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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Spoilt or greedy?

85 replies

ChickenDipper22 · 01/04/2015 15:09

Can a 7 month old be greedy or is he just being spoilt?
He is well fed, he has 3 to 4 9oz bottles a day, 1 bottle of baby juice as he wont take water. Also 3 meals a day plus snacks in between yet every single time me or DP bring our food in he will stare at us all the way through frowning and whining until we give him some, if we don't give him some he will scream the place down... He's almost like a begging dog!

OP posts:
ohidoliketobe · 01/04/2015 16:55

"Doesn't know when he's full".
I was under the impression that babies do in fact know when they're full and are able to self regulate. Even seen a baby turn their head away from a bottle or spoon when they've had enough? If you're genuinely concerned that he doesn't ever seem to be full I suggest you talk to your health visitor or GP.

sosix · 01/04/2015 16:55

Umm hes a baby with a normal reaction to food.Confused

Bogeyface · 01/04/2015 16:55

Henna I dont see that that has any relevance to what the OP asked, there is no need to be rude.

anothernumberone · 01/04/2015 16:56

What is baby juice? Isn't that a bit cruel?

I think you missed the joke op, orange juice is squeezed oranges and apple juice squeezed apples so the question was is baby juice not cruel Grin

Original poster
ChickenDipper22 · 01/04/2015 16:58

I didn't miss the joke i got that but someone else "tinkly" asked "what even is baby juice?"

OP posts:
anothernumberone · 01/04/2015 16:58

Your baby is neither spoilt not greedy, juice is not good for them but I had to give diluted prune juice for a short time when Ds started solids for the same reason as you.

sosix · 01/04/2015 16:58

Oh fgs if baby won't drink water, he won't. Do give it in a beaker not a bottle though.

Heels99 · 01/04/2015 17:00

I Despair, a seven month old being spoilt?! Can you talk to your health visitor about this, sounds like you need some help.

Original poster
ChickenDipper22 · 01/04/2015 17:00

I know juice is not ideal but it helps with his constipation and I water it right down as much as I can, I didn't come here to ask about the juice. I can't physically force him to drink water.

OP posts:
Piffyonarockbun · 01/04/2015 17:01

i know where youre coming from about the water tbh. my dd wouldnt have more than a sip or 2. she drank plenty of milk but i still drove myself mad trying to get her to drink water.

about a month to 6 weeks ago so somewhere around her turning 1 she began to drink water. she has a sippy cup available all the time and she drinks quite a lot of water now. she doesnt like cows milk at all. when she was your ds age i really worried about getting water into her but she started drinking it herself when she was ready. i didnt know baby juice existed so i wasnt tempted to use it as a fix. i just had to sit it out and it was really hard. its all good now though. he will drink water when he is ready. you just need to hold your nerve a bit Grin

KittensOnAPlane · 01/04/2015 17:09

oh, youre not a terrible mum, try measuring how much you are giving and give less, and have a gap and give more in 20/30 mins if you feel he needs it

does he have a dummy?

i would try a bit harder re the juice though, you are the boss here!! remember it

KittensOnAPlane · 01/04/2015 17:12

re the dummy - my first would feed and feed until i gave him a dummy, some babies need one and some dont

Original poster
ChickenDipper22 · 01/04/2015 17:13

No he's never had a dummy

I have been watering the juice down more and more each time so that it will eventually be all water, that's the only thing that's working for me at the moment and I'm happy with it if it's helping him with his constipation.

Some of the food I eat is unhealthy and unsuitable for him so he can't always have some of it, that's all I'm saying.

OP posts:
nobodyknowswheremyjonnyhasgone · 01/04/2015 17:14

He doesn't understand being full yet (not all babies do) nor the idea that there is some food he can have and some he can't, he won't understand ownership of anything for a long time,my 3 year old DC3 still thinks everything in the whole house belongs to me!

My DNiece was the same. She loved food and the giving her something they had each time meant she was getting 6 meals a day and suddenly was putting weight on really quite alarmingly quickly. They realised what was happening around a year I think and started eating either together with her and letting have whatever they were having or eating completely separately, they stopped eating food in front of her if it wasn't a meal time. She then fell into a completely normal pattern.

