To be a bit upset with hv comments?

[MenaZovut]

My son is 13 months and we just had a health review. I was asked about diet, I answered honestly:

breakfast: 2 weetabix with 6oz (neocate) milk, 1 slice toast, fruit
snack: fruit or crackers
lunch: normally warm, e.g. spag bol, washed down with fruit or cereal bar (or both). Somedays a sandwich instead if out.
snack: er....anything nearby tbh. Healthy 90% of the time but can be naughty
dinner: again cooked, similar portion (if it was jar food I'd say 1.5-2 jars) with desert of some kind.

About 8oz milk in two feeds on top of this.

Before I share her reaction...is this abnormal?

He's 19lb 2oz and had a lot of issues around food early (first solids 8 months) and weight gain (which is now steady).

Oh he's milk/ fish/ soya allergic if you notice the lack of dairy.

thats less than my 9 month old eats but hes a gannet

doesn't seem abnormal to me - much more than my dd, but she has an appetite like a sparrow. seems like a nice variety too. i presume you are letting him dictate his quantities and not forcing it on him/playing choo-choo trains etc? if so, trust him to know what he needs. the hv said "too much!!!" did she?

My DS is 14 months old and eats much less than that. 1 weetabix for Breakfast would be an achievement in itself, no toast or fruit. Your DS seems like a healthy little boy who loves his food. I'd wonder about whether the main meals contain salt or are cooked saltfree?

it sounds an awful lot
i couldnt eat that for breakfast
it sounds like he eats the same amount of food as i do

my 3 are teens with big appetites, i am 5ft 8 and a small eater for an adult

My reaction would be that that's probably too much.

My ds has a very healthy apetite and his breakfast at that age for example would be half a weetabix with 1/3 of a banana. Meal portions are harder to compare, but he wouldn't have lunch and then a cereal bar.

He would have 3-4 7oz milk feeds so maybe in calories not that much different....

What did the hv say?

It's more than my 15 month old eats who everyone always says eats very well now. Sounds like he is doing well, what's the problem?

it does seem a lot -

I would say that is a little bit more in quantity than my boy was eating at 13 months (and he's always been a 98% percentiler). But i always understood that babies of that age regulate their intake so I would be surprised if the health visitor criticised it on the grounds of quantity?

She couldn't have criticised it on the grounds of healthiness, as that seems a really nice balanced diet (assuming some veg's are in the cooked food).

Sounds normal to me, very similar to what dd had at that age, only difference being that dd had nothing naughty until the age of about 2 1/2 but she was my pfb

I ignore hv if they say something I don't like, they told me dd was obese aged 8 mnths! She is nowhere near obese btw

It does sound like a large volume of food for such a young child. I couldn't eat the breakfast he has, for example.

Sounds like a lot to me but then I've had two very, very difficult to wean, fussy children.

I've given up trying to work out what is 'normal' - just leads to stress and worry. Trying to fit all children into one mold is just not realistic.

Sounds like a healthy diet for a growing boy. Assuming that he is not made to finish everything on his plate I wouldn't worry. Am not a professional though!

It is probably more than my 4 year old DD eats but she likes to live on air. My friend has a boy who just inhales food. I think if children are a healthy weight, getting the vitamins they need etc. then appetite is individual isn't it. We all have metabolic rates.

What did the HV say?

Sounds like quite a lot to me. I would struggle to eat all of that for breakfast!

SHe said it's way too much. I admit I probably eat less, but I let him dictate his intake and have viewed him as too young to 'diet' or force fed as he's still learning. He self-feeds most of it, though I offer loaded spoons to save mess. He sometimes skips most or part of a meal but above is a normal day. He's quite clear wanting food (stealing from cupboards, climbing his high chair, pointing and making the 'food noise'). He is clear when he wants more, and clear when he's full (attempts to get out the chair or unfocuses on the food).

He's pretty dinky, and near the bottom of weight charts. Only recently has he tracked a centile rather than dropping through them so it seems crazy (to me at least) to REDUCE his intake when I've worked so hard to get hm relaxed around food (a combination of possible asthama, reflux and allergies led to month upon month of food refusal).

It sounds like a heck of a lot of food to me but I have no idea whether it's TOO much iyswim?? Not sure what would constitute too much at that age and weight.

My 1 year old probably eats around 1/2 that quantity of food (same amount of milk) and I think she's pretty much average size and weight.

My DD (nearly 5) would eat about that much now.

And she's considered a good eater.

Seems fairly balanced. Never done the cereal bars, but that's a matter of choice. Assuming fruit/veg.

So go on, what did she say?

I'm not sure whether this is too much or too little... depends on portion size really. For example plate of spag bol is one thing but I assume he has a baby bowl size? Ditto with fruit, crackers, etc. I mean does he have a portion of apple or a banana or does he have two bananas and a handful of crackers as a snack?
I think you probably know best as Mum really how hungry and energetic your child is. I know my son [now 2 years old] eats a lot by other children's standards but he is of normal weight and is a very active little boy.
If your son is happy and healthy and a normal weight I can't really see the problem? Unless the HV was concerned about salt intake because you add salt to everything?!

The other point here is that you are not obliged to see a HV - just don't go back!

Well if you're providing that food for him and he's eating what he wants of it....

Did she give any helpful advice?

Sorry x-post there. Why is she worried if his weight is actually low? Sounds like he's making up for lost time and his appetite may well taper off a bit once he's gained some more weight. I know DD1 had a massive appetite when first weaned but then it tailed off as she got older.

Sounds like loads to me.

But babies are all different.

I struggle to get any breakfast at all into DD2, although she will eat some of her lunch and tea normally and loads of fruit.

SHe has the same amount of fruit as your DS, she's 11 mo and weighs about 23 pounds!! I don't understand how she can eat so much less and weigh so much more!

He's below the 9th centile for weight (I think not checked properly) but 98th for height so he's very slim. He's also not gaining weight any faster than average, in fact a little slower if anything. I felt like she didn't listen but just ticked boxed.