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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Chubster baby advice.

29 replies

MrsBananaGrabber · 21/04/2011 19:47

I have just got back from the doctors with my 19 week old DD, the doctor did her height and weight and she is off the charts for both. The doctor I saw was new and she suggested that I cut her feeds in half or water them down and that I should start her on baby rice.

This doesn't sound right does it.....or does it.

A bit of background.....I am living in North America, I gave up breastfeeding 5 weeks ago because I also have two DS's (both born at home in the UK) and it was all too much. She was 7lb 11 at birth and she is now 19lbs

I never had any problems with the boys but this doctor has me in a tizzy.
AIBU, is she right? What is the current UK advice re weaning.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsBananaGrabber · 21/04/2011 19:48

She is 18lbs not 19, sorry.

OP posts:
Claz1001 · 21/04/2011 19:51

Current advice is to wait until 6 months, but if a baby is showing all the signs earlier then ok but not before 17 weeks, I believe. Cutting feeds in half sounds ridiculous, imo!

MissPaintyOeuf · 21/04/2011 19:52

Well if she's off the charts for height as well she's probably not hugely overweight, just generally big.

Personally I would probably try replacing a couple of her bottles with just water, and see how that goes. Not sure what the official advice here would be, hopefully someone else will know.

FunnyBumbleBee · 21/04/2011 19:53

If her weight and height are in proportion, there isn't a problem! My DD is over 20lb at 21 weeks but no one has suggested I do anything differently. I have started weaning her though.

cheepcheepchoconora · 21/04/2011 19:53

I would guess if she is off the charts for both she is probably in proportion... does she look hugely overweight or just 'big'?

don't worry about it - just carry on as you are!

MissPaintyOeuf · 21/04/2011 19:56

Just looking at my DD's health care record (she's 13mo now), she was about 14lbs at 19weeks. 18lbs is just above the 91st centile, so your DD is above average but not 'off the scale' here as it were. Some babies are just big.

Original poster
MrsBananaGrabber · 21/04/2011 19:59

She is chunky but long, with cubby cheeks. She wolfs 180ml every 3-4 hours, the doctor told me to cut it to 120ml or water it down, maybe I should start weaning to help cut down her milk consumption, it just goes against all my instincts.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsBananaGrabber · 21/04/2011 20:04

MissPaintyOeuf thanks, infact that gives me an idea, I'm going to dig out the boys red books from home and see if the stupid Canadian charts are the problem Grin

OP posts:
pregnantpause · 21/04/2011 20:05

i wouldnt cut down her feeds or wean her! she is getting what she needs from her milk and has grown proportionally with her height/weight. My dd has always been big- she too was above the 99th centile- but as this applied to her height as well as her weight the hcps have never been worried and nor have i. she is healthy, and certainly not overweight despite being large.
replacing her milk with food is just giving her calories in another form! babies dont need diets.

shrinkingnora · 21/04/2011 20:12

I don't think she is off this chart though? I am very tired so may be wrong but 18lb is about 8kg and that seems fine for her age.

saffy85 · 21/04/2011 20:16

Your doctor wants you to put your 5 month old baby on a diet? Confused how is that a good idea?! If she's on the larger side wrt weight and height chances are she's in proportion. Some babies are just big. My DD was 9.1lb at birth and 20lbs at 5 months and also very long. HV said she's clearly destined to be tall- she off the charts at her 8 month check up but has always been perfectly healthy.

sprinkles77 · 21/04/2011 20:21

I wouldn't reduce what she's having. You don't want her to lose weight do you? If she's really hungry and only managing 3-4 hrs between feeds you could try hungry baby formula. It's the same amount of calories as normal but will keep her fuller for longer, so you might find that she's satisfied for longer. It's designed to delay weaning.

sprinkles77 · 21/04/2011 20:23

Also, those percentile charts are very population specific. So If the area you are in is very different ethnically from where you lived in UK, it might account for your doctor's views. My friend was worried sick by what her Dr told her, then got a second opinion, and 2nd dr pointed out that her baby (chinese) would naturally be smaller than the average white baby in her area.

bristolcities · 21/04/2011 20:24

My DS just like his dad and uncle was a huge baby. And like his dad he was the size of a 2 year old at 1. He is now at 3 the perfect height and weight. And his dad and uncle are very thin. There is no food issue just fast metabolisms. I wouldn't worry to much at the moment.

springbokdoc · 21/04/2011 20:27

Hah I'm affronted on your (and my ds) behalf! He's not off the charts, he seems to be just below the 98th centile. Which is right where my son is.

