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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

I could really do with some advice on whether to follow HV's advice re my ds's diet. Worried I'm overfeeding him

44 replies

Haylstones · 02/10/2008 15:43

I will try not to make this too long but may not succeed
My ds is 7 months and has always been a big boy. He has had a few colds that have left a bit of wheezing (not asthma or chest infections, just a raspy sound sometimes. I have had this checked by the GP 2 or 3 times since he was born).

Today I saw the HV and she wants me to:

cut down his breast feeds to morning and night only
keep a food diary for a month

-have monthly weigh ins with her She also photocopied his red book to go on his file and asked if he was always so placid and happy (nothing in that I'm sure!)

She thinks that ds is gaining weight too fast and his weight will make it too hard for him to crawl, meaning he will gain even more as he isn't burning any of it off and therefore continuing with the chestiness.

Ds's routine is as follows:
7am-Breastfeed
7.30- Ready Brek
11.00- breast feed
12.00- lunch normally consisting of a HIPP jar and fruit
2.30- breast feed
5.00- dinner (whatever we are having) followe dby a fromage frais
7.00- breast feed

He also wakes a couple of time in the night for milk.
Please don't hold back, I would really appreciate some comments and opinions on what ds is eating and the HV's advice as I am so worried that I am overfeeding him and it will have health consequences for him.

FWIW, another HV raised concerns a while ago re his weight and I had him checked by the GP who assured me there was nothing to worry about. Since then the weight gain has increased massively.

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Sidge · 02/10/2008 17:34

If he has always been around the 99th centile then don't worry. If he was following the 50th for example and is now shooting up and over the 99th then that would need investigating.

It sounds like he has a good diet and isn't being encouraged to overeat so I wouldn't panic - and I would avoid the HV

SmugColditz · 02/10/2008 17:37

Looks absolutely fine to me, I would suggest not weighing him any more. That's what my mum had to do and my brother is now a whippety 23 year old

Clearly he is hotwired to gain rapidly. You may find he gains almost nothing in his second year, as both my boys had this pattern.

ginseng · 02/10/2008 17:41

Hi, please don't worry! I had the same thing with my Son, i was so worried as he was so large i thought he had thyroid problems so i went to a consultant who told me not to worry, your sons diet sounds perfect, its what my 8 month old is eating and she is totally different to my son who was very big.

I got comments from the doctor and health visitor too which was very upsetting. He will crawl fine, if you could see how big my boy was and he crawled with no trouble.

He is now a 3 year old and is very tall and totally in proportion.

Just wanted to tell you because i have been there and its so worrying. Please don't listen to her too much, his diet is just fine! :-)

G x

dandycandyjellybean · 02/10/2008 17:51

my ds was just like this - check out the chubba bubba on my profile. At 9 months, just before he crawled he weighed 2 stone. The hv did 'mention' his weight to me, but we'd knocked heads before so she didn't do more than that. He showed little inclination to crawl and walked about a week after he started crawling (10 months iirc). He is tall for his age 2.11 now, but has not a scrap of fat on him. Don't worry, what you're giving him doesn't sound excessive to me.

BlueberryPancake · 02/10/2008 17:54

Just to clarify my earlier point, to my understanding a HV wouldn't be able to diagnose anything like asma, or chest infection, or respiratory problems. If the OP is worried about that then she is right to see her GP about it.

I don't think you should cut down on BF (well maybe at night time, but that's entirely up to you).

mabanana · 02/10/2008 17:54

I'd tell the HV to shove off, frankly. EVERY big of advice is that milk should be the main source of nutrition for the whole first year, and nothing is better for your baby than breastmilk. If there is something 'wrong' with him making him heavy (which I'm sure there isn't) then keeping a STUPID food diary and depriving your son of milk is POINTLESS. Stop getting him weighed, it's obviously worrying you. If you were force-feeding him kebabs and doughnuts five times a day, it would be different, but this sounds like a healthy baby with good diet and a great mum, who is being made miserable by one of the great legion of stupid health visitors.

