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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To keep saying it’s impossible to overfeed a bf baby

206 replies

bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:07

To my HV?

My 13 month old is really big!! Jumped up to the top centile line (was on the 25th a birth).

Ebf till 6 m. Eats healthily and actually quite small portions (I think)
Has a small bottle of milk after bath each day as we introduced that as part of bedtime routine from 8 months

Breakfast each day is porridge (1oz milk, dessert spoon oats, chopped berries and 3-4 slices mashed banana )

Lunch is usually a sandwich and veg sticks or a savoury pouch, and a yogurt.

Dinner is a small portion of whatever we have.
Small bottle after bath

She drinks water with meals but is breastfed mid morning and mid afternoon before naps and in the night this is what I’m being told is making her so heavy and that I need to cut the feeds but I’m disagreeing I think there are still benefits to having breastmilk but I’m being told those are cancelled out by the negative effects of being ‘obese’ at a young age

I just don’t agree I think once she’s running about more she will slim down surely ?

OP posts:
MaskingForIt · 04/09/2021 10:12

I thought you were supposed to stop bottles once they reached a year? Can’t she have her bedtime milk in a cup?

Seeline · 04/09/2021 10:15

But yours isn't a breast fed baby. She's a one year old eating 3 meals a day, and having milk as well. Sounds like quite a lot of milk.

MaverickDanger · 04/09/2021 10:16

Are her height and weight centiles close?

DS jumped 3 centiles between birth and 4 months for both h & w. My HV said she thought it was unusual for an EBF baby.

He’s now 8 months and crawling/not far off walking so his weight has stabilised with the amount of movement he does a day. I would say he eats bigger portions than your DD based on her breakfast size.

LittleBearPad · 04/09/2021 10:16

I think the you can’t overfeed a bf baby only applies when they are ebf and not eating solids.

If she’s not walking much she will likely slim down when she is but I’m a bit Confused about a hv calling her obese. How heavy is she?

Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:16

She won’t drink it from a cup so we’ve just kept the bottle. The HV said as it’s once a day she’s not concerned about that as long as we brush teeth after and try again in a couple of months to swap to a cup but that she’s very concerned about the breastfeeding and weight

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 04/09/2021 10:16

It's impossible to overfeed an ebf baby. Once bottles and food are introduced though you can definitely overfeed them! I'm not saying you are overfeeding her, but it is possible!

The bf will still be great for her, but you maybe need to look at what else she's having. Lose the bedtime bottle and replace with a bf maybe?

As a general rule though, they do get really chunky and then slim down when they start moving so I wouldn't worry. What percentile is she for height/length?

User7312019 · 04/09/2021 10:17

It’s impossible to overfeed an exclusively bf baby yes - but that’s not what your daughter is and that sounds like a lot of milk plus 3 full meals.

Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:18

@MaverickDanger

Are her height and weight centiles close?

DS jumped 3 centiles between birth and 4 months for both h & w. My HV said she thought it was unusual for an EBF baby.

He’s now 8 months and crawling/not far off walking so his weight has stabilised with the amount of movement he does a day. I would say he eats bigger portions than your DD based on her breakfast size.

Length wasn’t measured only weight but she is quite little/short so I think that’s just making her look bigger if that makes sense

Maybe I should request her height to be done if that will give a better indication

OP posts:
CottonSock · 04/09/2021 10:21

Agree with the above. However it was also possible to overfeed my bf baby. She fed for reflux comfort and puked it all back up. I had to limit her in the end, 10 mins each side. She's 8 now and can still consume masses and still overeats given the opportunity. She'll eat till she feels sick and coughing with reflux. All you can eat buffets and the like are a bit worrying as I want her to get the treat side, but not be puking later. Normal slim body size for her age. Loves food! No image issues or insecurity about it either so I hope that continues as a pre teen.

Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:21

@User7312019

It’s impossible to overfeed an exclusively bf baby yes - but that’s not what your daughter is and that sounds like a lot of milk plus 3 full meals.
Sometimes the feeds are short but obviously I have absolutely no idea how much she’s taking. She feeds for maybe 5-10 mins before her naps occasionally up to 20 mins but some is comfort sucking not drinking I think. Night time she wakes up a lot here and there for quick feeds and back to sleep. Which I don’t mind as we co sleep and she goes back to sleep but apparently I’m told from 9 m babies don’t need any feeds at night and I should refuse or offer water

The bottle after bath is 5oz that’s all and she usually drinks 3-4 oz it’s rare she has it all

OP posts:
Ozanj · 04/09/2021 10:23

@bigBigbaby

To my HV?

My 13 month old is really big!! Jumped up to the top centile line (was on the 25th a birth).

