AIBU to think my DS will just be at the higher end of the normal weight range?

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

DS is 4 in June. He was born on the 2nd centile for weight. He was EBF for a full year. In the first 4 months he went to the 75th centile. At 6 months we tried BLW. It failed. We tried til 8 months when he eventually reluctantly took puree from a spoon.
He never put toys in his mouth. He would never put food in his mouth. BLW just didn't work here.
He was 14 months old when he picked up food for the first time, and put it in his mouth.
From that day on, he ate well. He eats most things, not fussy, will try everything offered.

For all his life I have regularly weighed and measured him. Probably every 4 months or so. He has consistently been around the 50th centile for weight. His height has been bobbing between the 9th and 25th. This when put in the childrens BMI calculators would put him 84th-92nd centile each time it was calculated. So generally, he can fluctuate from healthy weight to overweight.

I've been careful with him over the years. I've made different changes. Nothing makes any difference to it. He just bobs along where he is.

My older 2 children are the opposite, tall and slim. His 6 year old brother is on the 50th centile for weight, but 75th for height. He has a BMI on the 15th centile. My 16 year old was always above the 99.6th for height, and around the 91st for weight. I just plotted his last measurement and he has dropped to 50th for weight and 91st for height. He has a BMI on the 15th centile.

So 2 kids who are slim. 1 who is not. Provided with the same excercise opportunities and food.

Would you just assume that is his build, and how he is meant to be?

Because I know these things are usually asked when you talk about children's weight... typical breakfast for him is 2 slices of wholemeal toast with peanut butter, OR 2 weetabix with semi skimmed milk, OR 25g porridge made with semi skimmed milk. Sometimes he will have a fruit snack mid morning. Lunch will be homemade soup (I follow SW so it will be a low fat kind of soup) OR 1 pitta bread, carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus, OR a cream cheese/tuna wholemeal sandwich and salad (if he hasn't had toast for breakfast). He sometimes has an afternoon snack, rice cakes, cheese cubes, soreen, nuts, or something similar. Dinner will be a family meal eg. Spag bol (made with quorn), baked potato with beans cheese and salad, homemade lentil cottage pie and veggies. Basically all our evening meals are slimming world friendly. We eat a mix of meat and veggie (as I prefer a veggie diet). Yogurt or fruit is for dessert.

Portion sizes seem okay, I've compared with other kids of a similar age. We serve on Ikea plates and bowls for size reference. He doesn't always snack, he doesn't always finish a full meal. Theres no pressure to clear plates or anything like that. Chocolate is always treat sized if he gets it (rare). He has never had a full bag of crisps. Sweets on birthdays or parties. Biscuits aren't an every day thing.

I've never made weight an issue except mine to address. I'm now leaning to the side of this is what he is meant to be. He has a good diet (for a 3 year old!) He isn't given cake, sweets, crisps and biscuits as a daily thing. He drinks water (although he is at school 3 days a week where they serve juice with lunch) and has a small cup of milk if he doesn't have it with breakfast.

WWYD?

[Laquila]

Honestly? I know it’s easy for me to say, but I wouldn’t give t a second thought. You are clearly very conscious of what he eats and it sounds as though he gets a balanced diet. Common sense tells us that people are different sizes, and that’s that. I guess as he gets older, he may need to do more exercise than your other two in order to maintain a healthy weight, but it’s all relative.

[YeOldeTrout]

He's still quite young.
My DC were 3 skinny runts & one brawny tank.
The tank was definitely veering into plump at age 4-5.
So I kept his activity level up & tried to manage portions, reduce fatty foods. He was skinnier within 18m.

The tank is now a teen, & labeled underweight (say DH's new 'Smart' scales).

Hence my anecdata advice is to do what you can & not worry about it.

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

That's an example of portion size. Its a creamy cajun chicken pasta dish.

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

My dd was technically born overweight! 25 - 50th for height. 75th for height. Bombed along like that until 5 when we got a “your kid is fat” letter.

4 years later she is on the 50th centile for height and the 25th for weight.

At 5 and a half she discovered sport.

And is now very very skinny with massive muscles on her legs and triathlon trophies on our mantelpiece.

And I haven’t a clue what the moral of the story is!