My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Children's health

how much rubbish was this hv talking??

32 replies

Doublebubblebubble · 10/02/2016 15:18

Hi

Went to take my ds to be weighed in a communal weigh in place (not my normal weigh in place) and soon had a hv over him because she was astonished at his size. my ds is on the 98th centile - has been since he was born he is 17 weeks old on Friday and is 19lb 8oz (at this weigh in anyway). Anyway hv comes over and says if he continues the way he's going (I.e actually goes over the 100th centile) he'll have to go on a diet!!!! He is ebf!! And not even 4 months yet. How does a baby that young even go on a diet if I continue demand feeding him. Am I to take what she has said truthfully. I honestly cant get my head around it (ps wasnt sure what topic to put this in so if I need to move it do advise as to which topic to put it in x

OP posts:
Report
GunShotResidue · 10/02/2016 15:24

DD was on the 91st percentile until she was over a year. I mentioned it to my hv as I was concerned and the hv said not to worry until she was over 2 years!

I would definitely get a second opinion!

Report
TheWeeBabySeamus1 · 10/02/2016 15:29

I hated taking DS for weigh ins for just this reason. He was on the 98th percentile too, had been since birth and I was constantly told that I was overfeeding - and then in the next breath told that I must feed on demand Confused. He suffered reflux which doctors would never treat as he was gaining weight - one doctor even said the only thing he'd prescribe was a subscription to slimming world Angry.

Anyway once he was mobile his weight stabilised, he's still 96th percentile but he's tall too so I'm not worried.

Carry on with what you're doing and just ignore them, it's breastmilk not a Big Mac and he'll only take what he needs. Once he's on the move he'll burn it off.

Report
LemonBreeland · 10/02/2016 15:30

I presume your DS is also maybe quite high on the length centiles. even if he isn't he will even out at some point. BF babies do not tend to overfeed.

Report
gillyweed · 10/02/2016 15:42

Has he climbed the centiles or always been on 98th?

I understood that between 0 - 100 on the centiles were within the range of 'normal' it's when the baby drops below or above that gives cause for concern.

Did the HV mention his height? Weight means nothing without height being brought into the equation.

I also understood that the red book charts weren't based on ebf babies but formula fed babies, they are vastly different.

Is your son crawling/walking? Both my 2 seemed to slim down when they became more active. They also both get 'chubbier' just before a growth spurt.

Lastly, it is not a legal requirement to get them weighed or see a HV, and yours quite frankly sounds unhelpful - she casually dropped a bomb that was bound to make you worry and didn't bother to stick around to discuss anything further with you.

Report
Doublebubblebubble · 12/02/2016 06:28

Thanks all. He's on the 98th for length as well as weight so he is a very very big baby. People constantly expect him to be older (he still has a bit of a newborn-ish face so they do tend to believe his age Confused. gilly he's not crawling yet (only 17 weeks) but he'll definitely be on the move soon.

And that is very interesting to me that the red book is based on ff babies. Could that mean that he isn't actually 98th?? Oh, and I definitely wont be going there again, as I said, it isn't my usual place. It just happened to be close to where I was at the time and I needed to get him weighed. I know its not a legal requirement I just like to keep track. My dd's red book is empty in comparison only took her to be weighed about 5 times over her first year

OP posts:
Report
GraceKellysLeftArm · 12/02/2016 06:32

Nod and smile, nod and smile.

If your baby is hungry feed him. Hv told me my bottle-fed 2 week old ate too much Hmm - naturally I ignored her.

Report
Soooosie · 12/02/2016 06:34

Ignore her. The baby is obviously going to be tall

Report
ICJump · 12/02/2016 06:36

The red book is now based on bf babies. It has been for a fair few years. DS is five in March and his red book is breastfeed. Have a look at the page it should say WHO somewhere

Report
George2014 · 12/02/2016 06:38

Ds was 98th centile for weight and height - 9lbs8 born and put a pound on a week for 6 weeks (ebf) and was always way bigger than other babies. My HV always said as long as weight and height centiles match, there's not a problem. If weight was 98th centile and height 10th centile....we might be worried!

My dad and brother are both 6ft3 and 6ft5 and dh 6ft1 so we knew it was likely.

He's now 5, the tallest boy in his year and aphis weight still matches. He's not skinny, still has a bit if pot belly at times but is lean and strong.

My issue is always that he looks 1-2 yrs older than he is therefore everyone expects him to act that way.....

Report
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 12/02/2016 06:40

Ignore, of course! Stupid comment, of course he doesn't need to go "on a diet"!!

My DS2 started life on around the 55th centile, but within a few weeks had climbed to the 99th centile, EBF and had reflux as well because of his tonguetie - he chucked up so much, I'm amazed he managed to put on so much weight! In fact, I'd taken him to be weighed purely to try and expedite the tongue-tie revision, as I was sure he'd be losing weight, so was quite shocked that he'd gained so much.

No one said anything about cutting back on his feeds (just as well, I'd have probably been rude). Different, perhaps, if they're formula fed and being given too much too often, but at that age they have so much growing to do, that I don't think it's an issue for either case. And if the baby is hungry, then the baby needs to eat!

Report
siblingrevelryagain · 12/02/2016 06:40

I used to have this with my giant ebf son-the area for concern is when there is huge disparity between height and weight.

Please don't doubt yourself-your breastmilk is obviously fab stuff so stick with it and don't even entertain the notion of a diet for an ebf baby, or one whose height and weight are in proportion.

