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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think HV is talking rubbish and babies can't be overweight?

140 replies

IdiotSandwich05 · 20/08/2022 18:05

Hi all.

DS is two months old and, according to his HV, overweight. He weighed 6lbs 12oz at birth (born at 37 weeks), at six weeks was 12lbs 10oz, and when I weighed him at baby clinic yesterday was exactly 15lbs. So yes a chunky monkey but I was pleased with this! He is EBF.

The HV insinuated I was overfeeding him and shouldn't 'feed him every time he cries'. I don't! She also mentioned him being at increased risk of obesity ect. Basically making it seem like I'm doing something wrong. This is my first time BFing and I thought it was going well! Neither me nor DP nor our daughter are overweight.

DS is also 63cm long which is on the 99th percentile, so to me that means he's big but in proportion rather than overweight. He is healthy, happy, and meeting all his millstones. He goes 2-3 hours between feeds in the day and 3-4 hours at night, so it isn't like he's feeding constantly. And even if he was, I thought you couldn't overfeed a BF baby?

Am I BU to think HV is talking out of her rear? He's not even solids yet, so how

OP posts:
Original poster
IdiotSandwich05 · 20/08/2022 18:06

Oops, pressed send too soon. He's not even on solids yet, so how can he be overweight if all he has is milk, fed on demand??

OP posts:
Lipsandlashes · 20/08/2022 18:09

I’m not a medic but yes, I’d say she is talking nonsense

Anytimeiseeit · 20/08/2022 18:09

I’m not an expert but I also thought ebf babies couldn’t really be over fed. I ebf my son and he was very chunky on it. Is now a very slim child

CakeCrumbs44 · 20/08/2022 18:10

My daughter (also EBF) went from 25th centile to 75th in a few months and HV said I was overfeeding her, which I ignored. She's tracked the 75th centile ever since and is a healthy weight 5.5 year old now so I guess she was wrong.

BoffinMum · 20/08/2022 18:11

You can’t really overfeed a bf baby. She should know this. She has lost the plot completely and I would raise a concern with her manager.

Imaginary · 20/08/2022 18:11

Yeah, I don't think you can overfeed a EBF baby.

doodleina · 20/08/2022 18:13

She talking absolute shite!
Congratulations on your baby (and the breastfeeding because it's bloody hard!!)

Galvantula · 20/08/2022 18:17

She is indeed talking shite. 🙄

Like the HV who told me to be careful when bfing my first dc when he was about 13 months "because you wouldn't just give him a Mars bar if he asked" or something like that. 🤦

Hoolahulahoop · 20/08/2022 18:20

I would ignore. That's a really long baby. Also breastfed. Sounds like you are doing a dream job with him 👍👍👍 they always used to say my little boy was overweight. Now he's like a stick man 😂

Yogagrandmum · 20/08/2022 18:21

I believe the health visitors are well trained and know what they are talking about. Does everybody not see the amount of fat people children and babies there are around nowadays?

pointythings · 20/08/2022 18:21

You can't overfeed a BF baby. My two were absolute chunks when little, grew into tall slim children.

Original poster
IdiotSandwich05 · 20/08/2022 18:24

@Yogagrandmum but how can a two month old baby, who is only fed breast milk, be overweight? Of course children can be overweight because they eat food!

OP posts:
Gunpowder · 20/08/2022 18:25

Agree! If he is only fed breast milk directly from the breast he can’t be over fed. A couple of my EBF babies had chunky stages just before they had a growth spurt. It’s a much nicer problem to have than a baby who is struggling to feed and put on weight (I’ve had that too).

I would ignore her. Some health visitors are amazing. Some not so much,

Ithinkitsenoughnow · 20/08/2022 18:26

Sounds like you’re doing a cracking job! HV are fucking useless

Ithinkitsenoughnow · 20/08/2022 18:27

Mine were also all EBF and chunky
too and now slim. Ignore

Antsinmypantsneedtodance · 20/08/2022 18:27

Babies can be on a higher weight centile, but you cannot physically overfeed an EBF baby.

Please ignore. But also if you're able to, please complain. You have the sense to know better. But someone else may not and risk stopping feeding on demand or quit breastfeeding altogether. She needs retraining!

Thedogscollar · 20/08/2022 18:27

My dil's HV told her that her 11 month old son should be walking and his leg creases aren't equal and told her to take him to the GP to get this checked!!

As a midwife and trained NIPE practitioner I know this is rubbish as we don't look at leg crease now. I did infact check my grandsons leg creases with his mums consent they were completely equal and he is very happily walking around the furniture and crawling without any leg lag. She also marked him down as being unable to pick up a pea. He obviously wasn't in the mood that day as he has very good hand eye coordination and picks up the tiniest crumbs to finish a biscuit.

Your baby sounds perfect keep doing what you're doing and ignore the HV.

LilacSky95 · 20/08/2022 18:31

You cant overfeed a BF baby!

Thedogscollar · 20/08/2022 18:32

Yogagrandmum · 20/08/2022 18:21

I believe the health visitors are well trained and know what they are talking about. Does everybody not see the amount of fat people children and babies there are around nowadays?

They might be well trained but you just cannot over feed an EBF baby and as a HV she should know this.

Sometimes a little common sense as well as some academic knowledge puts things in perspective.

JaninaDuszejko · 20/08/2022 18:33

Friend of mine was told this about her EBF baby (DC3). Luckily friend is a GP and just ignored. How does your HV propose you reduce the milk an EBF baby gets? It's nonsense.

Also, I'm guessing this is a PFB? I went (far too) regularly to get DC1 weighed but with DC2 and DC3 once they regained their birthweight I only had them weighed at the routine appointments. Much less stressful.

TAKESNOSHITSHIRLEY · 20/08/2022 18:34

opt out they are bringing nothing to your life but stress
hvs are optional,but they dont tell people this,
so many think you "have to"have them
the amount ive had tell me they went along with it under duress

ive never had one and ive 2 kids

my 2nd son was massive at birth 10lb10oz and 29 inches(yes really no exaggeration)he was a very greedy baby from bottle one and was on 11 oz then by 6 weeks 16 ounces every hour and half.(hes 5ft 7 now and 11st 7 at 12)

i know now its down to disabilities(he has many complex ones) but he would put on 4-5 pounds a month and was on full solid meals by 6 months,no baby food or puree,from then on hes on 6-7 full adult size meals and 8-12pints of while milk as his appertite is massive

i opted out with son 1as i knew i would get grief because of the liferstyle choices i was going to follow attachement/gentle parenting and chosing to cosleep and chose home education so no childcare or nursery i knew hvs dont like alternitive lifestyles so i opted out

if i took him to weighing classes they would have blow their top as he wouldnt have fillowed any charts and i never wanted or needed their textbook advice and from litrelly first weigh from coming out he was well over the 100 percent centile,they even checked twice to make sure

InChocolateWeTrust · 20/08/2022 18:35

I don't really think it's possible to over feed a breastfed baby, especially not if he is only feeding every 2-3 hours.

autienotnaughty · 20/08/2022 18:36

My ebf baby gained quickly over first 6m then settled was chunky for a few months but then slimed down when he started crawling. Ebf can not be over fed. Keep doing what your doing.

avocadotofu · 20/08/2022 18:37

You definitely can't overfeed a breastfed baby. My son went from the 25 to 75 centile and he's a totally healthy weight now at nearly 4.

margegunderson · 20/08/2022 18:37

At that length and weight he was underweight at birth and is catching up surely?