Am I overfeeding my 7 mo??

[MrsRV]

My DD was 8lb 5 at birth and has always been a chubba. I've always worried about her weight (I suppose it's always something I've worried over for myself too!). She's always been close to the 75th percentile line and is gradually starting to come down to the 50th. She's now 7 mo and weighs 18lb 8. I'm totally paranoid I'm overfeeding her... She's always been really sicky & suffered with reflux, it got better for a bit but recently she's sick after every meal & bottle & I can't help thinking I'm overfeeding her?? She has 7oz bottle at 6ish, porridge/a baby weetabix for breakfast with fruit puree mixed in at 9am. Lunch is 1/2 pouch Ella's kitchen (yes yes judge me if u must! :-)) & couple of sticks of cheese or little ricecakes or sticks of cucumber... Basically a couple of little bits of finger foods. 2.30pm 6oz bottle. Dinner at 5 - 1/2 pouch of food with yoghurt & friut puree mixed in & maybe a couple of little pieces of fruit as finger foods. Then 7/7.30 pm 7oz bottle. Am I doing this right???? She was having dinner at 4pm and no bottle during the day but has started waking up in the night so I figured not enough milk??? (oh & she has water with meals too). Sorry about the essay but don't want to give her too much/too little food & she's quite happy to munch away forever on anything!!!!!

My 10mo still has 4 8oz bottles a day so
I think it doesn't sound much! I don't really know about puree feeding but I don't think they'll eat more than they need. Also she's meant to follow her line on the chart surely, rather than aim to drop to the 50th centile? A friend of mine's daughter is 96th centile and dropped to 91st, apparently the HV old my friend to feed her more as she shouldn't drop centiles! Babies are like little people with their own builds, if you feed her plenty she will develop good eating habits - food is for fun before one, milk is the important one. I'm waffling but actually IMO you are fine, don't cut down milk until she clearly doesn't want it. If she's eating loads, let her, she must need it

I agree with hoop. I don't think this weight drop is necessarily a good thing. 75th centile is not overweight at all and babies are supposed to be chubby!

I would go back to your gp about he reflux an get some treatment for that, also speak to your HV about her drop in weight.

I really do not think you are over feeding her though you could try more smaller meals if she is being sick as that might suit her better.

How long is she? Just asking because if she is in proportion there is little to worry about. It's now recommended to offer the milk about an hour before offering meals until they are one. Not entirely sure how you mange that with the 20oz recommendation too, maybe four 5oz bottles? Perhaps you could replace the 2.30 bottle with fruit and water and offer the milk an hour before the evening meal instead?

I was advised by the HV to offer milk straight after meals so that she would be fuller and wouldn't take more than she needed. As long as they follow a curve, they are fine. The amount that you are feeding her sounds similar to what my DD was having at that age, in fact mine was having 4 x 6 oz bottles, one 1st thing, after breakfast, after lunch and night time.

It strikes me that your baby is being fed something every 2 to 3 hours, so it seems to me that there is little time for playing and sleeping before a next feed/drink

I think that sounds like a normal amount. Babies do get fed every 2-3 hours. It's relentless!

Sounds fine to me! My DS was having 4 x 8-9oz bottles until about 12 months. When he was breastfed he was feeing every 2 hours and when we started solids he was still eating every 2-3 hours, just alternating milk with solids. I don't think they take more than they need and I think she'd let you know if she was still hungry.

He's on the 91st centile and the HV wanted him to gain a bit more as he is 99.6th for length. I think he was chubby enough!

jugs they don't all take just what they need and it is possible to over feed a ff baby, hence the introduction of the new weight charts. Obesity is now much easier for the HCP to spot from an early age.

I don't understand this JJJ - 'it's possible to overfeed a FF baby' - my baby is FF and will only drink if he wants it, and will turn away or push the bottle away when he's had enough. How is that any different to BF? I don't understand.

Not saying all will but there are babies who are over fed.

My daughter was on the 98th centile basically until she started moving around on her own (crawling/walking). I was also worried about obesity and took professional advice both here and in Denmark (where I'm from). I was told that as long as you feed your baby only healthy food (and I would count organic baby puree pouches in this) and don't feed them crisps, fried foods, sugar etc it is not possible for a baby to 'eat too much'. Sure enough, when my daughter started walking and then running, the baby fat dropped off her and she is now very slim (in fact, I am so not worried about this that I haven't weighed her in years (she's 3.5))

I second the suggestions on checking with your doctor about the reflux/throwing up. A move on the centile from 75 to 50 is quite a big drop too and isn't linked with greater activity (hence burning calories) on her side.

Aren't all small children fed every 2-3 hours Clare? My DS is 2 now and he still has breakfast at 7.30am, snack at 10am, lunch at 12.30pm, snack at 3.30pm, dinner at 7pm etc. At 7 months he was having at least 6 breastfeeds a day plus three meals.

MrsRV - babies between 6-12 months need at least 20oz of milk a day, so she is definitely not having too much. The amount of food she is having sounds similar in amounts to what my DS ate, and he was a smallish 25th centile baby. Is she tall to? If she is 75th centile for height and weight then she is fine.

It doesn't sound to me like you are over feeding atall. In comparison to what my DD and DS ate at that age, it is actually less on the solid front and about the same on the milk front. But every baby and their appetite is slightly different.

I would ask though - why have you "always worried about her weight"?? Be careful that you don't transfer these worries to her when she is old enough to understand. It may be the way that your post is written but it comes across as if you want/ are aiming for/ are pleased with a drop towards the 50th centile when your DD was 75th. I find that very strange.

Her waking in the night may not be anything to do with hunger. Does she settle back without feeding?

Ditto on the suggestions re getting her reflux looked at again by the doc.