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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to feed my 11 month old as much food as my 4.5 year old?

23 replies

BMO · 19/02/2015 19:37

Feel like I've completely lost sight of what a reasonable portion size is for either DS, as I have realised I basically feed them the same amount. For example dinner tonight they have had half a baked potato each with a heaped tablespoon of chilli, followed by a satsuma.

The baby wolfs everything down with enthusiasm, whereas the 4 year old picks over his for an hour crying and complaining. If I'm completely honest the baby probably eats more Blush

Am I over feeding one or under feeding the other?

OP posts:
sdaisy26 · 19/02/2015 19:44

My 10.5 mo eats loads more than the 2.5 yo. They get similar sized portions too, and similar to what you have served yours. Though my dd (2.5) used to eat more...but I'm sure I read something about how much they grow in the first year especially ie triple their weight but in 2nd year only gain about 2kg - so kind of makes sense to me baby might eat more. Also I have recently found giving my dd smaller portions means she actually ends up eating more...think it was just a bit overwhelming for her before. I try to go on guidelines of a fist size (their fists!) for fruit & veg & palm size for carbs & protein...I think that's right?

DoJo · 19/02/2015 19:46

Sounds ok - children's appetites don't seem to go by age an your baby will be using a lot of energy learning and developing. Has your older son always been unenthusiastic about eating? Maybe he gave you a false sense of what babies can put away! Grin

YerTiz · 19/02/2015 19:47

My 10mo finishes my 4yo's dinner quite regularly, they sound very similar Grin

Original poster
BMO · 19/02/2015 20:05

The 4 year old is very skinny and the 11 month old is pretty fat to be honest Confused

Am also slightly questioning myself as my parents commented on me feeding the baby too much, for example giving him a whole large banana as a snack.

OP posts:
calmexterior · 19/02/2015 20:10

Aw bless! My baby eats everything too. I think they often do until 12 months then the appetite shrinks again.
YANBU

SlinkyB · 19/02/2015 20:16

I thought that at that age (11mo) they were pretty good at regulating their own intake?

I have two boys aged 13mo and 4, and a lot of the time the baby eats more than his big brother. They were the same weight at birth and both follow 75th centile.

I figure the baby is doing more rapid growth? My youngest often has a baby bowl full of pasta twists, followed by a medium sized banana. Greedy piglet Grin

MummyPig24 · 19/02/2015 20:27

My 11mo definitely eats more than the nearly 5yo. And tonight he ate more than the 7yo. He's tiny, I don't know what he does with all this food but he obviously needs it.

MrsJohnLewis · 19/02/2015 20:29

My one year old can out-eat the seven year old.

In fact I don't think the one year old has stopped eating today. She just started walking, so that's what I'm putting it down to.

WireCat · 19/02/2015 20:31

Give it a year and you will be on here complaining that your 23 month old will only eat red Haribo and cheesy pasta.

Don't worry about it, it's par for the course!

trashcanjunkie · 19/02/2015 20:32

Oh dear! My ex has two dcs with girlfriend, pretty much same age, pretty much same story. They are reassured by the existence of the two older dcs (mine) who were seriously fat as babies. I mean, rolls on the rolls at the wrist, and prob weighing more than a five year old! Ten years on, they are lean, fit (hugely tall) muscled athletes....

I do think babies just need to be fed on demand, and it does drop of when they get older, busier and more mobile.

trashcanjunkie · 19/02/2015 20:34

And they regularly feed the megababy a whole large banana as a snack. Other people just love to fucking comment on what you feed your dc. What are you going to do? Let them cry with hunger.....

trashcanjunkie · 19/02/2015 20:35

Drop off, not of.... Hmm

fanjobiscuits · 19/02/2015 20:37

As long as you offer a healthy range of foods for their age I think it's fine to let them eat until they're full. Like a pp said, they self-regulate at that age. They will know what they need better than you do.

mewkins · 19/02/2015 20:42

My 7.5mo ds eats more than his 4.5yo sister who has a full active day at school. She has never had a good appetite and weaning her was a hideous screamfest. Ds eats anything in sight and still sits with his mouth open ready for more! I think he has his dad's appetite.

Original poster
BMO · 19/02/2015 20:44

The little one weighs over 11kg and the big one just under 16kg, so not all that much between them Shock

Good to hear others have had similar experiences. My oldest always had a fairly small appetite and has been a 9th-25th centile baby.

OP posts:
CleverPlansAndSecretTricks · 19/02/2015 20:47

My boys are exactly the same. DS2 age 1 shovels in the food happily. DS1 age 4 picks at his food and would rather play with Lego. They can both fit in the same size shorts!

BuntyCollocks · 19/02/2015 20:49

My 2 year old eats easily double what her 4 year old brother does and has since she started weaning. He's a picky wee thing, and she's have a piece on shit if you gave it to her.

She's just under 12kg and he's just under 17kg. Both skinny Minnies. I just wish I could eat like her and be slim!

It's fine. You're overthinking it.

TheBookofRuth · 19/02/2015 20:59

Ok, I'm now worrying I'm under feeding my seven month old, who never gets more than a few spoonfuls of purée or a couple of topped toast soldiers at each meal...

He still gets breast milk on demand and is around the 80th percentile for weight, though, so he must be alright, right?

Original poster
BMO · 19/02/2015 21:00

You're obviously not under feeding a child whose on the 80th centile!

OP posts:
TheBookofRuth · 19/02/2015 21:16

Heh, true. His sister was on the 98th till I stopped breast feeding, but is a skinny malink now.

tallulahdula · 19/02/2015 21:16

OP don't worry. It's fine. My DS is a 'good eater' and can easily put away a whole banana in about 20 seconds. He had four portions of tea on Sunday - he kept asking for more. Left the grandparents staggered. He's 18 months now and from memory at 11months he was eating food and having milk feeds but not moving around that much then it stands to reason he got chubby. it all came off when he started walking.

MrsMook · 19/02/2015 21:28

I have insatiable eating fiends of 1 and 4. They can eat and eat, then want seconds and snacks. Ds2 is broader and from very early on has had the same chest size as Ds1. They both have a healthy hint of ribs and have a lean look.
People ask why they get a child's meal each and not share. They will usually eat at least 3/4 each, and frequently scoff the lot.

dietcokeandwine · 19/02/2015 21:29

Don't worry OP.

At 11m DS3 ate anything and everything put in front of him and it was a family joke that he'd wolf down his own meal followed by half his 4yo brother's meal too. It was incredibly rare for DS3 to ever not eat a full portion of dinner, whereas the older two (I also had DS1, age 9) would faff around and whinge.

Gradually, during his second year, DS3's voracious appetite has settled down and it's now pretty rare for him to finish a full portion of dinner....

This is really common as I understand it. Babies have phenomenal enthusiasm for food in that first year and then adjust their eating accordingly as they get older.

Don't worry about it, you will probably find that in a year's time your 11mo is just as picky and faffy as your older DC.

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