The only thing I will say is that it soes seem your son has crossed a number of centiles. From the chart on my computer it seems he was on the 50th centile at birth. For example, my ds was on the 91st and has gone up to 98th. In your case, it seems that he has gained weight above what what would be expected. But take a step back, does he look bigger than he should? How does he look proportionally compared next to other kids? My son looks like a heffer next to other kids, but actually has the same proportion of fat IYSWIM. If however he looks proportionally fine, then I wouldn't be too concerned.

You certainly don't want him to lose weight, rather he should grow into it. The one thing that I noted I was doing was feeding him a lot more formula than the recommended amount. What I did was make up the bottles and plan when he could have them so for us it meant 5 bottles with a 3hr gap inbetween. If he seemed to be wolfing it down, I would water it up so that he got more water but still in 24hr had the recommeded calorie intake. But I never refused milk and certainly didn't reduce his recommended calorie intake (he needs it after all).

springbokdoc · 21/04/2011 20:29

Damn I type slow. But the other thing I did was what sprinkles suggested and switched to hungry baby formula.

Mahraih · 21/04/2011 20:32

If your DD is in proportion (sounds like she is) then don't listen to the doctor!

My DS is 10 weeks and is 14lbs minimum - he's generally huge though. He was next to an 11 week old on the bus today, and looked like a giant next to her!

A bit of chub in the cheeks isn't a problem IMHO. Unless you're forcing formula down her when she isn't interested, don't worry too much.

Original poster
MrsBananaGrabber · 21/04/2011 20:40

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to shoot for a second opinion. The doctor is new to the practice, my doctor left for another surgery on the other side of the city, the new one is very young ( I know that shouldn't matter) and she gave me some odd advice about giving baby rice then waiting 3 days, then give another type of cereal and wait another 3 days and so on and so forth. She also told me that the worst part of her job is giving the babies their shots, bless her.

OP posts:
pantaloons · 21/04/2011 20:40

Hi,
I've just looked at my dd's red book and she was 18lb14 at the same age and was exclusivley breast fed at that point! She was also a long baby.

The hv had me having her weighed every week and made me a nervous wreck, but she is now a very tall (head and shoulders above her peers), slim seven year old.

I really wouldn't worry, surely if she was eating too much it would be coming back up, and by the time she's toddling the chunk drops off!

Original poster
MrsBananaGrabber · 21/04/2011 20:43

thanks pantaloons that makes me feel better.

OP posts:
FabbyChic · 21/04/2011 20:48

Years ago we used to wean babies at 3/4 months.

If your baby is taking 8oz bottles and finishing them then now is the time to start weaning.

GreenStart · 21/04/2011 20:49

Just looked in my red book too. She is not off the charts, she is around the 91st percentile, and if she is tall as well, I am not seeing any problem whatsoever.

thefirstMrsDeVere · 21/04/2011 20:50

All mine were average born and then went off like rockets. All on the top centiles. Water down formula Shock isnt that very dangerous?

My children are mixed race and their dad's family are all very tall and broad. I am quite small build and a little over average hight (for women of my age). The kids got my blue eyes and their dad's build. They also got his big head and broad shoulders which made giving birth more than usually eyewatering Hmm

Your DC sounds in proportion and dr sounds like a loon.

Carrotsandcelery · 21/04/2011 20:55

I am not sure how useful this is but I will throw my experience into the mix. My ds was a virtually round butterball baby - very chubby - at the top of the charts etc until he got to about 1 year old. Then he became very thin and didn't grow for ages.

He has remained very skinny ever since. Infact he had to be checked out in the hospital because he was so thin and had blood tests for every scary condition under the sun.

Fortunately he was healthy, just skinny.

I would feel an inclination to trust your instincts and resist weaning if it doesn't seem right to you. My ds was exclusively breast fed until we began weaning at 6 months and then we began weaning in the normal manner.

If I had reduced his calories at this stage I might have reduced his growth which seems to have been preprogrammed to run its own course.

microserf · 21/04/2011 21:15

No!!!! Please get a second opinion, as I think this advice is incorrect.

I am sorry, but this sounds like complete madness to me. Just do what you feel is right. Watering down feeds sounds like a very bad idea, and could lead to a life threatening electrolyte imbalance. I am also not sure that at 19 weeks your dd is fully ready for baby rice. Only you can know - personally I know have a ds who is 4 months, nearly 5 months, but definitely not ready for solid food.

Frankly, it will all even out in the end and I would ignore your doctor.

My dd was absolutely massive and bust all the charts a little overweight and one doctor gave me a really hard time about it. I decided to find another doctor and it was the best decision I ever made. She is two now, and as tall as the average 3 year old, but no longer chubby. I would really worry that by restricting calories I might permanently harm development, especially brain development.

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