If a baby really enjoys food but you don't think it's appropriate or necessary for him to share it, its not kind to sit and eat your meal in front of them. Babies cannot regulate their emotions at all.

nobodyknowswheremyjonnyhasgone · 01/04/2015 17:14

Sorry my 3 year old DC3 thinks everything belongs him to HIM, not me!

Riri85 · 01/04/2015 17:14

Perhaps the OP's original wording wasn't the best but I don't think she meant it in the way that some of you are choosing to interpret? Sometimes I think that people say things on here that they wouldn't dream of saying to other people in RL if they were asked for advice and can often be quite rude on an anonymous forum!
OP I would suggest that it's normal behaviour-my dd is 6 months and is very interested in what we eat! Would go along with lots of PPs and agree that baby juice isn't the best thing to give and keep trying with the water.

ThatBloodyWoman · 01/04/2015 17:15

A baby that age is neither spoilt nor greedy.

bananaramadramallama · 01/04/2015 17:17

I can understand what you mean OP - my 2 were weaned early (from around 12 weeks iirc) and by 6 months old were eating 3 'meals' plus a bottle of milk each mealtime, with a bedtime bottle also.

They both started getting awfully fat, and it was because they were getting too much with all the milk as well as the food. We stopped all bottles except for the bedtime one at the 6 month point, and just fed them at their mealtimes (with finger food snacks in between); when we had our meal, the baby had something to eat too, but it was just some finger food to taken from our meal.

If the baby is really screaming for more food and seems to be genuinely hungry all the time then go to the hv/dr for more invest.

MayLuke83 · 01/04/2015 17:21

So much nastiness for the OP on this thread

Original poster
ChickenDipper22 · 01/04/2015 17:25

I've only been on here a few weeks and every thread I've ever started for advice (some with diff name) on here people just seem to love to have a go at you and make you out to be a vile and terrible parent, either that or try to get you to break up with your DP, I've seen loads of threads like that. DP does one thing wrong and he's the scum of the earth and you should throw him ... Seriously?

OP posts:
Lozy79 · 01/04/2015 17:30

Babies are just so different...My lo is 6 1/2 months and Ive only just started introducing solids, so far she spits everything puréed but loves chewing on cucumber and melon, she mainly has breast milk. I've never even offered her water, didn't realise I was supposed to yet?!

Goldmandra · 01/04/2015 17:30

Why not cook something suitable for him then you can all eat at the same time? At seven months he is old enough to feed himself solid food left on his highchair tray so you don't have to let yours go cold while you spoon feed him.

Babies do have a drive to get what their parents are eating. It's part of the natural process of weaning so it's no greedy or spoilt; it's instinctive and should be encouraged.

Children only learn that they can get what they want by screaming if you've said no and then change your mind in response to them crying. If you just plan to eat the same food at the same time, there is no reason to say no in the first place.

DixieNormas · 01/04/2015 17:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DixieNormas · 01/04/2015 17:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 01/04/2015 17:35

Could you give him some finger foods to have whilst you're eating? Boiled or roasted veg, toast fingers, sticks of cheese or something? Babies like to join in and do what you're doing but when they start with finger foods it takes them longer to eat so he won't be able to eat it too fast which might stop him overdoing it and vomiting.

My eldest was incredibly adept at self feeding and could use the spoon on his own at 7 months. My youngest is still getting to grips with it at a year and he did get frustrated when he started but it doesn't take long for them to get the hang of it. Broccoli florets are particularly good as they have a handle that's just the right size!

Babies communicate by crying (along with other things obviously) so by responding to that you aren't 'spoiling' them or teaching them to tantrum. I think your dp's ideas about pandering to bad behaviour can wait a couple of years yet. But making mealtimes sociable, even if he's just having a snack in his high chair whilst you eat is often good fun for babies and can be less hassle for you than trying to fend an inquisitive baby away from your dinner!