an eye on him actually

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TheBlonde · 02/07/2006 16:48

What centile was his weight on before?

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LeahE · 02/07/2006 16:49

No, don't cut down, and do try not to worry. He sounds fine to me.

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nicnack2 · 02/07/2006 16:55

ds1 was 22lbs at 8 months he is 3yo and is absoluatly fine. I wish HV wouldnt say these things.

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archiesmummy · 02/07/2006 17:01

hi cubby,
my ds is "chunky" at 6 mnths but not chubby and by the sounds of it so is yours. just healthy and happy. i also struggeled with bulimia for 14 years so understand your concerns. but dont listen to wot hv says, they dont always know wot they are on about do they?????

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edam · 02/07/2006 17:14

Ignore the daft mare - you aren't filling him full of fizzy pop and dolly mixtures, he's got a reasonable, healthy diet.

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chubbleigh · 02/07/2006 17:46

That all sounds fine to me. When babies start crawling and using more energy it all changes. My son used to chub up then grow a bit and chub up again. It all evens out in the end, you let them decide how much they want to eat as long as it is all good stuff.

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sparklemagic · 02/07/2006 19:03

sounds like he has a really good diet , do not worry at all and do let him eat as much as he wants to!

My DS has always been 'long and thin' but even he at 8 months was a bit of a porker! It definitely does change as they crawl and walk and use up more energy...

just enjoy him and steer well clear of the clinic!!!

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QueenPeaHead · 02/07/2006 19:16

imo babies are fattest and heaviest in the month just before they start to crawl, when they are piling in the grub and not quite working it off.
once he crawls he will thin down a bit.
tbh I think that as long as a baby has a healthy diet (as yours clearly has) they are automatically stay at the weight that suits them, by genetics and whatever. some are really skinny minnies and some are chubsters, but they eat what they need and no more no less at that age. the idea of putting a baby on a diet is horrible IMO, keep doing what you are doing, he will be fine!

ps my just 5 mth old is 18lbs, so you aren't the only one with a porker. my ds1 and ds2 were also pretty massive eaters and still are - but are now skinny little 5 and 2 year olds.

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Dragonhart · 02/07/2006 20:20

My ds was exactly the same (except he was taller but heavier) and he has pretty much the same diet as yours. He loves his food and always complains when it is over no matter how much he has had! He is bonny but not fat. I think that this fat is really inportant to have on as a youg child as if he got very poorly (ie tummy bug/virus) then he has stores to help him recover. Babies are not supposed to be skinny, as chubbleigh said they have so much growing to do that they need the extra callories. My ds has started to crawl and has just grown loads and he needed the fat to do it.

Def ignore the hv. Some of them are good and some are bad and I have found it hard to know when. Much more important that your ds is enjoying and exploring food and trying loads of different foods. Pat yourself on the back that he has such a good diet as my nephew is sooo picky about food and is stick thin. He looks poorly not healthy like my ds!(prob a bit biased on the last comment!! )

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dandycandyjellybean · 02/07/2006 20:50

Thanks all SOOOOO much for all the encouragement, saying everything I was thinking but needed reinforcing I guess. Will leave my lovely, chubby ds to enjoy his food and as my dh says, this is when he is podging up so that when he tumbles over when he is crawling/walking, he will bounce and not get hurt!!!! Like that logic. thanks again.