My big old boy will be 9 soon-tallest in class, thin as a rake but still really heavy (he has always been a heavy child, but I can see from his body changing over the last few years that he is just naturally very tall; with the wrong diet he could probably be massively wide too, but eating a good balanced diet will mean he grows to his natural potential, like your boy).

It's great having a big kid-when he's inevitable poorly he will have some reserves to fight it and will somehow feel less vulnerable than a smaller child.

One word of caution though; your back will be f&£@?d for life from carrying a big child!

Report
GraceKellysLeftArm · 12/02/2016 06:44

Thumbwitch - that doesn't make sense. You can't physically pour an excess amount of fluid into a baby, no matter the source. Over- fill the receptacle and it pukes. Basic logic not scaremongering please!

Report
BumWad · 12/02/2016 06:45

I also understood that the red book charts weren't based on ebf babies but formula fed babies, they are vastly different.

This is incorrect. Read the first paragraph:

www.rcpch.ac.uk/system/files/protected/page/DoH%20info%20for%20healthcare%20professionals.pdf

Report
PragmaticWench · 12/02/2016 06:57

Ignore the ridiculous hv. My DS was vast, height has always tracked above the 98th and his weight started at the 98th, swiftly passed the 99.6th and he went off the chart. Waaay off the chart in fact! Also ebf on demand.

For other health reasons DS has to be seen by consultant paediatricians and they all said his weight was NOT a problem and to ignore anyone saying he was 'overweight' looking at you DM, in fact one said he was glorious, which I loved.

As a PP said though, your back may well kill for a while, at least until he's reliably walking! Good luck and enjoy your gorgeously chubby baby.

Report
rollonthesummer · 12/02/2016 07:07

I had similarly stupid comments from HV and stopped going to get him weighed as it made me cry! It didn't help that my mil kept telling me I was overfeeding him by bf on demand as well...

If it's any consolation, he started crawling and changed chaos completely soon after.

Report
DustyOwl · 12/02/2016 07:18

I was very lucky to have a very supportive HV. Both my DS's were BF on demand and were on the 99th centile at some point. She and the other HV team were not worried and at one point congratulated me, which I do think was a bit OTT! (I on the other hand was wracked with guilt, but I think that came with my personality and being a new mum.) As soon as they started moving it dropped off and I actually missed their lovely chubby arms!

So I agree with the comment of; nod and smile and carry on. Lots of advice I got was contradictory!

Report
Ridingthegravytrain · 12/02/2016 07:34

What a numpty. Mine was the same and my hv always told me what a great job I was doing and to carry on

Just ignore her

When I got pregnant with my second my doctor said I would have to stop bfing (dd1 was only 8 months) and move my baby to formula as my body would run out of calcium. Some of the misinformation is shocking. Suffice to say I ignored her

Report
BishopBrennansArse · 12/02/2016 07:37

Wtf?

The point of centiles is that there are some above or some below the 'norm'!

Keep on keeping on OP, you're obviously doing just fine Smile

Report
Nectarines · 12/02/2016 07:42

My daughter was little when born (6lbs) but gained sometimes a pound a week and was always on very high centile S. At one year old, she was 28 pounds. At 2 years old, still 28 pounds! She just stretched. Now looks in perfect proportion.

Some kids are just big babies and if ebf, you know the weight gain is not a result of poor dietary choices.

I remember going to a baby group and other mums asking what age weighed and making some very unkind remarks. I have a newborn now and chances are he'll be the same. I won't worry this time and won't let people be mean!

Report
PixieChops · 12/02/2016 07:56

Same as my son OP but my son has CMPA and was feeding to comfort himself so put lots of weight on. He's still on 99.6th percentile. He's happy and healthy. He's crawling and cruising at 7 months old so don't think his weight is holding him back. I would've told that HV to change her job. How the fuck are you meant to put a less than 4 month old on a diet?! Daft cow

Report
Luciferbox · 12/02/2016 08:21

DS2 is also on the 98th percentile and fed constantly. I was worried about him possibly feeding too much as he seemed to be constantly hungry. My hv told me to feed him whenever he's hungry. So I did and he's fine. She's talking rubbish.

Report
RhubarbAndMustard · 12/02/2016 08:39

I could have written you're post a few years ago. DS was on 98th centile for height and weight. HV said I was over feeding and should give water. I ignored her and so glad I did. Looking back at pics, he was a gorgeous chubby baby, but as soon as he was mobile (late walker at 18 months) he slimmed right down. At 3.5yrs now he's not chubby at all, hardly ever ill and still a good eater. Ignore her!

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

LaContessaDiPlump · 12/02/2016 08:45

I've never understood the saying that bf babies can't overfeed. If they latch on and remove milk, for reasons of hunger/comfort/boredom/whatever, milk still enters their bodies and is metabolised. I can see how it might take bf babies longer to acquire the same amount of calories than it does a ff baby, but if they both take in the same number of calories then surely they're both feeding (or indeed over-feeding) to the same extent.

Just idle musing. Your baby sounds perfectly fine op!

Report
PurplePotatoes · 12/02/2016 08:57

He sounds fine, just ignore her!

I had this with my DD, she was 9lb when she was born so on 75% percentile and has always stayed there. When I went to a different weigh in clinic the HV gave me a lecture about her becoming obese, portion size etc, totally ignoring the fact that she's very tall (on the 100% percentile for height)
I never took her again.

Report
timelytess · 12/02/2016 09:00

Three deep slow breaths and ignore her. Your common sense tells you he's fine, you're feeding on demand, everything is perfect. When he starts to run around he'll show you how perfect he is. If they're healthy, they're a bit squashy at his age, its the right thing to be.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.