Original poster

Haylstones · 02/10/2008 18:04

Thanks all. I was feeling really emotional earlier and wan't very lucid . I've now had a good chat with dh who has calmed me down and we are going to follow the HV's advice to an extent in that we will keep a food diary (which will no doubt be exactly the same every day!) but will not be dropping any milk feeds (except for the night ones, which we are working on). I would like to show them that there is nothing wrong with his diet so that this doesn't happen again in the future. We are also going to encourage self-feeding a lot more so he can choose when to eat/ stop a bit more. Starting with a yogurt tonight, which ended up everywhere but his mouth but never mind!THinking logically, now is about the time when he starts thinking about being mobile s it almost makes sense that he is storing some fat up for that...

OP posts:

fedupandisolated · 02/10/2008 18:13

Haylestones, I wrote a big reply earlier and then my internet crashed.

OK - I think you've had some really good advice here. Am a HV myself and know that when a baby seems big there is a duty to monitor this which it sounds like your HV is doing.

Personally speaking I'd say firstly, if he's happy and otherwise healthy then just keep the diary and show the HV so she can see it's fine. Secondly, if you have any concerns about the fact that your DS has increased alot in weight since the GP last saw him then you could ask the GP to refer him to a paediatrician for assessment.

From what you've said here though it sounds as though he's a happy and healthy big boy and his weight will settle once he's moving around.

... and I think you are quite right not to be dropping any milk feeds.

8oreighty · 02/10/2008 18:16

Cannot believe a HV was telling you to cut down on breastfeeds...well can believe it. but think it's awful...it all looks totally reasonable. They do get really chubby at that age, would just make sure all the food you give him is really healthy...I worried a bit about sugar and salt in readybrek and weetabix, maybe try something like porridge? but all sounds fine to me.

fedupandisolated · 02/10/2008 18:19

Oh and meant to add...... growth charts are a waste of paper in normal healthy babies. Just my humble opinion of course. Too many HVs look at the chart and NOT the baby. They then compound this by not talking to the Mum.

Original poster

Haylstones · 02/10/2008 18:22

Thanks all, FUAI that is really useful.
I am going to give my gorgeous boy some milk and put him to bed now so thank you for all your helpful comments.
(I have put a photo of him on my profile so you can hopefully see for yourself that he really is big and not just heavy!)

OP posts:

CarGirl · 02/10/2008 18:25

My nephew was over 29lbs before a year old and off the charts but a year later he hadn't really gained an awful lot more weight. I agree what he eats seems within the normal range for his age and yes that is the age they often get very podgy before they start moving.

If he was on the 25th centile for height and 75th for weight the HV wouldn't have commented it's just because he's off the chart IYSWIM.

mrsgboring · 02/10/2008 18:25

Anyone who advises "cut down breastfeeds to morning and evening" is almost certain to be talking out of some kind of nether orifice. It is so often said as if it is some kind of cureall and yet no baby ever needs to adopt this pattern if mum and baby don't want it.

First babies of my acquaintance all seemed to crawl much later than expected - hardly anyone's was until about 9 or 10 months IIRC. Laterborns get the movement thing much faster.

Too fat to crawl?

Original poster

Haylstones · 02/10/2008 18:30

You'd think 2nd time round i'd be more relaxed

OP posts:

MatNanPlus · 02/10/2008 18:34

It sounds fine then if the GP is happy and he sounds lke he is following your path

peanutbutterkid · 02/10/2008 18:38

Crawling is over-rated, anyway -- I never crawled, just stood up + walked around 9 months.
Crawling babies get into mischief sooner, woohoo (not!).

mrsgboring · 02/10/2008 19:26

Oh sorry Haylstones. I think I should have realised this from your earlier posts.

Still think your HV is a loon.

Original poster

Haylstones · 02/10/2008 19:39

MrsGP

OP posts:

mabanana · 02/10/2008 22:14

I laugh out loud when I see pictures of my ds before he started walking. He was SUCH a porker! Luckily I never got him weighed, so didn't have a lunatic HV demanding I deprive him of the best food on earth.

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