Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

to ask how the hell I can fill up my baby?

47 replies

Merryoldgoat · 22/10/2018 10:16

I’m at my bloody wit’s end - my baby is 8 months and I can’t seem to fill him up.

He just constantly whines for more food or milk and it’s utterly ridiculous.

He is ENORMOUS. He’s 2 stone and the size of a much older baby - he’s wearing 12-18 month clothes and they fit him properly.

I just don’t know what to do - the obvious answer is to give him more, but then he vomits because he’s too full.

He had breakfast at 8.30am (woke at 8.00), big bowl of porridge and two yoghurts. From 9.15 he whined until I gave him a bottle - he demolished it in about 10 mins.

He’s going to start up again within an hour, but what do I do? It’s all fucking day.

He’s tracking considerably above the top centile so HV suggested reducing formula, but unless they’re moving in to deal with the whining that’s not happening.

Anyone else had one like this? What did you do?

My DH and I make big kids - 5 year old is tallest in his year wearing 7-8 year old clothes - not at all fat, just tall. He was big but ate at normal intervals.

I’m exhausted. I’ve got no time to do anything substantial and my PND was retreating but it’s getting worse again with this constantly being on edge.

I just don’t know what to do and I’m sick of being told he’s ‘too big’ as it is.

OP posts:

Allthewaves · 22/10/2018 10:19

Dummy? Could he be looking for oral stimulation rather than being hungry? Is he drinking enough?

Livinglavidal0ca · 22/10/2018 10:22

I let my son (1) have food on hand. I give him a low salt rice cake, the big ones and he wonders around and has a chew then puts it down and plays and goes back to it. It might be his teeth rather than actual hunger.
Don't take this the wrong way but maybe play with him, distract him with books and toys etc. Take him for a walk in the buggy, let him roll around outside.

Original poster

Merryoldgoat · 22/10/2018 10:22

Tried the dummy - he just launches it after 3/4 sucks.

I could give him more water - that literally didn’t occur to me.

OP posts:

HollidayArmadillo · 22/10/2018 10:23

Could you give us an idea of what he's eating on an average day?

Jezzifishie · 22/10/2018 10:24

I would second giving water - was advised to do this with mine, when she was continually demanding bottles.

ExFury · 22/10/2018 10:25

Does he drink a lot? Children often seem hungry when they are actually thirsty.

schopenhauer · 22/10/2018 10:25

Are you sure he is hungry? What if you play with him, read a book, give water etc?bSounds tough for you. Has he reduced milk overnight? It must be a growth spurt if he really is that hungry. I take it he is on 3 meals per day? Plus snacks? Maybe try to ensure that the food you give is very filling is full fat yogurts/milk/butter etc and maybe try some protein like peanut butter toast at breakfast rather than yoghurt, meat or fish at dinner etc (assuming not veggie), beans on toast, hummus.

Original poster

Merryoldgoat · 22/10/2018 10:26

Living

I promise I do play with him and he has lots of toys and books that we look at together. If you leave him to roll he starts whining. He’s a real Velcro baby too so I always check other stuff before resorting to food.

OP posts:

ChampooPapi · 22/10/2018 10:29

@Merryoldgoat my little girl, also 8 months is the same. She is also vast, very cute, but VAST! We make very heavy purees for her. That seems to work and keep her to three meals a day, though she isn't fussed about breakfast.

I use liver (must be lambs and 'organic' , so any good butchers)

I use lentils combined with that and veg and wizz that all together after cooking. Lots of pulses and meat/fish will fill him up and is perfectly healthy and very good for them.

I am still breast feeding her a lot too so that definitely helps as well.

I freeze these concoctions in those silicone things and she is set for the next few weeks after making them. I always include kale or cavelo nero for extra nutrients too. But lentils and chickpeas are the way

ChampooPapi · 22/10/2018 10:30

Oh and lots of water all day helps, i just put it in a baby bottle with a large teat

ChampooPapi · 22/10/2018 10:33

I usually use a lambs mince or a beef mince with the liver and the veg ect, tin of tomatoes and a very low salt stock cube. 100 grams of liver costs about 80 pence and thats all I use for a few weeks of food combined with the same amount of mince if I'm doing a meaty one

Original poster

Merryoldgoat · 22/10/2018 10:35

Three full meals:

Porridge, yoghurt, fruit

Pasta, fruit

Some kind of meat with rice/potato etc.

3/4 7oz bottles each day plus one overnight.

Is he not eating enough food? HV said that was enough.