Ebf till 6 m. Eats healthily and actually quite small portions (I think)
Has a small bottle of milk after bath each day as we introduced that as part of bedtime routine from 8 months

Breakfast each day is porridge (1oz milk, dessert spoon oats, chopped berries and 3-4 slices mashed banana )

Lunch is usually a sandwich and veg sticks or a savoury pouch, and a yogurt.

Dinner is a small portion of whatever we have.
Small bottle after bath

She drinks water with meals but is breastfed mid morning and mid afternoon before naps and in the night this is what I’m being told is making her so heavy and that I need to cut the feeds but I’m disagreeing I think there are still benefits to having breastmilk but I’m being told those are cancelled out by the negative effects of being ‘obese’ at a young age

I just don’t agree I think once she’s running about more she will slim down surely ?

Exclusively breastfed babies can’t be overweight or overfed. But weaned babies who are also guzzling bottles of milk absolutely can. You need to sit down and honestly review all her meals. To give you some perspective my son is a similar age, eats healthily and until he is full (same as us but smaller portions), drinks some cows milk from a cup but still gets most of his milk from the breast, and is on the 25th centile for weight and 105th for height.
Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:23

@NuffSaidSam

It's impossible to overfeed an ebf baby. Once bottles and food are introduced though you can definitely overfeed them! I'm not saying you are overfeeding her, but it is possible!

The bf will still be great for her, but you maybe need to look at what else she's having. Lose the bedtime bottle and replace with a bf maybe?

As a general rule though, they do get really chunky and then slim down when they start moving so I wouldn't worry. What percentile is she for height/length?

The after bath breastfeed was dropped on the HV advice she said to drop it at 8m and try formula so that dp could do the bath bottle story bed routine (I had pnd better now but it was just so I had some time)
OP posts:
Jigsawtrain · 04/09/2021 10:24

Agree with others. Your bang is no longer ebf. Is baby crawling/cruising?

Jigsawtrain · 04/09/2021 10:25

Also at what point did baby go on the higher centiles?

Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:25

I’m getting her weighed again in 4 weeks I will ask the HV to do her height as well as I think maybe looking at just the weight might not give the full picture ?

OP posts:
Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:27

@Jigsawtrain

Also at what point did baby go on the higher centiles?
I don’t know as she was weighed at birth and then again at just over a year ! Because of covid I couldn’t get her weighed at any other time and her 8m check was by phone not face to face

Looking at photos I think she started to put on weight quicker around 4.5-5 months

OP posts:
MrsRobbieHart · 04/09/2021 10:28

It only applies to exclusively BF babies which yours no longer is. So yes, your baby could be being over fed but I honestly doubt she is being. And if she was, it won’t be the BM that’s doing it.

Food is for fun until 1, your baby is only just over one so milk really should still be making up a good portion of her calorie intake. I’d just smile and nod at the HV and then ignore her.

Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:29

@Jigsawtrain

Agree with others. Your bang is no longer ebf. Is baby crawling/cruising?
Cruising around furniture so will be waking soon I think, didn’t crawl !!! Just sat then started pulling herself up and will move round the furniture or holding my hand
OP posts:
saladcreamandegg · 04/09/2021 10:29

From reading the overwhelming majority of replies on here OP, you are sticking your head in the sand.

PepsiHoover · 04/09/2021 10:30

@Seeline

But yours isn't a breast fed baby. She's a one year old eating 3 meals a day, and having milk as well. Sounds like quite a lot of milk.
This.

She doesn't need that many feeds at this age.

ineedsun · 04/09/2021 10:32

You don’t seem to be responding to any of the posts which are explaining why you are incorrect?

Booknooks · 04/09/2021 10:32

Your title is misleading as your child isn't just on breastmilk, but is eating solids alongside. That said if breastfeeding is still working for you both then doesn't sound like an issue in itself, I'd keep an eye on weight though.

annacondom · 04/09/2021 10:32

I think it's really sad that you've been told to drop the night comfort feeds as "they don't need them" - each baby is different and if it helps you both sleep then I would continue. (My DD started to refuse the breast when she was about 11 months and I was really sad!). As to the rest, I agree with pp about cutting back on the bottles because they must be high calorie. Sounds like you are doing a great job with the food.

Original poster
bigBigbaby · 04/09/2021 10:33

The only sugar she has is from her vitamin liquid which mixes in with her milk but it’s only 5ml or could that be a problem it contains ‘raw cane sugar’

OP posts:
orchardgirl4 · 04/09/2021 10:33

Give baby as much breast milk as you and baby want. Never feel you need to reduce that by ANY amount. I'd drop any more processed foods e.g. white bread, and anything with any free sugars in such as baby foods with concentrated fruit, and that could help baby regulate their own food intake/weight more easily.

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