I’m at a bit of a loss.

I definitely will add in water.

He gets played with loads, and my 5yo and he are very playful too. You can probably distract him for 10-15 mins at the very most.

OP posts:

Original poster

Merryoldgoat · 22/10/2018 10:36

Champoo

Thank you - that sounds great - I can try that for sure.

OP posts:

ChampooPapi · 22/10/2018 10:37

He need more vegetables and pulses, if you blitz lentils or chickpeas they are much better for him and very filling then potato

ChampooPapi · 22/10/2018 10:38

My 8 month old would definitely not get filled up on pasta in comparison to how much I can cram into those purees. She likes pasta but takes ages to chew and eat it

ChampooPapi · 22/10/2018 10:39

We call her the meat bag but it's what seems to fill her up and keep her happy, she sleeps 7 till 7 unless teething (which is often )

Seeline · 22/10/2018 10:40

If he is whingy during the day, could you give him a lightly cooked carrot stick, or piece of broccoli to munch on, or a piece of fruit. It might keep him busy for a bit as well if he was feeding it to himself?

Omega16 · 22/10/2018 10:41

You could add a little more protein, maybe eggs for breakfast. Sticks of cheese, cooked chicken. Is he having lots of textures rather than purée to slow down the eating process?

Seeline · 22/10/2018 10:42

If it's any consolation, my DD went back to 2 hourly feeds at 8 months (including through the night) - I was bf'ing - she wouldn't take a bottle and hadn't really taken to weaning. That was fun!!

Omega16 · 22/10/2018 10:44

Also is he getting enough sleep during the day?

HollidayArmadillo · 22/10/2018 10:46

Maybe try to give him more savoury options? And I would try to make the meals slightly more substantial, with lots of different things offered
For example, Scrambled egg & toast for breakfast, more of a 'dinner' type meal for lunch (an 8 month old can't be taking in much pasta can they, my baby just sucks pasta?) as well as dinner and my 7 month old also has an afternoon snack too, maybe try to throw in a snack?

For comparison my DD had yesterday -

B: banana porridge, half a piece of toast
Mid morning: 7oz bottle
L: cheese & mushroom omelette fingers, baked beans, cherry tomatoes & a fruit pouch
Mid afternoon: 7oz bottle and half a banana (the other half from her breakfast)
D: chicken & apricot curry, rice, half an avocado and a yoghurt
Bedtime: 7oz bottle
She also has water accessible at all times throughout the day

Obviously she didn't eat everything given but I think your DS could do with some more options?

Original poster

Merryoldgoat · 22/10/2018 10:53

Yes, more options for sure.

The pasta is whizzed up with whatever sauce.

I am very nervous of weaning - my older DS has Autism and his food sensory issues were there from day one. Wasn’t able to gum toast and stuff like all the other kids doing BLW and I’m not sure I can manage the stress.

Maybe I should try again.

OP posts:

BarbaraofSevillle · 22/10/2018 10:57

Can babies have scrambled egg for breakfast? Despite all the claims that porridge 'fills you up and keeps you going until lunch' it certainly doesn't for me, so that could be it?

Stuckforthefourthtime · 22/10/2018 11:05

My DS3 was a very hungry and it was also hard work, most advice is about getting under-ones to eat more.
As you say, he definitely doesn't need more food. Agree with all the other suggestions about finger food and water. It helped a lot with my ds to get out of the house, he was much less hungry and whingy when well away from the kitchen. Bolstering up meals and cutting down on numbers of snacks also helps. Do you think he ever actually feels hunger between food or milk? It's not a bad thing for him to experience a little of it so he can also feel when he's full.

We also had to acknowledge our own role - because he loved food so much it was easy to always have a snack for distraction, it wasn't until he had to have surgery at 11 months and couldn't eat that day that we realised he could actually cope a lot better than we thought, which was a bit of a revelation and helped us to take a slightly tougher line and find better non-food alternatives for when he's clearly eaten enough.

Lovemusic33 · 22/10/2018 11:05

My dd1 was like this, toatal pig and would cry if she didn’t have a bottle in her mouth, I struggled to wean her though as she had sensory issues (wouldn’t have lumpy food). She’s now 12 and not fat at all, she now eats hardly anything and is extremely fussy. She was such a unsettled baby and just cried all the time unless feeding.

I would maybe cut back on the carbs, white carbs (potato, rice, white pasta, bread) can make you more hungry and only makes you feel full for a short time.

Flip

1 2